Epidendrum galeochilum Hágsater & Dressler 2004 GROUP Spathiger SUBGROUP Coriifolium

TYPE Drawing by © Jimenez, Hágsater & E.Santiago and The AMO Herbario Website

Common Name or Meaning The Helmut Epidendrum [refers to the lip]

Flower Size 1.2" [3 cm]

Found in Cocle' province of Panama at elevations around 800 meters as a small sized, warm growing epiphyte with simple, produced from the base of the previous stem, cane-like, laterally compressed, straight, gradually wider towards the apex stems carrying 3, towards the apex of the stem, alternate, distichous, falcate, coriaceous, narrowly elliptic, bilobed, smooth leaves that blooms in the winter and spring on a terminal, occuring only once, racemose, erect, compact, 4.4" [11 cm] including the short peduncle, successively 2, 5 flowered inflorescence with the peduncle enveloped completely by 2, similar to the slightly longer than the ovary, obovate, subacute, fleshy, conduplicate floral bracts and carrying non-resupinate, distichous, secund, concolor green flowers.

"Epidendrum galeochilum belongs to the GROUP Spathiger SUBGROUP Coriifolium, which is characterized by the sympodial growth, few, wide leaves, simple, distichous inflorescence with large, conduplicate bracts, large fleshy, non-resupinate, secund flowers, wlth the lip usually inflexed in front of the column. The species is recognized by the deeply concave lip, which looks like a helmet or pipe and cannot be flattenned without tearing. Epidendrum circinatum (syn. Epidendrum concavilabium C. Schweinf.) has an obcuneate lip, broader towards the apex than at the base, and inflexed at a 90 degree angle with the axis of the column but otherwise flat. Epidendrum vexillium Hágsater has a nearly flat, subrectangular, cordate lip which extends like a flag on the same axis as the column." Hagsater etal 2004

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Orchidacearum 7 Plate 738 Hagsater & Sanchez 2004 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum Vol 11 Plate 1111 Hagsater & Sanchez 2008;

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