Epidendrum luteostenophyton Hagsater, Edquen & E Santiago 2021 GROUP Elleanthoides SUBGROUP Rhombochilum

LCDP Photo by J. D. Edquén & A. Cisneros and Icones Orchidacearum 18(2) Plate 1881 Hagsater & Jimenez 2021

EARLY

Common Name The Yellow Flowered E stenophton Epidendrum

Flower Size .2" [5 mm]

Found in Amazonas department of Peru on sandstone slabs or trees in high altitude relict Andean forest patches, at elevations of 3200 to 3500 meters as a miniature to small sized, cold growing lithopyte or epiphyte with the cane-like primary stem with shorter, arising from the sub-apical internodes, terete, erect, straight, red-brown secondary stems with the basal half enveloped by non-foliar, tubular, striated, scarious and becoming fibrous with time sheaths and carrying numerous on the primary stem, 5 to 7 persistent and along the apical half, 2 to 9 on the branches, coriaceous, sub-parallel to the stems, similar in size and shape, articulate, medium green, concolor; tubular, striated, verrucose, red-brown leaf base sheaths, linear-lanceolate, obtuse to sub-acute, margin denticulate, spreading leaves that blooms in the summer, fall through early winter on a terminal without a spathe, flowering only once, peduncle .48" [1.2 cm] long, terete, arching, thin, verrucose; rachis 1.6" [4 cm] long, zigzag, 1.6 cm long, apical, arching-nutant, simultaneously 2 to 5 flowered inflorescence with unequal in size, the basal ones longer than the ovary, the apical ones shorter than the ovary, narrowly triangular to triangular, acuminate, embracing, yellow-brown floral bracts and carrying resupinate flowers without fragrance data.

"Epidendrum luteostenophyton belongs to the GROUP Elleanthoides SUBGROUP Rhombochilum which is characterized by the branching habit, small leaves, and a short and nutant inflorescence on a short thick peduncle. The species is recognized by the small habit and flowers, the inflorescence .64" [1.6 cm] long with 2 to 5 simultaneous, yellow flowers, the lateral sepals .216 to ,26" x .12" [5.4 to 6.5 x 3 mm], elliptic, the petals linear, and the lip transversely ovate to transversely trullate, apex rounded, fleshy. Epidendrum stenophyton has a 1.2" [3 cm] long inflorescence with 7 to 12 whitish yellow flowers, the lateral sepals .28 x .092" [7 x 2.3 mm], narrowly oblong, falcate, oblique, and the lip rhombic-elliptic, sub-acute. Epidendrum rhombochilum L.O.Williams is vegetatively very similar, but the flowers are greenish yellow, the lateral sepals.26 to .3 x .12 to .14" [6.5 to 7.5 x 3.0 to 3.5 mm], lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, the petals filiform, and the lip rhombic to transversely rhombic with the apex acute. Epidendrum citrinanthum Hágsater, of the GROUP Frutex also has yellow flowers, the inflorescences are sessile, the leaves .28 to .56" [0.7 to 1.4 cm] long parallel to the stem, lanceolate-oblong, apex rounded, the sepals .18 to .2" [4.5 to 5.0 mm] long, and the lip widely reniform." Hagsater etal 2021

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Orchidacearum 18(2) Plate 1881 Hagsater & Jimenez 2021 LCDP Photo/photo fide;

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