TYPE LCDP photo by F. O. Espinosa & A. Cisneros/Photo by F. O. Espinosa and The AMO Herbario Website
LATE 
EARLY 
Common Name The Mama Pacha Epidendrum [In honor of the Mamapacha Massif, where the species was collected. Mama Pacha, in the tradition of the pre-Columbian inhabitants of Garagoa, was the matron of a family of Mohanes (mythological figures in Colombian folklore) that lived atop the hill above the town and who dominated the devils of the mountain range. In times of great drought, she would order the Mohanes to go down to the town and kidnap the most beautiful maiden to be sacrificed in a special ceremony. Where the blood of the maiden dropped, a water source would surface and thus the lake and canyons of the town were produced. Not to be confused with Pachamama, the fertility goddess of the Incas]
Flower Size 1" [2.5 cm]
Found in Boyaca department of Colombia from the summit of the Cordillera Oriental of the Andes, in the municipality of Garagoa, southeastern Boyacá, on the Mamapacha Massif, in conserved Andean forest, at elevations around 2300 meters as a medium to giant sized, cold growing epiphyte with simple, cane-like, terete stems carrying 6 to 13 or more, elliptic-lanceolate, acuminate, margin entire, somewhat revolute leaves with tubular sheaths that blooms in the late winter and early spring on a terminal, without a spathe, peduncle 3.6 to 4" [9 to 10 cm] long, sheathed by 2 long, tubular, triangular acuminate bracts .6 to 2" [1.5 to 5.0 cm] long, not imbricated, the second bract above the middle of the peduncle, much smaller, 6.4 to 7.2" [14 to 18 cm] long, apical, paniculate, 1 branched, the branch about twice as long as the main raceme, the branch sometimes producing 1 to 2 short 2 to 3 flowered branches, successively 19 to 30 flowered inflorescence with shorter than the ovary, linear-triangular, acuminate, embracing floral bracts and carrying resupinate, green flowers with the apex of the column, calli and ribs of the lip cream colored; fragrance none.
" Epidendrum mamapachae belongs to the GROUP Pseudepidendrum which is characterized by caespitose plants, canelike stems, acute to acuminate leaves, usually apical inflorescence without any spathes, though it may have several bracts, the mostly filiform petals, the lip usually 3-lobed (with 3 parallel fleshy keels), the apical lobe often bifurcate, the “bird-wing” type pollinia, at least the inner pair; and SUBGROUP Paniculatum , which has filiform petals, all pollinia “bird-wing” type, green and white flowers often marked with purple on the disc of the lip and apex of the column. The new species is recognized by flowers green, apex of the column and calli and ribs of the lip cream colored, lacking fragrance, sepals 10.5-12.0 cm long, petals filiform, .38 x .04" [9.5 x 1.0 mm], lateral lobes of lip strongly reflexed, and the mid-lobe spreading. Epidendrum isthmoides Hágsater & E.Santiago has creamy green flowers, sepals .36 to .4" [9 to 10 mm], petals .36 x .12" [9 x 0.3 mm], lateral lobes of lip rectangular with margin dentate, lip slightly concave in natural position, and ovary papillose. Epidendrum jacarandichromum Hágsater, E.Santiago et Uribe Vélez has the peduncle of the inflorescence with 1 to 3 large, conduplicate, brown bracts, similar to those subtending the lower branches of the inflorescence, the lip of the flower with sub-reniform lateral lobes, the corners rounded, the calli of the lip usually lavender-blue, the color spreading from the calli onto the sides of the disc except for the white ribs on the disc, and lobes of the mid-lobe arched, apex rounded, margin entire. Epidendrum isthmii Schltr. is characterized by the lateral lobes of the lip sub-rectangular to ax-shaped, corners right-angled, calli and disc of the lip white, the margin of the lip being often green, and the lobes of the mid-lobe are nearly straight, apex truncate, margin irregular." Hagsater etal 2019
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Orchidacearum 17(1) Plate 1736 Hagsater & Jimenez 2019 LCDP Photo/photo fide
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