Epidendrum incomptum Rchb.f. 1853 GROUP Arbuscula SUBGROUP Incomptum
Photos by © Daniel Jimenez
Photo by © Rodrigo Escobar
Common Name or Meaning The Insignificant Epidendrum
Flower Size 1" [2.5 cm]
Found in Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama and Colombia at elevations of 900 to 1600 [2100] meters as a miniature to medium sized, warm to cool growing epiphyte with stems arising from the middle node of the previous, simple, cane-like, terete stem carrying 2 to 4, in the apical 1/3, articulate, alternate, erect-spreading, oblong-elliptic, acute, subcoriaceous leaves with an entire margin that blooms in the wild from summer through winter and in cultivation in the late winter and spring on a terminal, racemose to rarely paniculate, 1 to 1 1/2" [2.5 to 3.75 cm] long, 5 to 20 flowered inflorescence with linear-lanceolate, acuminate floral bracts that are half the length of the ovary.
"Epidendrum
incomptum belongs to the GROUP Arbuscula SUBGROUP Incomptum, which is characterized by the erect habit with
successive lateral growths produced from the middle of the previous growth, few leaves aggregate towards the apex of the stems, roots
produced generally only from the base of the primordial stem, inflorescences are short with fleshy yellowish to green to violet-green to
black flowers with short ovaries, the lip entire to 3-lobed. The species has a dense inflorescence with up to 20 flowers; lip 3-lobed, ecallose, divaricate lateral lobes with the forward edge usually
straight and a sub-quadrate, minutely apiculate mid-lobe. Epidendrum xelidorimarachinii is recognized by the acute sepals, lateral sepals elliptic, dorsal
elliptic-lanceolate, petals oblanceolate, 3-veined, lip 3-lobed, slightly convex, margins entire, spreading; lateral lobes .36 to .4" x .34" [9 to 10 x 8.5 mm],
semi-obovate, base widely cordate, posterior side semi-obovate, front margin straight; mid-lobe .16 x .32" [4 x 8 mm], deeply bifurcate, formed by a
pair of triangular divergent lobes forming a nearly 90° angle, each triangle .16 x .1" [4.0 x 2.5 mm], apex narrowly rounded. Epidendrum rimarachinii Hágsater has a similar appearance but has a
completely different lip, .52 to .6" x .88 to .92" [13 to 15 x 22 to 23 mm], 3-lobed, obreniform in general outline, lateral margins strongly revolute in natural position,
base cordate, apex strongly emarginate, bicallose; lateral lobes .36 x .66" [9 x 16.5 mm], transversely obovate, wider towards the apex; mid-lobe .1 x .26" [2.5
x 6.5 mm], formed by two small, semi-orbicular lobes with a deep sinus in the middle." adapted from Plate 1756 Hagsater etal 2019
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
The Genus Epidendrum Ames 1936; Orchids of Guatemala & Belize Ames & Correll 1952; The Orchids of Panama L.O. Williams & P Allen 1946 drawing fide; Ceiba Vol 5 No 1 L O Williams 1956; Orchids of Panama Williams 1980; The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Orchids Pridgeon 1992 photo fide; Field Guide to the Orchids of Costa Rica and Panama Dressler 1993; Icones Orchidacearum 2 Plate 145 Hagsater & Sanchez 1993 see recognition section;
Field Guide to the Orchids of Costa Rica and Panama Dressler 1993; Native Colombian Orchids Vol 5 COS 1994 #891 as E sp = E aff incomptum Photo ok; Manual Of Orchids Stewart 1995; Native Colombian Orchids Vol 6 COS 1998 errata; Manual de las Plantas de Costa Rica Vol 3 Hammel, Grayum, Herrera and Zamora 2003; Icones Orchidaceaerum 7 Plate 768 Hagsater 2004 see recognition section; Vanishing Beauty, Native Costa Rican Orchids Vol 1 Pupulin 2005 photo fide; Orchids of Mexico Hagsater, Soto, Salazar, Jimenez, Lopez and Dressler 2005 photo fide
Icones Orchidacearum 8 Plate 814 Hagsater and Sanchez 2006 see recognition section;
Icones Orchidacearum Vol 8 Plate 843 Hagsater & Sanchez 2006 see recognition section;
Icones Orchidacearum Vol 8 Plate 891 Hagsater & Sanchez 2006 see recognition section;
Icones Orchidacearum 9 Plate 927 Hagsater 2007 see recognition section; Orchids of Costa Rica Vol 2 Morales 2009 photo fide; Icones Orchidacearum 13 Plate 1386 Hagsater & Santiago 2010 See recognition section; Algunas Orquideas de Mexico Tomo 1 Suarez 2013 photo fide;
Icones Orchidacearum 14 Plate 1458 Hagsater & Sanchez 2013 see recognition section;
Icones Orchidacearum 14 Plate 1460 Hagsater & Sanchez 2013 see recognition section;
Icones Orchidacearum 15 [1] Plate 1568 Hagsater & Sanchez 2015 see recognition section; Orquideas, Tesoro de Colombia Vol 2 Ortiz & Uribe 2017 Photo fide; Orchid Genera and Species in Guatemala Archila, Szlachchetko, Chiron, Lipinska, Mystkowska and Bertolini 2018;
Icones Orchidacearum 17(1) Plate 1750 Hagsater & Jimenez 2019 see recognition section;
Icones Orchidacearum 17(1) Plate 1756 Hagsater & Jimenez 2019 see recognition section; Lankesteriana 19(1). 31 - 55 2019 photo fide;
Icones Orchidacearum 17(2) Plate 1760 Hagsater & Jimenez 2020 see recognition section;
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