Epidendrum lunatus Hgsater, A G Diaz and Olortegui 2021 GROUP Philippii

LCDP Photo by © A. Goicochea & A. Gutiérrez and Icones Orchidacearum 18(2) Plate 1880 Hagsater & Jimenez 2021

LATER EARLIERMoon

Common Name The Crescent Shaped Epidendrum [refers to the shape of the lip viewed sideways]

Flower Size 1.2" [3 cm]

Found in northern Cajamarca department of Peru at elevations around 2100 to 2300 meters as a medium sized, cold growing sympodial epiphyte with simple, cane-like, laterally compressed, straight stems enveloped by scarious, basal non-foliar sheaths and carrying 5 to 6, along the apical 2/3's of the stem, alternate, articulate, coriaceous, conduplicate below, tubular, laterally compressed, green tinged purple, striated leaf sheath bases, blades, lanceolate, acute, margin entire, slightly revolute apically, dark green above, purple beneath leaves that blooms in the later summer and earlier fall on a terminal ,arising through a basally tubular, conduplicate, acute to acuminate, peduncle covered by the spathe, 2.4 to 2.68" [6 to 6.7 cm] long, slghtly laterally compressed, rachis 5.8" to 7.6" [14.5 to 19 cm] long, terete, to `0" [25 cm] long, overall, paniculate, green laxly successively 4 to 7, to 30 flowered inflorescence with shorter than the ovary, decreasing, ovatetriangular, acuminate, embracing floral bracts and carrying non-resupinate flowers without fragrance data.

"Epidendrum lunatus belongs to the GROUP Philippii characterized by the sympodial, caespitose habit, the apical, erect, racemose to paniculate inflorescence with a somewhat elongate peduncle covered by several spathe-like bracts, the successive nonresupinate flowers, and the 3-lobed lip formed by 4 semi-orbicular lobes, the mid-lobe is itself more or less bilobed at the apex, the outer margins of the lip more or less denticulate. The new species is recognized by the stems with 5 to 6 leaves 3.04 to 4.8" x 1.04" to 1.12" [7.6 to 12. x 2.6 to 2.8 cm], dark green above, purple beneath, the inflorescence to 10" [25 cm] long, paniculate, the peduncle totally covered by the spathe, the flowers green concolor, the sepals .584 to .68" [14.6 to 17.0 mm] long, and the lip semi-orbicular in general form, lunate up to ¾ of circle, the basal margins somewhat retrorse, apex apiculate, margin short fimbriate, bicallose. Epidendrum pseudospathoides Hágsater & E.Santiago has stems with 4 to 8 leaves 1.68 to 4.76" x .76 to 1.52" [4.2 to 11.9 x 1.9 to 3.8 cm], dark a green above, purple beneath, an inflorescence to 12" [30 cm] long, racemose, the peduncle totally covered with up to 4 bracts similar to the spathe but decreasing in size, the flowers green, sepals with dorsal red lines, the sepals shorter .44 to .56" [11 to 14 mm] long, and the lip 3-lobed, the lateral lobes dolabriform and mid-lobe sub-quadrate and emarginate, forming a pair of semi-orbicular lobules, slightly shorter than the lateral lobes. Epidendrum freireanum Hágsater & E.Santiago has stems with 3 to 4 leaves 1.48 to 2.8" x.44 to .8" [3.7 to 7.0 x 1.1 to 2.0 cm], and inflorescence 4.4 to 8" [11 to 20 cm] long, sometimes pluri-racemose with a single small spathe, flowers brownish purple, the lip ivory white, the sepals .4" [10 mm] long, and a lip 3-lobed, the mid-lobe rectangular and widely mucronate.

Epidendrum odontospathum Rchb.f. has elliptic leaves with the apex rounded, the sepals elliptic with apex rounded, minutely apiculate, the petals oblanceolate, rounded with margin crenulate towards the apex, and the lip with 3 low, fleshy ribs, lateral lobes obliquely reniform, mid-lobe semicircular, broadly redounded." Hagsater etal 2021

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Orchidacearum 18(2) Plate 1880 Hagsater & Jimenez 2021 LCDP Photo/photo fide;

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