LATE EARLYAND AGAIN LATE EARLY

Common Name The Paniculate E rugulosum Epidendrum [in reference to the paniculate inflorescence which distinguishes this species from the common Epidendrum rugulosum both of which have rugose leaf sheaths].

Flower Size 1.2" [3 cm]

Found in Antioquia and Chocó departments of Colombia near Risaralda, an area which has not been accessible and where few botanical collections have been made at elevations around 2100 to 2700 meters as a giant sized, cold growing terrestrial with cane-like, terete, erect, straight; base covered by tubular, non-foliar, minutely striated sheaths and carrying about 16, distributed throughout the stem, erect-spreading, articulate, alternate, subcoriaceous; sheaths tubular, minutely striated, rugose; blade similar in size and shape, lanceolate, apex obtuse, minutely apiculate with a low dorsal keel, margin entire leaves that blooms in the late winter and early spring and again in the late summer and early fall on a terminal, without a spathe, peduncle sessile or very short, .24" [6 mm] long, rachis .856 to .88" [21.4 to 22.0 cm] long, thin, terete, slightly flexuous, 8.8" [22 cm] long overall, erect, flowering only once; paniculate, provided with 6 to 7 branches, 3.52 to 5.6" [8.8 to 14.0 cm] long (the basal ones sometimes themselves branched), each raceme subtended by a triangular-ovate, acute, embracing bract, laxly, simultaneously about 90 flowered inflorescence with nearly as long as the ovary, spreading, always at a 90° angle to the rachis, narrowly triangular, acuminate, embracing floral bracts and carrying fleshy, distichous, non-resupinate flowers with the lip always facing the rachis, yellow flowers with the fragrance not registered.

"Epidendrum paniculorugulosum belongs to the GROUP Aquaticum which is characterized by the monopodial, branching habit, the distichous, erect inflorescence, fleshy flowers, and the disc of the lip and/or nectary often pilose. The new species is recognized by the paniculate inflorescence with up to 90 flowers on 6 to 7 branches, leaves .4 to .64" [1.0 to 1.6 cm] wide, the floral bracts nearly as long as the ovary, the lip clearly 3-lobed, the lateral lobes sub-quadrate, callus laminar, apically bilobed, disc and callus pubescent. Epidendrum rugulosum is vegetatively similar, but the inflorescences are simple, rarely with a smaller branch at the base of the peduncle, with up to 13 yellowish or pale green flowers, the floral bracts ovate-triangular and always longer than the ovary, the lip 3-lobed, lateral lobes hemi-elliptic, and callus “Y” shaped. Both species may be found in the same general area, as Epidendrum rugulosum is widespread and is found just south, in Risaralda, and north until Yarumal, in Antioquia, along the Cordillera Occidental de los Andes, but possibly at lower altitudes, 1500 to 1900 meters. Epidendrum lindae Hágsater has oblong-elliptic leaves up to 1.2" [3 cm] wide, an inflorescence generally paniculate but few branched, floral bracts ovate-triangular, longer than the ovary and somewhat recurved, sepals .24 to .28" [6 to 7 mm] long, the lip similar to that of the new species but cuneate at the base, and the callus laminar, entire, the apex rounded." Hagsater etal 2020

Synonyms

ReferencesW3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Orchidacearum 17(2) Plate 1785 Hagsater & Jimenez 2020 TYPE Drawing/Photo fide;

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