Epidendrum lima Lindl. 1853 GROUP Andean SUBGROUP Fritzianum

Drawing by Jimenez and The AMO Herbaria Website

Common Name The ? Epidendrum

Flower Size 1.2” [3 cm]

Found in Ecuador at elevations of 2700 to 3300 meters as a indeterminate sized, cold growing epiphyte with simple, cane-like, laterally compressed, erect, straight stem [main stem not seen] carrying 5 to 10, all along the branches, alternate, articulate, basal leaf smaller, ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, acute to short acuminate, apical margin papillose leaves that blooms in the winter through spring on a terminal, without a spathe, occuring only once, peduncle subterete, thin with a single basal triangular-lanceolate, long acuminate, amplexicaul bract, racemose to paniculate, suberect, successively 2 to 5, 5 to 12 flowered inflorescence with much shorter than the ovary, triangular-lanceolate, acuminate, amplexicaul floral bracts and carrying resupinate, pale green to yellow flowers.

"Epidendrum lima belongs to the GROUP Andean SUBGROUP Fritzianum characterized by the monopodial stems branched above, the ovate to ovate-elliptic, acute to shortly acuminate leaves, lateral sepals obliquely united to the base of the column, and clearly 3-lobed lip. The species is recognized by the much branching stems, the leaves unequal in shape and size, acute to acuminate, lax, few-flowered inflorescece, pale green to yellowish flowers, sepals .6 to .64" [15 to 16 mm] long, and the 3-lobed lip with the midlobe forming a narrow isthmus at the base, bilobed above, the lobes spreading, semicircular, apical sinus minutely apiculate. Epidendrum trachylaena Schltr. is very similar, but the leaves are larger, elliptic, the 4.8 to 6" [12 to 15 cm] long inflorescence many-flowered, sepals .64 to .72" [16 to 18 mm] long, and the midlobe of the lip obcuneate, emarginate and not apiculate. Epidendrum fritzianum Hoehne has ovate, sub-acute leaves similar in shape, a few-flowered inflorescence, flowers green with purple spots, sepals .32 to .36" [8 to 9 mm] long, and the midlobe cuneate and truncate at the apex. Epidendrum putidocardiophyllum Hágsater & Dodson has elliptic to lanceolate, acute leaves, a many flowered-inflorescence, flowers purple-green, sepals .68 to .72" [17 to 18 mm] long, the lateral lobes of the lip very small, and the midlobe rectangular with a pair of minute lobes at the apex.." Hagsater etal 2009

Synonyms

ReferencesW3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Icones Orchidacearum 4 Plate 456 Hagsater 2001 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 4 Plate 477 Hagsater 2001 see recognition section; Orquideologia 24: 3 Ortiz & Hagsater 2005 as E cf lima; Icones Orchidacearum Vol 8 Plate 894 Hagsater & Sanchez 2006 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 12 plate 1261 Hagsater & Santiago 2009 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 14 Plate 1475 Hagsater & Sanchez 2013 see recognition section; Orquideas, Tesoro de Colombia Vol 2 Ortiz & Uribe 2017;

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