Epidendrum ixilum Hágsater, Archila & Chiron 2015 GROUP Coilostylis Coilostylis SUBGROUP Falcatum
TYPE Photo S Romero/TYPE Drawing by © Jimenez and The AMO Herbaria Website
LATE
Common Name The Ixl Epidendrum [The Ixil Triangle is constituted by three municipalities in the Department of El Quiché: Nebaj, San Juan Cotzal and Chajul, in the Sierra de los Chuchumatanes]
Flower Size 3.6" [9 cm]
Found in western Guatemala at elevations around 1350 meters as a large sized, cool growing epiphyte with cane-like, new stem arises horizontally from the subapical, internode of the previous stem, arching-pendent stems enveloped by several scarious, papery, imbricating, lanceolate, acute, irregularily verrucose papillae, whitish turning brown sheaths, the apical one prominent, covering the base of the inflorescence and thus appearing to be a spathe, carrying 19, apical, one per stem, pendent, fleshy, succulent, linear-elliptic, acuminate, dark green leaves that blooms in the later spring on a terminal, sessile, without a spathe, racemose, short, 1 to 3 flowered inflorescence with small, triangular, much shorter than the ovary floral bracts and carrying flowers with the tepals olive green, the apex of the dorsal sepal tinged copper, the lip basally white, the calli intense yellow, the mid lobe multicolor, pink and white towards the bottom, copper colored towards the middle and green apically.
"Epidendrum ixilum belongs to the GROUP Coilostylis Coilostylis SUBGROUP Falcatum recognized by the pendent, sympodial, caespitose habit, roots only at the base of the first stems, a single, fleshy, succulent, lanceolate leaf, the large, star-shaped flowers, and the deeply 3-lobed lip. The species is epiphytic, recognized by the thin stems, 1 to 3 flowers, olive-green sepals .168 to .172" [42 to 43 mm] long and petals, somewhat tinged copper, the lip white at the base, with the mid-lobe pink, copper colored and green apically. It is similar to Epidendrum parkinsonianum Hook. which is also epiphytic, also has 1 to 3 flowers and thin stems, but larger flowers with sepals .162 to .38" [45 to 95 mm] long, sepals and petals green, the lip white, except for the yellow calli. Epidendrum falcatum Lindl. is lithophytic, has 4 to 8 flowers, thickened, brittle stems, and the flowers are similar in size with sepals 1.2 to 2.08" [30 to 52 mm] long with sepals and petals pink, lip white, except for the yellow calli. The color is reminiscent of Epidendrum lacertinum Lindl., but that species has thickened, pseudobulbous stems, and the inflorescence is many-flowered." Hagsater etal 2015
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; *Icones Orchidacearum 15 [1] Plate 1529 Hágsater & Dodson 2015 drawing fide; Orchid Genera and Species in Guatemala Archila, Szlachchetko, Chiron, Lipinska, Mystkowska and Bertolini 2018
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