TYPE Photo by Á. J. Pérez/TYPE Drawing by R. Jiménez M. and The AMO Herbario Website
Common Name The Dark Wine Red Epidendrum [in reference the dark wine-colored flowers, with the exception of the snow-white column]
Flower Size .6" [1.5 cm]
Found in Zamora-Chinchipe province of Ecuador apparently endemic to the summit of the Cerro Plateado, an Andean tepui of sandstone, a part of the Cordillera del Condor in southeastern Ecuador, in acid, sandy soil, amongst paramo vegetation with dense low shrubs or in elfin forest dominated by terrestrial bromeliads, Ilex spp., Symplocos neillii B.Ståhl and Podocarpus tepuiensis J.Buchholz & N.E.Gray, at elevations of 2850 to 2900 meters as a medium to just large sized, cold growing terrestrial or lithophyte with cane-like, terete, slightly flexuous stems branches shorter than the primary stem and carrying 6 to 8 on the portions of stem seen, probably more on the primary stem, distributed throughout, sub-erect and curved so the apical half is spreading, coriaceous, base conduplicate, provided with tubular, minutely striated, rugose sheaths, blade linear-lanceolate, apex acute, minutely apiculate, margin entire, slightly revolute leaves that blooms in the winter on a terminal, arising through 1 to 3, tubular, laterally compressed, acuminate spathes, peduncle 1.28" to 2.2" [3.2 to 5.5 cm] long, laterally compressed, erect, nearly completely covered by 2 to 3, tubular at base, conduplicate at the apex, ancipitose, acuminate, partly imbricated bracts, rachis 2.68 to 3.28" [6.7 to 8.2 cm] long, 4 to 6.4" [10 to 14 cm] long, apical, erect, racemose, the flowers sub-distichous, laxly, successivley few, 9 to 11 flowered inflorescence with longer than the ovary, the basal bracts longer than the flower, linear-triangular, acuminate, embracing floral bracts and carrying non-resupinate, fleshy flowers with the floral buds wine-red-black, tepals wine-red-black, column white, lip wine-red-black and the fragrance was not registered.
"Epidendrum belongs to the GROUP Herrenhusanum , recognized by the caespitose, sympodial habit, the erect racemose inflorescence subtended by a narrow, long spathe, and non-resupinate flowers. The new species is recognized by the slightly flexuous stems, leaves 1.28 to 2.12" [3.2 to 5.3 cm] long, linear-lanceolate, sub-distichous inflorescence, floral bracts .28 to .8" [7 to 20 mm] long, linear-triangular, the wine-red-black flowers with the column white, and the sepals .36 to .4" [9 to 10 mm] long, elliptic, apex acute. It is somewhat reminiscent of Epidendrum clavadista which has leaves 1.2 to 5.4" [3.0 to 13.5 cm] long, flowers ochre-yellow with the column white, sepals .36 to .472" [9.0 to 11.8 mm] long, narrowly elliptic to sub-lanceolate, acuminate, and the mid-lobe of the lip narrowly triangular, acuminate." Hagsater etal 2020
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI * Icones Orchidacearum 17(2) Plate 1783 Hagsater & Jimenez 2020 TYPE Drawing/Photo fide;
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