Epidendrum megalophyllostachyum Hágsater, E.Santiago & Rodr.-Mart. 2018 GROUP Macrostachyum

TYPE Drawing by © L Rodriguez and The Herbarium AMO Website Plate 1638

Common Name The Large Leaved Ear Of Corn Epidendrum

Flower Size 1.2" [3 cm]

Found in Cauca department of Colombia within the Parque Nacional Natural Munchique on the western slope of the Cordillera Occidental, at elevations of 2400 to 2600 meters as a giant sized, cold growng terrestrial with cane-like, terete, erect, branching sub-apically in mature plants; primary stem 40 to 60" x .6" [100 to 150 x 1.5 cm]; branches 3.6 to 4.4" x .52" [9 to 11 x 1.3 cm], short stems carrying numerous on the primary stem, distributed throughout the stems, articulate, spreading; basal sheaths tubular, striated, rugose; blade elliptic, apex acute, margin entire, slightly revolute in pressed specimens; 4 to 5 leaves per branch, 1.46 to 6.4" x 1.04 to 2.2" [3.6 to 16.0 x 2.6 to 5.5 cm], unequal, the lower and apical leaves smaller, the penultimate being the largest leaves that blooms in the spring on a terminal, peduncle .4 to .6" x .28 to .32" [1.0 to 1.5 x 0.7 to 0.8 cm], short, terete, straight; rachis 5.2 to 6.8" x .2 to .28" [13 to 17 x 0.5 to 0.7 cm] apical from primary and secondary stems, erect; racemose, 5.6 to 7.2" [14 to 18 cm] long overall, simultaneously to 16 flowered inflorescence wirg much longer than the ovary, triangular-ovate, apex acute, margin slighter serrate, embracing floral bracts and carrying green-yellow to pale green, non-resupinate flowers.

"Epidendrum megalophyllostachyum belongs to the GROUP Macrostachyum , which is characterized by the monopodial plants with sub-apical branching, rugose leaf sheaths, large leaves generally spreading, racemose, erect inflorescence, and fleshy flowers generally green to black (ripe olive colored), as well as yellow to pink to purple, with an entire, conduplicate, generally ecallose and pubescent lip embracing the column, and the nectary pubescent to papillose in front of the stigmatic cavity and at least at the base of the lip. The species is recognized by the plants to 80" [2 meters] tall, robust stems .6" [1.5 cm] in diameter, large, elliptic leaves, 4 to 43.7" x 1.2 to 2" [10 to 18 x 3 to 5 cm], apex acute, inflorescence 5.2 to 7.2" [14 to 18 cm] long, lax-flowered, bracts triangular ovate, spaced along the rachis, longer than the ovary, .4 to 1" x .4 to .8" [10 to 25 x 10 to 20 mm], sepals .72 to .8" x .36 to .48" [18 to 20 x 9 to 12 mm], flowers pale green to green-yellow. Epidendrum xylostachyum has smaller oblong-elliptic leaves, 2.4 to 5.2" x .8 to 1.2" [6 to 13 x 2 to 3 cm], apex rounded, inflorescence dense, compact, to 2.8" [7 cm] long, floral bracts nearly imbricated, .4 to .6" x .4 to .48" [10 to 15 x 10 to 18 mm], sepals .52 x .32" [14 x 8 mm]. Epidendrum munchiquense Hágsater, E.Santiago & García-Revelo has smaller plants, to 40" [1 meter] tall, leaves narrowly elliptic, apex acute to sub-acute, inflorescence 10 to 16" [25 to 40 cm] long, lax-flowered, floral bracts spaced, triangular, .24 to .52" x .16 to .32" [6 to 13 x 4 to 8 mm], sepals .56 to .72" x .2 to .32" [14 to 18 x 5 to 8 mm] long, flowers scarlet red. Epidendrum chondrochilum Schltr. has similar sized plants, but leaves are lanceolate-elliptic, 4.8 to 5.2" x 1.2" [12 to 13 x 3 cm] (on the primary stem), inflorescence 6.4 to 12" [16 to 30 cm] long, flowers black-brown, the color of ripe olives, floral bracts triangular ovate, .32 to .74" x .2 to .56" [8 to 18 x 5 to 14 mm], and sepals .44 x .2 to .24" [11 x 5 to 6 mm]." Hagsater etal 2018

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Orchidacearum 16[1] Plate 1642 Hagsater & Santiago 2018 Drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 18(1) plate 1848 Hagsater & Santiago 2020 see recognition section

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