Epidendrum guaramacalense Hágsater 2004 GROUP Elleanthoides SUBGROUP Guacamayense

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

Common Name or Meaning The Paramo Guaramacal Epidendrum [The Type locality in Venezuela]

Flower Size .8" [2 cm]

Found in northwestern Venezuela in dense cloud forests at elevations around 2800 to 3000 meters as a medium sized, cold growing epiphyte with erect, arising from near the base of the previous stem, branching above the middle, branches short, branching again stems carrying all along the main stem, towards the apex of the shorter branches, lanceolate, acuminate, dorsally carinate leaves that blooms in the summer on a terminal, occuring only once, on both the main stem and branches, paniculate, arcuate, 1.48" [3.7 cm] long including the 1/2" [1.2 cm] long, filiform, very thin, terete, bractless peduncle, successively single, 3 to 12 flowered inflorescence with longer than the ovary, triangular, acuminate floral bracts and carrying resupinate, yellow flowers.

"Epidendrum guaramacalense belongs to the GROUP Elleanthoides SUBGROUP Guacamayense which is characterized by the branching habit, thin stems, the grassy leaves and the arching inflorescence with short hair-like peduncles and few, successive flowers. The species is recognized by the relatively wide and long leaves up to 2.96 x .32" [74 x 8 m]), relatively large flowers (for the group, sepals .3 to .34" [7.5-8.5 mm] long, the entire, transversely wide, ovate lip, pubescent with two small, narrow calli, and the pandurate anther. Epidendrum elleanthoidés Schltr. has narrower leaves to .16" [to 4 mm], smaller flowers with sepals .12 to .14" [3 to 4 mm] long and the lip is shallowly 3-lobed, with the apical lobe triangular and nearly as large as the lateral lobes. Epidendrum guacamayense Hágsater & Dodson has leaves up to .24" [6 mm] wide, sepals .3" [7.5 mm] long, and the lip embracing the column, overlapping and completely hiding it. Epidendrum bryophilum Hágsater & Dodson has .12" [3 mm] wide leaves with the apical margin sinuous-dentate, .24" [6 mm] long sepals, and up to 13 flowers per raceme. Epidendrum piconeblinaense Hágsater has smaller leaves .64 to .1.84" x .08 to .2" [16 to 46 x 2 to 5 mm], a rhombic, pubescent lip, and narrower, oblong petals; it is found in southern Venezuela near the border with Brazil." Hagsater etal 2004

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Orchidacearum 7 Plate 740 Hagsater 2004 drawing fide;

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