Epidendrum platystomum Hágsater & L.Sánchez 2006 GROUP Ramosum SUBGROUP Rugosum

Drawing by © Lopez and The AMO Herbaria Website

LATER

Common Name The Wide Mouth Epidendrum [refers to the the widely elongate apical aperature of the column-lip]

Flower Size .2” [5 mm]

Found in western Panama in cloud forests at elevations of 2000 to 2500 meters as a small to medium sized, cold growing monopodial epiphyte with cane-like, branching, terete, the main stem tall, the secondary much shorter and the tertiary or floral branch very short and arising mostly from the secondary branches but also from the subapical internode of the previous floral stem carrying all along the stems, numerous and large on the main stem, 6 to 9 smaller on the secondary stems, 2 to 3 smaller on the tertiary or floral stems, linear-lanceolate, articulate, obliquely bilobed leaves that blooms in the later summer on a terminal, arising from the secondary and tertiary stems, racemose, distichous, arching, , peduncle .06 to .08” [1.5 to 2 mm] long, rachis zig-zag, simultaneously 2 to 6 flowered inflorescence with longer than the ovary, conduplicate, ovate, obtuse to acute floral bracts and carrying non-resupinate, white flowers.

"Epidendrum platystomum belongs to the GROUP Ramosum which is characterized by the monopodial, branching stems, the spike-like, distichous inflorescence, and the single callus, and the SUBGROUP Rugosum which has branching habit with few-flowered inflorescence from short, secondary stems, the leaf-shea1hs rugose. The species has terete stems, rugose sheaths, especially towards the apex of each sheath, 2 to 6, small white flowers, sepals .78 to .88 [2.3 to 2.7 mm] long, the widely hastate lip, the base deeply cordate, the angles rounded, and obliquely united to the column which has a pair of laminar wings forming an elongate \ / funnel with the margin undulate. It is similar to Epidendrum sanchoi whlch has larger flowers, sepals .18 to .26 [4.5 to 6.5 mm] long and 5-veined, lanceolate, acute, and a proportionatély narrower triangular-hastate, acuminate lip and the union with the column straight and narrow. Epidendrum trachythece Schltr. has smaller flowers, sepals .06 to .14" [1.5 to 3.5 mm] long, 5 to 7 veined, the lip is reniform apiculate, bicallose, the calli prominent, wide, and reaching the middle of the disc. Epidendrum platystomoides Hágsater & L.Sánchez is also quite similar with sepals 1.18 to .124" [2.9 to 3.1 mm] long, with the column arching throughout and a similar, elongate, funnel-shaped apex, also obliquely united to the lip which is proportionately more triangular than hastate, as wide as it is long." Hagsater etal 2006

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Icones Orchidacearum Vol 8 Plate 872 Hagsater & Sanchez 2006 see recognition section; * Icones Orchidacearum 8 Plate 873 Hagsater & Sanchez 2006 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 11 Plate 1142 Hagsater 2008 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 11 Plate 1176 Hagsater 2008 see recognition section;

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