Epidendrum lasiostachyum Rodr.-Mart., Hágsater & E.Santiago 2016 GROUP Macrostachyum SUBGROUP Stenophyton
TYPE Drawing by © L. Rodriguez Martinez Santiago and The AMO Herbario Website
Common Name The Shaggy Ear Of Corn Epidendrum [refers to the long straight trichomes reclining towards the nectary that distinguishes this species from others]
Flower Size .6" [1.5 cm]
Found in Valle de Cauca department of Colombia in relict forests at elevations of 1800 to 1900 meters as a small sized, cool growing epiphyte with cane-like, terete, erect, branching in maturity stems carrying 7, all along the stem, articulate, spreading, equal, lanceolate, acute, margin minutely serrate leaves that blooms in the fall on a terminal, arising on mature stems, peduncle .2 to .28" [5 to 7 mm] long, terete, thin, straight, rachis 2 to 2.2" [5 to 5.5 cm] long, slightly flexuous, greenish, 2.4" [6 cm] long overall, laxly, simultaneously 6 flowered inflorescence with much shorter than the ovary, triangular-lanceolate, acute, margin slightly serrate, clasping floral bracts and carrying non-resupinate, distichous, secund, non fragrant flowers.
"Epidendrum lasiostachyum belongs to the GROUP Macrostachyum SUBGROUP Stenophyton which is characterized by the monopodial plants with sub-apical branching, rugose leaf sheaths, large leaves generally spreading, racemose, erect inflorescence, and fleshy flowers generally green to black (ripe olive colored), as well as yellow to pink to purple, with an entire, conduplicate, generally ecallose and pubescent lip embracing the column, and the nectary pubescent to papillose in front of the stigmatic cavity and at least at the base of the lip. The species is recognized by the relatively small plants to 12" [30 cm] tall, with lanceolate leaves 1.8 to 2.4" x .32 to .4" [4.5 to 6.0 x 0.8 to 1.0 cm], distichous, few flowered inflorescence, with 6 yellow flowers, the apex of the column tinged purple; lip trullate, base widely cuneate, strongly pubescent except for the margin, and the column minutely papillose. It is similar to Epidendrum microrigidiflorum Hágsater, endemic to northern Panama, which has taller plants 24 to 40" [60 to 100 cm] tall, a secund inflorescence with up to 16 flowers which are greenish yellow or cream colored, the lip widely rhombic, and minutely papillose throughout the ventral surface, column glabrous. Epidendrum polyanthostachyum Hágsater, E.Santiago & García-Ramírez also has taller plants to 40.8" [to 102 cm], narrowly elliptic leaves 1.4 to 6" x .72 to 1.88" [3.5 to 15 x 1.8 to 4.7 cm], the inflorescence densely many-flowered, with up to 40 flowers, these yellow, concolor, lip widely deltate with the base cordate, scarcely pubescent in front of the column." Hagsater etal 2018
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; *LANKESTERIANA 16(1): 27—37. Rodr.-Mart., Hágsater & E.Santiago 2016 drawing/photo fide; Orquideas, Tesoro de Colombia Vol 2 Ortiz & Uribe 2017 photo fide; Icones Orchidacearum 16[1] Plate 1634 Hagsater & Santiago 2018 photos fide;
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