Epidendrum mesomicron Lindl. 1853 GROUP Ampelospathum
LCDP Photo by © J. D. Edquén & A. Cisneros and Icones Orchidacearum 18(1) plate 1823 2020
Photo by The Vereinigung Deutscher Orchideenfreunde Picasa Website
Common Name The Tiny Mid Lobe Epidendrum [refers tothe tiny midlobe of the lip]
Flower Size .8" [2 cm]
Found in Peru and Bolivia along the eastern slope of the Andes in wet montane forests at elevations of 1500 to 3000 meters as a large sized, cool to cold growing terrestrial with an erect, simple, cane-like, unbranched, lightly compressed, terete, leafy towards the apex stem carrying 4 to 6, coriaceous, all along the apical half of the stem, the lowest leaf smaller, oblong to oblong-elliptic, apex obtuse, unequally bilobed, margin entire, spreading leaves that blooms at any time of the year on a terminal, arising through a tubular, obtuse spathe, peduncle 3.6 to 6.8" [9 to 17 cm] long, terete, straight, thin rachis 3.24 to 10.4" [8.1 50 26 cm] long, paniculate, 6 to 16" [15 to 40 cm] long overall, laxly, successively till all open at once, 7 to 70 flowered inflorescence with narrowly triangular, acuminate, embracing, much shorter than the ovary floral bracts and carrying resupinate flowers.
"Epidendrum mesomicron belongs to the GROUP Ampelospathum which is characterized by the simple, cane-like, few-leaved stems, with 1 to 2, tubular, laterally compressed, tight spathes at the base of a racemose to paniculate, erect inflorescence, and the flowers resupinate or not. The species is recognized by the oblong to oblong-elliptic leaves 1.28 to .856" x 1 to 1.86" [3.2 to 14 x 2.5 to 4.7 cm], the erect inflorescence subtended by a prominent spathe, the green to yellowish green flowers, a 3-lobed lip, the apical outer margin of the lateral lobes laciniate, the mid-lobe oblong, obtuse, and the disc with radiating thickened veins. Epidendrum melanoxeros Hágsater & Dodson is similar but the leaves are elliptic, 5 to 5.8" x 1.04 to 1.16" [12.5 to 14.5 x 2.6 to 2.9 cm], the inflorescence is racemose and arching, the lip 3-lobed without radiating thickened veins and the lateral lobes are dolabriform, with the margin erose-dentate. Epidendrum ampelomelanoxeros Hágsater, E.Santiago & E.Parra has leaves ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, acute, 1.68 to 4.6" x .4 to .12" [4.2 to 11.5 x 1.0 to 3.0 cm], flowers yellowish green tinged red, the lateral lobes of the lip with an erose margin, and mid-lobe oblong-triangular with the apex obtuse. Epidendrum leiomesomicron Hágsater & E. Santiago, from Azuay, Ecuador, has smaller leaves, 3.33 to 3.6" x x.76 to .92" [8.3 to 9.0 x 1.9 to 2.3 cm], oblong, sub-spreading, the erect inflorescence with 2 prominent, imbricated spathes 1.4 to 3.8" [3.5 to 9.5 cm] long, non-resupinate flowers yellowish green the sepals dorsally tinged brown, the lip 3-lobed, smooth, without prominently thickened veins, and the mid-lobe triangular." Hagsater etal 2020
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Orchids of Peru Vol 2 Fieldiana Schweinfurth 1959; Icones Orchidacearum Peruviarum Plate 642 Bennett & Christenson 2001 drawing fide; Machu Picchu Orchids Christenson 2003 photos fide; Orchids of Bolivia Vol II Laelinae Vasquez & Ibisch 2004 drawing/photo fide; ; Icones Orchidacearum 18(1) plate 1817 2020 see recogniton section; Icones Orchidacearum 18(1) plate 1823 Hagsater & Santiago 2020 Photos fide; The Parque Nacional Carrasco, Cochabamba Bolivia, Orquideas del Proyecto Hidroelectrico Ivirizu Website 2021 photo fide;
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
