Epidendrum gymnochlamys Hágsater & E.Santiago 2006 GROUP Polychlamys SUBGROUP Polychlamys

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

LATE EARLY

Common Name or Meaning The Naked Peduncle Epidendrum

Flower Size .6" [1.5 cm]

Found in Panama at elevations around 1850 to 2100 meters as a small sized, cool to cold growing epiphyte with successive, lateral growths, each new stem arises from the intermediate internode of the previous stems, carrying 4 to 5, aggregate towards the apex, articulate, alternate, coriaceous, unequal in size (the basal one smaller), narrowly elliptic, acute, margin entire leaves that blooms in the late winter and early spring on a terminal, racemose, arching, occuring only once, 1.2 " [3 cm] long including the .2" [5 mm] long, distichous, somewhat compressed, naked peduncle, lax, successively 1 to 2, 6 flowered inflorescence all hidden within the floral bracts with much longer than the ovary, covering nearly half the flower, progressively shorter, ovate, acute, conduplicate floral bracts and carrying resupinate, pale green tinged reddish flowers.

"Epidendrum gymnochlamys belongs to the GROUP Polychlamys SUBGROUP Polychlamys which is characterized by the successive lateral growths produced from the middle of the previous growth, few leaves aggregate towards the apex of the stems, the distichous, apical inflorescence with prominent, conduplicate, acute, glumaceous flaral bracts. The species is distinguished by the thin, erect stems, small, narrowly elliptic leaves 1 to 1.4" [2.5 to 3.5 cm] long, short, lax inflorescence with 6 simultaneous flowers, the naked peduncle wlthout bracts, the partly spreading, subacute, triangular sepals, .34 to .4" [8.5 to 10 mm] long, the ovate-oblong lip, and the uninflated ovary without a spur. It is somewhat similar to E. estrellense Ames, which has somewhat flexuous stems towards the apex, larger elliptic-lanceolate leaves 3.2 to 4.8" [8 to 12 cm] long, the peduncle of the inflorescence covered by 7 bracts, the rounded, partly-spreading sepals .4" [10 mm long] and the suborbicular-cordate lip. Epidendrum sigmoideum Hágsater has the peduncle of the inflorescence completely covered by 1 to 3 bracts, rounded, spreading sepals .34 to .4" [8.5 to 10 mm] long, a bilobed, reniform lip and the sigmoid ovary with a straight, elongate stem, elliptic leaves 2.3 to 3" [5.5 to 7.5 cm] long, and a prominent vesicle." Hagsater etal 2006

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Orchidacearum 8 Plate 839 Hagsater & Santiago 2006 drawing fide;

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