Epidendrum jessupiorum Hágsater & Dodson 2001 GROUP Nanum
Photo by © Eric Hunt
TYPE Drawing by © Jimenez, Hágsater & E.Santiago and The AMO Herbario Website
Common Name The Jessup's Epidendrum [American Orchid Enthusiasts current]
Flower Size .6" [1.5 cm]
Found in central Ecuador on the eastern slopes of the Andes at elevations of 1000 to 1200 meters as a mini-miniature sized, cool growing epiphyte with laterally compressed, pendent with age stems that branch with age from the middle internode of the previous stem enveloped by imbricating, foliaceous sheaths and carrying 3 to 7, all along the stem, articulate, lanceolate, acute, succulent leaves that blooms in the spring on an apical, sessile, single flowered inflorescence with 2, imbricating, ovate, conduplicate, rounded apically floral bracts and carrying resupinate flowers with rose colored sepals and the petals, lip and column are yellowish green or white.
"Epidendrum jessupiorum belongs to the GROUP Nanum , characterized by the dichaea-like pendant stems with pairs of apposing flowers on an inflorescence without spathaceous bracts and has prominent floral bracts. The species can be recognized by the small plants with single f1owers, the .24" [6 mm] sepals, 3-lobed lip, the fimbriate clinandrium and very prominent elongate vesicle on the underside of the ovary. It seems closest to Epidendrum nanum which has larger f1owers, the sepals being .32 to .44" [8 to 11 mm] long, a thinner vesicle and 1 to 3 f1owered inflorescence. Epidendrum lueri Dodson & Hágsater, is also similar but has a differently dentate clinandrium, shorter midlobe of the lip and a prominent front ornamentation of the anther. Epidendrum tingo-mariae Hágsater has an arched column with a prominent, erose clinandrium, green f1owers, with the anther also green, and a short nectary that does not penetrate further than the perianth. Epidendrum milenae Dodson & Vásquez, recorded from both Bolivia and Ecuador, to be expected in Peru, has green flowers with a prominent purple anther, straight column with a short, entire clinandrium. Epidendrum nanosimplex Hágsater & Dodson has a simple, entire lip, the vesicle of the ovary occupying about 1/3 of the ovary. Epidendrum madsenii Hágsater & Dodson has a 3-lobed lip, a triangular, acute midlobe of the lip, a prominent dentate clinandrium, and the ornamentation of the anther consisting of a transverse, dentate process in front. Epidendrum macasense Hágsater & Dodson can be distinguished by the shorter, narrower leaves, the narrower petals, the unornamented anther, and the ovary which is not inflated and swollen into a vesicle at the base. In E. bonitense Hágsater & Dodson, the nectary does not reach the base of the ovary, the clinandrium is barely erose and the sepals are 4 to 5 veined, the midlobe of the lip is short-subquadrate and obtuse." Hagsater etal 2001
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Orchidacearum 4 Plate 448 Hagsater & Sanchez 2001 drawing fide;
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