Epidendrum leptophytum Hágsater 2018 GROUP Leptophytum Type for the group
TYPE Photo/TYPE Drawing by © R Jimenez and The AMO Herbaria Website
Common Name The San Marcos de Tundayme Epidendrum [Locale of the type]
Flower Size .88" [2.2 cm]
Found in Ecuador on the upper western slope of the Cordillera Occidental
of the Andes in the province of Loja on large trees in windswept, steep montane forest at elevations around 2500 meters as a just medium sized, cold growing epiphyte with cane-like, terete at the base
to laterally compressed at the apex, progressively slightly arching, the new stem produced from a middle internode of the previous stem and each
carrrying 2 to 3 per stem, distributed along the apical half of the stems, distichous, partly spreading, articulate, grass-like; with laterally compressed, ancipitose, minutely striated and rugose when dry basal sheaths; linear, acuminate,
minutely apiculate, margin crenulate, slightly revolute leaves that blooms in the fall on an arching, arising through a single, tubular, ancipitose, apex cuspidate,
closely appressed to the peduncle spathe, peduncle
laterally compressed, straight, 1.08 to 1.4" [2.7 to 3.5 cm] long, nearly totally covered by the spathe; rachis 2.8 to 3" [7.0 to 7.5 cm] long, terete, very thin, without being filiform 3.8 to 4.4" [9.5 to 11 cm] long overall, racemose, laxly, simultaneously 14 to 16 flowered inflorescence with shorter than the ovary (except for the basal flower), linear, acuminate, 1-veined, papiraceous, embracing,
gradually smaller towards the apex of the rachis floral
bracts and carrying simultaneous, the lip always facing the rachis, delicate, pale green flowers with no observed
fragrance.
"Epidendrum leptophytum is the typ of the new GROUP Leptophytum , which is characterized by the straggling vegetative
habit, delicate, grass-like, linear leaves, a racemose inflorescence, subtended by a narrow, conduplicate spathe, flowers pale green,
delicate, lip entire to 3-lobed, bicallose, calli elongate, parallel, fleshy, blending into a low mid-rib which runs down the middle of the lip.
The species is recognized by the straggling vegetative habit, delicate, grass-like, linear leaves to 2.68 x .02" [6.7 x 0.5 cm] in size, inflorescence
racemose, subtended by a narrow, conduplicate spathe, flowers pale green, delicate, sepals .34 to .36 x .56 to .68" [8.5 to 9.0 x 1.4 to 1.7 mm], and the lip rhomboid-triangular in outline, bicallose, calli elongate, parallel, fleshy, blending into a low mid-rib which runs down the middle of the lip. At first
sight, the plant appears to be a very delicate plant related to Epidendrum alpicoloscandens from the same Cerro Villonaco, at 2700 meters
altitude, but that species has fleshy leaves 1.6 to 4.32" x [4 to 10.8 x 0.5-0.85 cm, and the lip is clearly 3-lobed, the lateral lobes dolabriform, prominent,
margin erose, and the mid-lobe narrowly triangular, sepals .28 to .34" [7.0 to 8.6 mm] long, the flowers are also fleshy pale orange-yellow, lip whitish.
Epidendrum triloboleptophytum Hágsater, Naranjo & A.E.Mend. is similar in every way, but is distinguished by the clearly 3-lobed lip, the
lateral lobes dolabriform." Hagsater etal 2018
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
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Icones Orchidacearum 16[1] Plate 1635 Hagsater 2018 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 16[1] Plate 1661 Hagsater & Santiago 2018 See Recognition section; --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
