Epidendrum pfahlii Hagsater & Cisneros 2020 GROUP Arbuscula SUBGROUP Incomptum
Plant and flowers in situ notice the Chusquea in the background
Another Plant and flowers in situ
LCDP Photo by © Jay Pfahl & A Cisneros/In Situ photo by Jay Pfahl
LATER
EARLIER
Common Name Pfahl's Epidendrum [Jay Pfahl American and compiler of The Internet Orchid Species Photo Encyclopedia collector of the type Current]
Flower Size 1.52" [3 .75 cm]
Found in Cundinamarca and Boyaca departments of Colombia in dwarf montane forests with heavy Chusquea scandens [a type of mat forming bamboo] at elevations of 2600 to 3000 meters as a small to medium sized, cold, scandent growing epiphyte with a new stem arising from the middle of the previous stem, simple, cane-like, straight, erect to spreading stem enveloped by tubular, non-foliar, papyraceous sheaths and carrying 2 to 3, aggregate towards the apex, alternate, articulate, erect, subcoriaceous, oblong-lanceolate, acute margin entire, smooth, medium green leaves that blooms in the later spring and earlier summer on a terminal, erect, without a spathe, racemose, nutant, compact, peduncle 1.2" [3 cm] long, straight, laterally compressed, arching, bractless, rachis .52 to 1.6" [1.3 to 4 cm] long, slightly compressed, sinuos, simultaneously to 14 flowered inflorescence with prominent, longer than the ovary, progressively shorter towards the apex, triangular-lanceolate, long-acuminate, amplexicaul floral bracts and carrying resupinate, greenish yellow, waxy flowers.
"Epidendrum pfahlii belongs to the Incomptum Subgroup which is characterized by the erect habit with successive lateral growths produced from the middle of the previous growth, the few leaves aggregate towards the apex of the stems, the roots generally only from the base of the primordial stem, a short apical inflorescence with fleshy yellow-green to green to violet-green to black flowers with short ovaries, and the lip entire to 3-lobed. The new species is recognized by the straight, erect stems, short, oblong-lanceolate leaves, the ovary about .48" [12 mm] long, lateral sepals .68 to .8" [17 to 20 mm] long, petals .5 to .52" [12.5 to 13 mm] long, and the lip 3-lobed, ecallose, disc with 3 low, narrow, parallel ribs, mid-lobe transversely rectangular, lateral lobes sub-orbicular, margin entire, revolute. Epidendrum gongorarum Hágsater, Pfahl & Cisneros has sub-erect, curved stems, oblong leaves, green to copper-brown colored flowers, petals 3- veined, wide, the lateral sepals shorter, about .52 to .6" [13.5 to 15 mm] long, prominently awned with a dorsal keel, and the sub-entire reniform fleshy lip, margin somewhat undulate, slightly concave in front of the column; ecallose, the disc with a low, elongate rib running to the apical sinus of the lip. Epidendrum tamaënse Foldats [illustrated by Foldats (1969)] has similarly large flowers, long floral bracts, wide, rhombic petals, and a deeply 3-lobed lip, the lobes of the bilobed mid-lobe are similar in size and shape to the lateral lobes. Epidendrum curtisii A.D.Hawkes, as illustrated by Dunsterville (1979), has a similar vegetative habit, but smaller flowers, a 3-lobed lip with two small calli, and comparatively narrow, oblanceolate petals. Epidendrum platyglossum Rchb.f. from Antioquia is somewhat similar but the petals are narrowly oblanceolate, oblique, much narrower, .18" [3.5 mm] wide." Hagsater & Cisneros 2020
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Icones Orchidacearum 18(1) plate 1812 Hagsater & Cisneros 2020 see recognition section; * Icones Orchidacearum 18(1) plate 1830 Hagsater, Pfahl & Cisneros 2020 photos fide;
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