Epidendrum naviculare Hagsater, M E Acuna & E Santiago 2020 GROUP Frutex
Drawing by © R. Jiménez M and Icones Orchidacearum 18(1) plate 1827 2020
LATE
Common Name Boat Like Epidendrum [refers to the lip shape]
Flower Size .4" [1 cm]
Found in central Peru and northern Bolivia in primary montane, very wet forest and elfin forests at elevations of 2800 to 3200 meters as a medium sized, cold growing, caespitose epiphyte with , cane-like, terete at base, laterally compressed and ancipitose apically stems and carrying 8 to 10, distributed along the apical 2/3 of stem, articulate, sub-coriaceous, sub-erect, narrowly lanceolate, slightly oblique, acuminate, green leaves with tubular, laterally compressed, ancipitose, striated, pale green becoming ochre colored with age leaves that blooms in the late winter and spring on a terminal, without a spathe, pendent peduncle 1.6 to 4.8 x .08" [4 to 12 x 0.2 cm], laterally compressed, ancipitose, provided with an intermediate large, at about 2/3 the length, narrowly triangular, acuminate bract rachis .48 to 2" [1.2 to 5 cm] long, somewhat zigzag, thicker than peduncle but terete, producing new racemes near the base, racemose to paniculate, successivelty to 4, to 26 flowered inflorescence with triangular, acute, imbricating, verrucose, much shorter than the ovary floral bracts and carrying resupinate, sweet scented flowers.
"Epidendrum naviculare belongs to the GROUP Frutex characterized by the caespitose, sympodial plants with simple, cane-like stems, lacking any spathe, apical inflorescence usually arching nutant, and the fleshy small flowers with a more or less cup shaped lip. The new species is recognized by the stems about 18" [45 cm] tall, the upper part laterally compressed and ancipitose, the leaves 3.4 to 5.6" x .32 to .56" [8.5 to 14 x 0.8 to 1.4 cm], narrowly lanceolate, the ovary and bracts papillose, the flowers green dorsally dotted red, sepals .56 to .6" [14 to 15 mm] long, narrowly triangular, and the lip navicular and incipiently 3-lobed when spread. Epidendrum papallactense is vegetatively similar but the stems are flat without being ancipitose, the ovary and floral bracts are unornamented, the flowers are blue to black, the lip green to black, column green, the sepals.32 to .36" [8 to 9 mm] long, and the lip widely reniform with a “Y” shaped callus. Epidendrum chinchaoënse Hágsater, D.Trujillo & E.Santiago, belonging to the GROUP Elleanthoides , is florally similar but the inflorescence is 1.08" [2.7 cm] long, the peduncle terete, sepals .26 to .32" [6.5 to 8.0 mm] long, flowers yellowish green, concolor, smooth, and the floral bracts unornamented." Hagsater etal 2020
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Orchidacearum 18(1) plate 1827 Hagsater & Santiago 2020 Drawing/Photo fide
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