Epidendrum leimebambense Hágsater 1993 GROUP Ventricosum

TYPE Drawing by Jimenez and The AMO Herbaria Website

Common Name The Leimebamba Epidendrum [A town near the type locality]

Flower Size 1.2” [3 cm]

Found in Amazonas province of Peru at elevations around 3360 meters as a small to medium sized, cold growing scandent herb with simple, cane-like, terete, new ones arising from near the second or third internode of the previous stem carrying 3, along the apical half, elliptic-lanceolate, unequally bilobed, subcoriaceous, margin entire leaves that blooms in the winter on a terminal, from a mature stem, occuring only once, racemose, arcuate, peduncle short, subtended by a narrow spathe, 1 to 2” [2 to 5 cm] long, successively 3 to 7 flowered inflorescence with obsolete floral bracts and carrying apparently resupinate flowers with pale green sepals with 3 to 4 dull purplish lines longitudinally, and the lip flecked dull purplish.

"Epidendrum leimebambense Hágsater, belongs to the GROUP Ventricosum which is recognized by the sympodial habit, few leaved stem, prominent spathaceous bract and the resupinate flowers mostly bright purple, with a wide, smooth nectary that does not penetrate the ovary. is also similar, The species has wide leaves, up to .68" [1.7 cm] wide, flowers larger, sepals .56 to .64" [14 to 16 mm] long, pale green marked with purple, and cordiform lip, .36 x .44" [8 x 11 mm]. Epidendrum amethystinum has erect, somewhat thickened stems with very coriaceous, narrower leaves, with a raceme of bright violet, crystal-like, flowers opening from the apex of the scape backwards, subtended by a single narrow, spathaceous bract; there is nectar overflowing from the nectary into the concave lip in front of the calli; the color of the flowers is like that of Nageliella. Epidendrum ventricosum Lindl. has sub-caespitose habit, medium sized plants with ancipitose stems the leaves are long and narrow 1.6 to 4.8" x .12 to .32" [4 to 12 x 0.3 to 0.8 cm], the lip is as wide as it is long, and the calli are small, about ¼th the length of the lip. Epidendrum pachygastrium Kraenzl. is very similar and is distinguished by the shorter, narrower lanceolate leaves 1.2 to 3.2" x .24 to .4" [3 to 8 x 0.6 to 1.0 cm], and the lip slightly wider than long and with the two large, sub-globose calli nearly half as long as the lip. Epidendrum diommum Hágsater & Chocce from Peru is similar and has magenta to wine-colored, non transparent flowers, with bright white calli and sepals .62 to .76" [15.5 to 19 mm] long." Adapted from Plate 1302 Hagsater 2010

"Epidendrum leimebambense is also similar to E. buchtienii Schltr., but differs in the scandent habit and the cordiform lip with entire margins." Hagsater etal 1993

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Orchidacearum 2 plate 151 Hagsater 1993 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 9 Plate 970 Hagsater 2007 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 11 Plate 1194 Hagsater 2008 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 12 Plate 1238 Hagsater 2009 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 13 Plate 1302 Hagsater 2010 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 18(2) Plate 1866 Hagsater & Jimenez 2021 see recognition section

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