Epidendrum lirion Hágsater & Dodson 2004 GROUP Mancum SUBGROUP Mancum
Photos by © Jim Pyrzynski
TYPE Drawing TYPE Drawing by © Jimenez, Hágsater & E.Santiago and The AMO Herbario Website
APRIL/MAY
Common Name The Lily of the Valley-Like Epidendrum
Flower Size .2" [5 mm]
Found in Ecuador in elfin forests near summits at elevations around 2600 meters as a medium sized, cold growing terrestrial with cane-like, 3 internoded, the apical node 1/2 total length, slightly flattened stems enveloped by sheaths in youth and carrying a solitary apical, narrowly elliptic, thickly coriaceous, conduplicate, slightly arcuate, unequally bilobed apically leaf that blooms in the fall [April May] on an apical, erect, racemose, many flowered inflorescence arising through a tubular, ancipitose, acute spathe and carrying to 30, simultaneously opening, non-resupinate, cupped, downward facing flowers that have a citric smell.
"Epidendrum lirion belongs to the GROUP Mancum SUBGROUP Mancum , which is characterized by the sympodial growth, narrow spathaceous bracts with parallel sides, erect raceme with non-resupinate flowers and a generally reduced, fleshy lip. The species has the same vegetative aspect of Epidendrum parvilabre and Epidendrum coryophorum (Kunth) Rchb.f. with the single, apical leaf very thick and coriaceous, the racemose, erect inflorescence with numerous lily-like, non-resupinate, white flowers facing downward, with the apex of the column purple, the sepals and petals elliptic and wide. The inflexed, membranaceous, three-Iobed lip is quite unique, with its orbicular lateral lobes and rectangular midlobe. Epidendrum coryophorum has a fleshy finger-like midlobe and purple f1owers. Epidendrum parvilabre has resupinate flowers with slender floral segments and the lip spreading with falcate laterallobes. Epidendrum mancum Lindl. has nonresupinate flowers with narrow segments and the lip fleshy and reduced." Hagsater etal 2009
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Orchidacearum 7 Plate 755 Hagsater & Dodson 2004 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum Part 12 Plate 1213 Hagsater 2009 see recognition section
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
