Epidendrum hirtzipaniculatum Hágsater & E.Santiago 2010 GROUP Pseudepidendrum SUBGROUP Paniculatum

TYPE Drawing by © Jimenez and The AMO Herbaria Website

LATE

Common Name Hirtz's E paniculatum-Like Epidendrum [Ecuadorian engineer and Orchid enthusiast current]

Flower Size .8" [2 cm]

Found in Ecuador on the Western Cordillera at elevations around 1800 meters as a large sized, cool growing epiphyte with simple, cane-like, basally terete, laterally compressed above, erect, straight stems carrying 6, alternate, articulate, all along the apical half of the stem, unequal in size, basal one smaller, elliptic, acuminate, amplexicaul leaves that blooms in the late spring on a terminal, paniculate, occuring only once, peduncle somewhat flattened, straight, almost totally enveloepd by an acuminate, tubular bract, rachis with 3 branches, each with a prominent, triangular, acuminate, amplexicaul bract, laxly, simultaneously to 90 flowered inflorescence with much shorter than the ovary, narrowly triangular, acuminate, amplexicaul floral bracts and carrying resupinate, green flowers with a white column and lip.

"Epidendrum hirtzipaniculatum belongs to the GROUP Pseudepidendrum which is characterized by caespitose plants, cane-like stems, acute to acuminate leaves, usually apical inflorescence, the filiform petals and the lip usually 3-lobed with 3 parallel fleshy keels, the apical lobe often bifurcate, the “bird-wing” type pollinia, and SUBGROUP Paniculatum , which has green and white flowers, often marked with purple on the disc of the lip and apex of the column. The species is recognized by the paniculate inflorescence which is nearly as long as the stem, composed of long and lax-flowered racemes, the ovary slightly inflated behind the perianth, papillose, the lip with obliquely elliptic, falcate-retrorse and the apical margin dentate. Epidendrum angustilobopaniculatum has more delicate flowers, the racemes of the inflorescence shorter ca. 4" [10 cm] long, the ovary is not inflated and the lip has anchor-shaped lateral lobes with an entire margin. Epidendrum peraltum Schltr. has larger plants, pyramid-like inflorescence with larger flowers, the sepals .56 to .64" [14 to 16 mm] long, generally pink, the lip with lateral lobes falcate-retrorse, and the calli horn-like." Hagsater etal 2010

"NOTE: This species, as well as E. nanegalense Hágsater & Dodson and E. clarkii Hágsater & E.Santiago are unique in the GROUP Pseudepidendrum in that they have an inflated, papillose ovary." Hagsater etal 2010

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Orchidacearum 13 Plate 1339 Hagsater & Santiago 2010 drawing fide;

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