Epidendrum escobarianum Garay 1967 GROUP Megalospathum SUBGROUP Tigriphyllum
LCDP Photo by © J S Moreno and Icones Orchidacearum 18(1) plate 1811 2020
Photo by Jay Pfahl ©
Photo by © Eric Hunt
Common Name Escobar's Epidendrum [Colombian Orchid Enthusiast current]
Flower Size 1.2" [3 cm]
Found in Valle de Cauca department of Colombia in premontane and montane forests at elevations of 1600 to 2500 meters as a small sized, cool to cold growing, pendant epiphyte with pendent, arising from near the base of the previous stem, laterally compressed stems enveloped completely by evanescent, imbricating, foliaceous sheaths carrying, articulate, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, acute to subacuminate, grayish green, transversely barred with purple leaves that blooms in the spring, summer and fall on a short, arising through an elliptic, obtuse, oblique, conduplicate, tan green tinged with red spathe, peduncle .2" [5 mm] long, laterally compressed, completely enveloped by the spathe, pendent, subsessile, to 2" [5 cm] long overall, simultaneously, 1 to 2 flowered inflorescence with triangular, acute, embracing, totally hidden within the spathe, much shorter than the ovary floral bracts and carrying fleshy, resupinate flowers without fragrance.
E stanhopeanum, E obliquifolium, E escobarianum and E tigrifolium all have the greyish green leaves with the transverse marroon bars which is uncommon within Epidendrum.
"Epidendrum escobarianum Garay belongs to the GROUP Megalospathum characterized by the caespitose but branching habit, many leafed stem, fleshy, oblique leaves a short few flowered racemose inflorescence subtended by a large semi-ovate spathe carrying a few resupinate flowers with the coulumn obliquely united to the lip, occasionally free and the subgroup SUBGROUP Tigriphyllumwhich is characterized by the plants generally pendant and the leaves ovate to lanceolate, with purple-reddish transversal lines. The species has a cordate, narrowly acuminate lip deep red in color and a small nectary which does not form a vesicle behind the sepals. E tigrifolium is closely related to Epidendrum stanhopeanum which has smaller, greenish flowers dotted with purple, the lip semicircular, deeply cordate, the margins finely dentate. Epidendrum miradoranum Dodson & Bennett is also similar but can be distinguished by the two small simple callus, orbicular, deeply cordate lip, the wider petals .2 vs .8" [5 vs 2 mm], the nectary not being narrowed at the middle of the column. E obliquifolium Ames, F. T. Hubb. & c. Schweinf. and Epidendrum plagiophyllum Hágsater have much smaller flowers. All plants except E. miradoranum and E. plagiophyllum have the leaves marked with transverse maroon bands." adapted from E tigriphyllum plate 387 Hagsater etal 1999
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Native Colombian Orchids Vol 2 COS 1991 photo fide; Icones Orchidacearum 3 Plate 370 Hagsater & Sanchez 1999 in recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 3 Plate 387 Hagsater 1999 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 4 Plate 424 Hagsater 2001 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 4 Plate 474 Hagsater & Sanchez 2001 in recognition section; Mille et Une Mini Orchideees Roguenant 2008 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 74 #2 2010 photo fide; Orchids of the Department of Valle De Cauca Colombia Vol 2 Kolanowska, Hagsater etal. 2014 drawing fide; Orchids of Tropical America Meisel 2014 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 86 # 3 2017 photo fide; Orquideas, Tesoro de Colombia Vol 2 Ortiz & Uribe 2017 drawing/Photo fide; Icones Orchidacearum 18(1) plate 1811 Hagsater & Santiago 2020 photos fide; Orquideas de Farallones de Cali Galindo-Tarazona, Haelterman, Zuluaga Trochez and Sebastian Moreno 2020 photo fide
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