Epidendrum lagotis Rchb.f. 1855 GROUP Megalospathum SUBGROUP Vesicicaule

Drawing by Jimenez and The AMO Herbaria Website

LATE EARLY

Common Name The Hare Epidendrum [reference obscure]

Flower Size 1.6” [4 cm]

Found in Norte de Santander department of Colombia at elevations of 1500 to 2100 meters as a small sized, cool to cold growing epiphyte with simple, cane-like, terete, thin, upwards arching, basally enveloped by 1 to 2 sheaths and carrying 6 to 10, all along the stem, alternate, articulate, unequal in size, basally smaller, ovate-elliptic, sub-obtuse, margin entire leaves that blooms in the late winter and early spring on a terminal, arising through a semi-obovate, rounded, conduplicate spathe, peduncle .06 to .08” [1.5 to 2 mm] long, thin, laterally compressed, erect, straight, rachis very short, .16 to .24” [4 to 6 mm] long, both hidden within the spathe, simultaneously 2 flowered inflorescence with much shorter than the ovary, widely triangular, acuminate, amplexicaul, hidden within the spathe floral bracts and carrying resupinate, green flowers.

This species is in a group of about 12 species that have often in the past been considered synomonous and are spread from Colombia to Bolivia. The separated species include E. cardiomorphum, Epidendrum calyptratoides, Epidendrum calyptratum, Epidendrum calyptrectylosum, Epidendrum chaparense, Epidendrum falcivesicicaule, Epidendrum pachyclinium, Epidendrum platypetalum and Epidendrum vesicicaule.

"Epidendrum lagotis belongs to GROUP Megalospathum SUBGROUP Vesicicaule characterized by the caespitose but branching habit, many-leaved stem, fleshy, oblique leaves, a short, few flowered, raceme subtended by large semi-ovate spathe, resupinate flowers, the column more or less united to the lip. The species is recognized by the straggling stems with infundibuliform leaf-sheaths, short leaves .8 to 2.4" [2 to 6 cm] long, blade ovate-elliptic the apex sub-obtuse, spatulate petals, and disc of the lip with a pair of small, sub-spherical, somewhat complanate calli. Epidendrum scutella Lindl. has tubular leaf sheaths, ovate-lanceolate, acute leaves 1.88 to 4.8" [4.7 to 12 cm] long, flowers fleshy, generally 5 per inflorescence, the lip apically subobtuse, disc with a pair of low calli with the apex bi- or tri-dentate, and petals ovate-lanceolate.Epidendrum rhomboscutellum Hágsater & E. Santiago has thin stems, narrowly lanceolate, acuminate leaves .8 to 2.4" [2 to 6 cm] long, a 2 flowered inflorescence, the flowers greenish yellow with the apex of the petals reddish brown, the lip is obovate-rhombic with the base cuneate, and the apex acute; disc with a pair of globose calli. Epidendrum rhodochilum (Schltr.) Hágsater & Dodson has pendent plants, green flowers with a red lip, smaller flowers sepals .68" [17 mm] lon), lip is obovate, obtuse, with the margin denticulate and the lip is free from the column. Epidendrum megalospathum Rchb.f. has an oblong-ovate lip with the apical margin denticulate, the elongate rachis has 6, laxly distributed flowers, and the lip is partly free from the column." Hagsater etal 2015

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 6: 70 Schlechter 1919; Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 7: 248 Schlechter 1920; Icones Orchidacearum 14 Plate 1481 Hagsater & Sanchez 2013 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 15 [1] Plate 1532 Hagsater & Santiago 2015 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 15 [1] Plate 1559 Hagsater & Sanchez 2015 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 15 [2] Plate 1581 Hagsater & Sanchez 2016 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 15 [2] Plate 1590 Hagsater & Sanchez 2016 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 15 [2] Plate 1599 Hagsater & Sanchez 2016 see recognition section; Orquideas, Tesoro de Colombia Vol 2 Ortiz & Uribe 2017

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