Epidendrum incapachychilum Hágsater & E.Santiago 2015 GROUP Pachychilum
TYPE Photo by O Quispe/TYPE Drawing by © Collantes and The AMO Herbaria Website
LATE 
Common Name The Incan E pachychilum Epidendrum
Flower Size 1.2" [3 cm]
Found in Cusco department of Peru near Macchu Picchu at elevations of 3400 to 4150 meters as a giant sized, cold growing terrestrial with branching towards the apex, ascending, cane-like, terete, thin stems enveloped basally by tubular, non-foliar, scarious sheaths and carrying 13 to 17 or more on the main stem, 6 to 8 on the branches, all along the stems, parallel to the stems, slightly conduplicate towards the base, partly imbricating, similar in size and shape, lanceolate, acute, minutely apiculate, with a low dorsal keel, margin minutely and irregularly papillose-crenate leaves that blooms in the late fall through winter on a terminal, racemose to occasionally with a short 2 flowered basal branch, 1 to 2.5" [2.5 to 6.25 cm] long, erect, peduncle .24 to .4" [6 to 10 mm] long, terete, thin, naked, mostly simultaneously 7 to 12 flowered inflorescence carrying non-resupinate, reddish orange to yellowish orange flowers.
"Epidendrum incapachychilum belongs to the GROUP Pachychilum which is characterized by the monopodial plants with sub-apical branching, rugose leaf sheaths, by the relatively small leaves, parallel to the stem, the short, racemose, erect inflorescence, brightly colored flowers, yellow to orange to reddish pink, with an entire, conduplicate, lip embracing the column, without any pubescence in front of the stigmatic cavity nor on the lip, but generally with two small calli. The species is recognized by the thin, branched stems covered by tubular, reddish purple sheaths, the lanceolate leaves, .92 to 2.2" [2.4-5.5 cm] long, parallel to the stem, erect inflorescence, generally laxly few-flowered, the flowers reddish orange to yellowish orange, sepals .32 to .38" [8 to 9.5 mm] long, the lip widely hemiorbicular to widely triangular when spread, transversely sub-cordiform in natural position, with two small ellipsoid calli at the base of lip in front of the column, and the column straight with a pair of prominent somewhat retrorse teeth at the apex. Epidendrum erytropachychilum Hágsater & E.Santiago has reddish pink flowers, and is vegetatively similar, with a densely many-flowered inflorescence, sepals.248 to .264" [6.2 to 6.6 mm] long, the lip entire, disc bicallose and the column arched, apex blunt, without teeth. Epidendrum pachychilum Kraenzl. has narrowly lanceolate leaves, sulfur-yellow flowers, sepals .44" [11 mm] long, lip entire, widely triangular, base truncate, disc apparently ecallose, column with an uncinate tooth at each side of the apex, anther rostrate. NOTE: This small group of species with relatively small flowers colored from yellow to orange to red has been consistently confused, and most recently identified collectively as Epidendrum pachychilum Kraenzl. , we consider them, however, to be several distinct species, distinguished by the leaves, floral bracts and flowers." Hagsater etal 2015
Synonyms Epidendrum aquaticoides var. pusillum C.Schweinf. 1943
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Orchidacearum 15 [1] Plate 1522 Hagsater & Sanchez 2015 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 15 [1] Plate 1528 Hágsater & Dodson 2015 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 15 [1] Plate 1549 Hagsater & Sanchez 2015 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 15 [2] Plate 1571 Hagsater & Sanchez 2016 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 15 [2] Plate 1522a Hagsater & Sanchez 2016 see recognition section;
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