Epidendrum liguliferum C.Schweinf. 1943 GROUP Arbuscula SUBGROUP Incomptum
LCDP Photo by © L. E. Yupanqui G. & L. A. Ocupa H. /Photo by L. E. Yupanqui G. and The Herbario AMO Publications Website
Common Name or Meaning Little Tongue Bearing Epidendrum [refers to the lip calli]
Flower Size 1.2" [3 cm]
Found in northern Huanuco province of Peru along the basin the Huallaga River in isolated remnant patches of dense Andean forest at elevations of 2600 to 3200 meters as a small to medium sized, cold growing epiphyte with erect, simple, cane-like, terete, slightly arched, covered at the base by tubular, non-foliar, minutely striated, reddish brown when young, becoming fibrous and scarious with age sheaths, new stem originates from a sub-apical internode of the previous stem and carrying 7 to 9, distributed along the apical half of the stems, alternate, articulate, spreading, unequal in size, the basal leaf generally smaller, green, concolor, sub-coriaceous, with tubular, minutely striated, pale green leaf sheaths, , elliptic-lanceolate to oblong-elliptic, acute to acuminate, margin dentate, spreading leaves taht blooms in the summer on a terminal, without a spathe, peduncle 1.68 to 2.88" [4.2 to 7.2 cm] long, terete, thin, straight, pale green, provided with 2-3 bracts decreasing in size, frequently imbricated, basal half tubular, apical half conduplicate, translucent with the margins reddish brown, margins erose, rachis 2.6" [6.5 cm] long, terete, thin, 14 cm long, apical racemose, simultaneously, laxly 9 to 11 flowered inflorescence with about half as long as the ovary, triangular-lanceolate, acuminate, embracing, creamy green tinged red and turning dark brown with time floral bracts and carrying resupinate, green flowers inged brown on the dorsal surface of the sepals (turning ochre when mature), disc of the lip and calli white and the fragrance was not registered.
"Epidendrum liguliferum belongs to the GROUP Arbuscula SUBGROUP Incomptum which is characterized by the successive lateral growths produced from the middle of the previous growth, the few leaves aggregate towards the apex of the stems, a short apical inflorescence with fleshy green to violet-green flowers with short ovaries, and the lip entire to 3-lobed. The species is recognized by the tubular, translucent bracts of the peduncle, green flowers tinged brown, the 3-lobed lip with a pair of square lobes at the apex of the mid-lobe, the very prominent digitiform, divergent calli, and the ovary forming an elongate vesicle behind the perianth. The Brazilian Epidendrum niveum E.M.Pessoa & M.R.Miranda lacks the bracts of the peduncle and the inflorescence with 4 or fewer white flowers, lip obscurely 3-lobed with a pair of minute orbicular calli, and the mid-lobe of the lip emarginate. NOTE: The original illustration of this species, Bot. Mus. Leafl. 11(4): 81-120, plate VIII, fig. 5 1943, shows the mid-lobe of the lip only slightly separated from the lateral lobes. However, all the specimens we have seen clearly show the mid-lobe well-formed and separate from the lateral lobes, though small." Hagsater etal 2020
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
Icones Orchidacearum Vol 8 Plate 834 Hagsater & Sanchez 2006 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum Plate 17[2] 1777 Hagsater & Santiago 2020 Photo/drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 18(1) plate 1813 2020 see recognition section
