Epidendrum insignificans Hágsater & Dodson 1993 GROUP Elleanthoides SUBGROUP Guacamayense

TYPE Drawing by © Jimenez and The AMO Herbaria Website

Common Name The Insignificant Epidendrum

Flower Size .3" [7.5 mm]

Found in Morona-Santiago province of Ecuador in high cloud forests at elevations around 3100 meters as a large sized, cold growing lithophyte on rocky wet ground with a terete, branching above when mature, branches smaller than the main stem and carrying all along the stems, narrowly elliptic-lanceolate, acute leaves that blooms in the summer on a terminal, racemose to paniculate, new racemes over the years arcuate, without a spathe, successively single, several flowered inflorescence with triangular, acuminate, longer than the ovary floral bracts and carrying resupinate flowers.

"Epidendrum insignificans Hágsater & Dodson is part of the GROUP Elleanthoides SUBGROUP Guacamayense characterized by the branching stems, verrucose sheaths, long, narrow, grassy leaves, and a filiform peduncle. This species is recognized by its erect, caespitose plant with stems branching near the apex, arcuate inflorescences with triangular bracts, flowers opening one at a time, and lip very small, semicircular, apiculate and partly embracing the apex of the column. The habit of the plant is reminiscent of E. guacamayense Hágsater & Dodson, which has a much longer, zigzag inflorescence, narrower linear petals only .02" [0.5 mm] wide, and reniform lip which embraces completely the apex of the column. Epidendrum angustissimum Lindl. 1853 has superficially similar habit and leaves, but the inflorescence with a short peduncle and simultaneous differently-shaped flowers distinguish it" Hagsater etal 1993

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Orchidacearum 2 Plate 148 Hágsater & Dodson 1993 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 4 Plate 423 Hagsater 2001 see recognition section;

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