Epidendrum odontostachyum Hágsater & E.Santiago 2015 GROUP Macrostachyum
TYPE Photo by E Becerra/TYPE Drawing by © Jimenez and The AMO Herbaria Website
Common Name The Toothed Ear of Corn Epidendrum [in reference to the pair of teeth at the apex of the column of this species, which distinguishes it from other species of the Macrostachyum Group]
Flower Size 1.2” [3 cm]
Found in southern Ecuador through central Peru along the Cordillera Oriental of the Andes at elevations of 2120 to 2565 meters as a large sized, cold growing terrestrial or epiphyte with branching subapically with maturity, branches shorter, cane-like, terete, erect, straight stems carrying 13 on the main stem, 5 to 6 on the branches, laxly spaced, articulate, alternate, spreading, linear-lanceolate, obtuse, minutely apiculate, margin entire, slightly revolute leaves that blooms in the fall on a terminal, without a spathe, racemose, suberect, occuring only once, peduncle .6” [1.5 cm] long, terete, erect, straight, rachis 7.4” [18.5 cm] long, terete, gradually thinner towards the apex, successively few, 17 flowered inflorescence with slightly shorter than the ovary, gradually smaller above, triangular, acuminate, amplexicaul floral bracts and carrying non-resupinate, fleshy, dark green flowers with a purple green lip becoming orange after the pollina has been removed.
"Epidendrum odontostachyum 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 sparsely spaced, linear-lanceolate 2.4 to 3.2" x .24 to .64" [6 to 8 x 0.6 to 1.6 cm] leaves distributed throughout the stems, elongate, lax-flowered inflorescence, the flowers dark green with the lip tinged purple, sepals .48 to .52" [12 to 13 mm] long, and the apex of the column with a tooth and a rounded wing on each side of the apex of the column. Epidendrum oxycalyx has elliptic-lanceolate 2 to 6.8" x .48 to 1.8" [5 to 17 x 1.2 to 4.5 cm] leaves closely spaced on the stem, a densely flowered inflorescence, flowers reddish brown to greenish brown, sepals .6 to .92" [15 to 23 mm] long, and the apex of the column with a pair of rounded wings. Epidendrum munchiquense Hágsater, E. Santiago & García-Revelo has narrowly elliptic leaves 2.8 to 7.2" x .8 to 1.6" [7 to 18 x 2 to 4 cm], a similarly lax-flowered inflorescence, but the flowers are orange to wine-red with the ventral surface of the tepals grayish, sepals .56 to .72" [14 to 18 mm] long, and the column with a pair of rounded wings. Epidendrum bangii Rolfe has lanceolate leaves 2 to 5.6" x .6 to .96" [5 to 14 x 1.5 to 2.4 cm], a much shorter 4 to 5.6" [10 to 14 cm] long, few-flowered inflorescence, flowers purple-green to greenish brown, sepals .56 to .72" [14 to 18 mm] long, and the apex of the column with a pair of rounded wings." Hagsater etal 2015
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI * Icones Orchidacearum 15 [1] Plate 1547 Hagsater & Santiago 2015 drawing fide;
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