Epidendrum kymatochilum Hágsater & Dodson 2004 GROUP Megalospathum SUBGROUP Cupreum
Photo by © Eric Hunt
TYPE Drawing by © Jimenez, Hágsater & E.Santiago and The AMO Herbario Website
Common Name The Undulate Lip Epidendrum
Flower Size 1.2" [3 cm]
Found in Ecuador and Peru between the adjacent province of Loja and department of Ayabaca in cloud forests at elevations between 2800 to 3500 meters as a small sized, cold growing epiphyte with a simple, cane-like, arising from near the base of the previous, progressively laterally compressed above, somewhat flexuous stem almost completely enveloped by inflated, well spaced, leafless below and leafy above sheaths and carrying 3 to 4, distributed throughout the stem, laterally compressed, somewhat infundibuliform when dry, lanceolate to oblong-ellipitc, unequally bilobed apically, coriaceous leaves that blooms in the fall through spring on a terminal, arising through a compressed, obovate, rounded apically, conduplicate spathe, somewhat arcuate, thin, laterally compressed, 4.2 to 6" [10.5 to 15 cm] long, few flowered inflorescence with very small, triangular, acute, clasping floral bracts and carrying 3 to 5, simultaneously opening flowers.
"Epidendrum kymatochilum is part of GROUP Megalospathum SUBGROUP Cupreum recognized by the single, wide, semi-ovate spathe and the erect stems with 3 to 5 coriaceous leaves and a few resupinate flowers, the ventral surface of the column with a cavity accessed through a long narrow slit. The species is recognized by the large flowers, sepals .56 to .76" [14 to 19 mm] long, the cuneate, flabellate, lip with a pair of incipient, basal hemicircular lobes, their margin undulate and the pair of laminar calli. It resembles Epidendrum orbiculatum closely, but this species has a suborbicular lip, somewhat wider than long, the margin entire, and is found in southern Peru, near Cuzco. Epidendrum cupreum F. Lehm. & Kraenzl. has smaller flowers, the sepals .4" [10 mm] long, and the lip ecallose; this species is distributed along the eastern slope of the Andes from southern Colombia to southern Ecuador." Hagsater etal 2004
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Orchidacearum Part 7 Plate 750 Hagsater 2004 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum Part 13 Plate 1364 Hagsater 2010 see recognition section
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