Epidendrum leonorae Hagsater, O. Perez and E. Santiago 2013 GROUP Andean SUBGROUP Soratae
In situ Jardin Antioquia 3/20 Photo by © Jay Pfahl
Photos by © Diego Calderon and his Flickr Birding and Orchid Photo Website
TYPE Drawing by © Jimenez, Hágsater & E.Santiago and The AMO Herbario Website
LATE 
Common Name Leonor's Epidendrum [Mrs Leonor Escobar Sora Mother of the second author current]
Flower Size .6" [1.5 cm]
Found in Colombia and Peru in cloud forests at elevations of 2000 to 2900 meters as a small sized, cold growing epiphyte with reclining to erect, branching, canelike, reddish, basally terete, slightly laterally compressed towards the apex, very thin stems carrying 6 on the main stem, 4 to 6 on the branches, all along the stems, alternate, articulate, subcoriaceous, linear-lanceolate, obtuse, minutely apiculate, margin entire leaves that blooms in the late fall and spring on a terminal, racemose, short, 2 flowered inflorescence with shorter than the ovary, triangular, acuminate, amplexicaul floral bracts.
"Epidendrum leonorae belongs to the GROUP Andean SUBGROUP Soratae which is characterized by the branching habit starting on a monopodial, primary stem, infundibuliform, rugose leaf-sheaths, lanceolate, aristate, acute leaves, racemose subcapitate inflorescence on a short, thin peduncle, and the bicallose lip. The species is recognized by the small plants with thin stem and very short branches, linear-lanceolate, short leaves, small greenish-white flowers, lateral sepals obliquely elliptic, .22" [5.5 mm] long , and a transversely elliptic lip, base slightly cordate, apex emarginate, apiculate, the apiculus flanked by a pair of semi-circular lobes terminating in a pair of prominent teeth at the outer margin, the margin crenate. It is similar to Epidendrum moscozoi, which has white flowers with single veined, ovate lateral sepals (the dorsal one reflexed) .148 to .16" [3.7 to 4 mm] long, and a reniform lip with a unicarinate disc, the ovary is .4 to .56" [10to 14 mm} long. Epidendrum obliquum Schltr. has plants to 22.8" [57 cm] tall and a reniform, emarginate lip with entire margin, the ovary is not inflated. Epidendrum soratae Rchb.f. has taller plants to 10.8" [27 cm], yellowish-green flowers with sepals .272 to .28" [6.8 to 7 mm] long, and a reniform, emarginate somewhat 3-lobed lip with the base deeply cordate, and margin entire." Hagsater etal 2013
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Orchidacearum 14 Plate 1448 Hagsater & Sanchez 2013 Drawing/photo fide; Icones Orchidacearum 14 Plate 1465 Hagsater & Sanchez 2013 see recognition section; Orchids of the Department of Valle De Cauca Colombia Vol 2 Kolanowska, Hagsater etal. 2014 drawing/photo fide; Orquideas, Tesoro de Colombia Vol 2 Ortiz & Uribe 2017 Photo good;
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