Epidendrum iang-rondonii M.Bonilla, Hágsater & L.Sánchez 2016 GROUP Difforme
TYPE Photo by © M. Bonilla/TYPE Drawing by © Jimenez and The AMO Herbaria Website
LATE 
MID 
Common Name Iang Rondon's Epidendrum [Colombian Professor and expert in animal immunology and microbiology current]
Flower Size 1.6" [4 cm]
Found in Meta department of Colombia in the lower foothills of the eastern slope of the Cordillera Oriental of the Andes at elevations of 500 meters as a medium sized, hot to warm growing, caespitose epiphyte with simple, cane-like, laterally compressed stems carrying 4 to 8, all along the stem, oblong-elliptic, generally rounded apically, coriaceous, sometimes emarginate, margin entire leaves that blooms in the late fall through mid winter on a terminal, on a mature stem, occuring only once, peduncle .28" [7 mm] long, rachis to 1.72" [4.3 cm] long, subcorymbose, simultaneously 12 to 14 flowered inflorescence with shorter than the ovary, progressively shorter above, ovate, acute to acuminate floral bracts and carrying resupinate, nocturnally sweetly scented, pale green flowers.
"Epidendrum iang-rondonii belongs to the GROUP Difforme which is characterized by the caespitose, sympodial plants, fleshy light green to glaucous leaves, apical inflorescence without the spathaceous bract, sessile, rarely with a short peduncle, one-flowered to corymbose, fleshy, and flowers green to yellowish-green, rarely white. The species is recognized by the laterally compressed stems, sub-corymbose inflorescence with an evident .172" [43 mm] long rachis, 12 to 14 flowers, lip 3-lobed, disc with thickened radiating veins, calli elongate, divergent, column arching towards the apex. It is similar to Epidendrum macarense, also endemic to Colombia, and Meta, but that species has ancipitose stems, a compact corymbose inflorescence, rachis reduced, ca. 9 flowers, and an entire lip. In the GROUP Difforme there are other species with radiating thickened veins on the disc of the lip, but they all have a reduced rachis which is generally covered by the base of the apical leaf." Hagsater 2013
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Orchidacearum 15 [2] Plate 1585 M.Bonilla, Hágsater & L.Sánchez 2013 drawing fide; Orquideas, Tesoro de Colombia Vol 2 Ortiz & Uribe 2017 as E aff iangrondonii Photo good; Orquideas, Tesoro de Colombia Vol 2 Ortiz & Uribe 2017 Photo fide;
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
