Epidendrum obliquifolium Ames, F.T.Hubb. & C.Schweinf. 1935 GROUP Megalospathum SUBGROUP Tigriphyllum

TYPE Drawing by © Jimenez and The AMO Herbaria Website

Common Name The Oblique Leaved Epidendrum

Flower Size .24" [6 mm]

Found in Costa Rica in the Cordillera de Talamanca in cloud forests at elevations of 1500 to 3000 meters as a miniature sized, cool to cold growing, hanging epiphyte with simple, cane-like, arising from the basal internode of the previous stem, laterally compressed, thin stem carrying 5 to 10, all along the stem, fleshy, ovate-elliptic, oblique, apex acute, margin entire, pale green leaves with transverse purple bands that blooms in the summer through fall on a terminal, erect, arising through a single, semiobovate, acute, conduplicate, oblique, covering about half the length of the ovaries spathe, short, subumbellate, peduncle hidden by the spathe, laterally compressed, simultaneously 3 to 6 flowered inflorescence with much shorter than the ovary, inconspicuous, hidden within the spathe and carrying resupinate, light green flowers.

The small, hanging, branching stems with oblique, ovate-elliptic leaves that are rose spotted, an infundibuliform spathe that is stained with rose and green flowers with an ovate lip and an ovary that is inflated just behind the perianth distinguish this species.

"Epidendrum obliquifolium belongs to the GROUP Megalospathum SUBGROUP Tigriphyllum , characterized by the caespitose habit, the prominent spathaceous bract, oblique leaves and fleshy flowers. The species is recognized by the pendent habit, compact, 5 to 10 leaved-stem, the leaves with transverse purple bars, the lip subrectangular-oblong, longer than wide, petals linear, single veined. It closely resembles Epidendrum plagiophyllum Hágsater from Panama, which has shorter plants, unmarked leaves, a square lip, as wide as it is long, and oblong, 3-veined petals. Epidendrum vesicicaule L. O. Williams has an erect habit, unmarked leaves, and is larger over all." Hagsater etal 2006

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI The Genus Epidendrum Ames 1936; Ceiba Vol 5 No 1 L O Williams 1956; Icones Orchidacearum 3 Plate 370 Hagsater 1999 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 3 Plate 387 Hagsater 1999 see recognition section; Manual de las Plantas de Costa Rica Vol 3 Hammel, Grayum, Herrera and Zamora 2003; Icones Orchidacearum 8 Plate 861 Hagsater 2006 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 18(1) plate 1811 2020 see recognition section

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