Epidendrum ophiochilum Hágsater & Dodson 2004 GROUP Cylindraceum

TYPE Drawing by © Lopez and The AMO Herbaria Website

EARLY

Common Name The Snake Like Lip Epidendrum

Flower Size .4” [1 cm]

Found in southern Ecuador on the eastern slope of the Andes at elevations of 2400 to 2900 meters as a small to medium sized, cold growing epiphyte with simple, cane-like, basally terete, laterally compressed towards the apex stems carrying 2 to 4, in the apical 1/3rd of the stem, narrowly oblong-elliptic to lanceolate, coriaceous, aristate leaves that blooms in the winter, spring and early summer on a terminal, arising through 1 to 2, nearly parallel sided, acute spathes, peduncle somewhat laterally compressed, racemose, erect, simultaneously 20 + flowered inflorescence with much shorter than the ovary, triangular, acute floral bracts and carrying resupinate flowers with all segments basally are light green and then reddish brown at the apex.

" Epidendrum ophiochilum belongs to the GROUP Cylindraceum which is characterized by the sympodial growth, narrow spathaceous bracts with parallel sides, erect raceme with resupinate flowers and a generally non-reduced, membranaceous lip. The species has 2 to 4 leaves, .4 to .6" [1 to 1.5 cm] wide, inflorescence 6 to 8" [15 to 20 cm] long, base of sepals, petals and column green, apex reddish brown, lip reddish brown, sepals and petals .2 to .24" [5 to 6 mm] long, lateral lobes of the lip narrowly elliptic-lanceolate, apex of midlobe deeply bilobed, lobes bifurcate. It is similar to Epidendrum cylindrostenophyllum which has narrower leaves, ca. .4" [1 cm] wide, inflorescence 6' [15 cm] long, flowers greenish white, smaller sepals and petals, .14 to .2" [3.5 to 5 mm] long, lateral lobes oí the lip narrow at the base, transversely elliptic at the apex, midlobe dilated, scarcely bilobed, entire. Epidendrum cylindrostachys Rchb. f. & Warsc. has a longer inflorescence, larger flowers, the sepals and petals .32 to .4" [8 to 10 mm] long, and falcate lateral lobes of the lip. Epidendrum cylindraceum Lindl. has wider leaves, .8 to 1.4" [2 to 3.5 cm] wide, longer inflorescence, falcate lateral lobes of the lip, and a smaller midlobe of the lip." Hagsater etal 2004

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Orchidacearum 7 Plate 769 Hagsater & Dodson 2004 drawing fide;

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------