Epidendrum oligophyllum F.Lehm. & Kraenzl. 1899 GROUP Arbuscula SUBGROUP Incomptum

Collection Sheet by © Lehmann and Kew Plants of the world Herbaria Website

Common Name The Few Leaved Epidendrum

Flower Size

Found in Colombia on the southern end of the central Cordillera near Popayan at elevations of 1650 to 3100 meters as a medium sized, cool to cold growing epiphyte with slightly arching stems giving rise to new stems from a bit below the apex of the old stem carrying at the apex 1 to 2 elliptic to oblong-elliptic leaves that blooms in the winter on a terminal, drooping, few flowered inflorescence.

"Epidendum oligophyllum F.C. Lehm. & Kränzl., belongs to the GROUP Arbuscula SUBGROUP Incomptum characterized by the successive lateral growths produced from the middle of the previous growth, few leaves aggregate towards the apex of the stems, a short apical inflorescence with fleshy greenish to violet-green flowers with short ovaries, the lip entire to 3-lobed. The species has oblong-elliptic to elliptic leaves, olive-brown flowers, the lip bicallose and the column .4" [10 mm] long. Epidendrum luis-sanchezii is vegetatively very similar but has obovate-elliptic leaves, the yellow flowers, sepals with a prominent, acute and serrulate keel on the ventral side, the apical 1/4 of the petals hidden beneath the ecallose lip which is obscurely 3-lobed, the mid-lobe emarginate, apiculate, forming a pair of rounded lobes, with a low thick rib running the length of the lip. Epidendrum aylacotoglossum Hágsater has elliptic leaves, the clearly 3-lobed lip with a pair of low calli and a short canal in the middle, and the column sigmoid. Epidendrum envigadoënse Hágsater has narrow, lanceolate leaves, a wider lip .682" to .76" [17.5 to 19 mm] with a pair of small calli and the apex emarginate, not apiculate. Epidendrum amayense Hágsater has linear-lanceolate leaves .2 to .24" [.5-.6 mm] wide, somewhat smaller, green flowers, the sepals .36" [9 mm] long with a low dorsal keel, and the lip without any thickened rib. Epidendrum morae P.Ortiz, Hágsater & L.E.Álvarez has elliptic leaves, pale yellow flowers somewhat tinged pink-violaceous, the sepals have no dorsal keel, and the 3-lobed lip is bicallose with 3 low ribs on the disc." Adapted from E luissanchezi Icones Plate 1452 Hagsater etal 2013

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Icones Orchidacearum 14 Plate 1454 Hagsater & Sanchez 2013 see recognition section;

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