Epidendrum platytropis Hágsater & E.Santiago 2010 GROUP Andean SUBGROUP Cernnum

Drawing by © Jimenez and The AMO Herbaria Website

LATER

Common Name The Wide Keel Epidendrum [refers to the the wide, fleshy keel of the lip]

Flower Size 1.2” [3 cm]

Found in Ecuador on the eastern slope of the Andes at elevations around 3000 meters as a giant sized, cold growing terrestrial with cane-like, prominent main stem with successive alternate branching, branches shorter than the main stem carrying 5 to 6 all along the apical 2/3’s, subcoriaceous, articulate, unequal in size, basal leaf smaller, narrowly elliptic, obtuse, margin entire leaves that blooms in the fall on a terminal, arching, racemose, occuring only once, peduncle short, somewhat laterally compressed, with a triangular-lanceolate bract in the middle, densely, simultaneously 25 flowered inflorescence with half as long as the ovary, linear-triangular, acuminate, amplexicaul floral bracts and carrying resupinate, green flowers that turn yellowish with age.

"Epidendrum platytropis belongs to the GROUP Andean SUBGROUP Cernnum, characterized by the monopodial, branching habit, long, erect, cane-like, main stem with subapical branching, leaves sub-coriaceous, with the apex obtuse and the 3-lobed lip and the prominent clinandrium-hood funnel-shaped. The species is recognized by the narrowly elliptic leaves, .6 to 3.2" x .4 to .8" [1.5 to 8 x 1 to 2 cm]; arching inflorescence with green flowers, sepals .36 to .44" [9 to 11 mm] long, 3-lobed lip, the lateral lobes small, rectangular, forming a right angle with the mid-lobe which is obcuneate, with a very wide, fleshy, low keel, clinandriumhood prominent, entire. Epidendrum lawessonii is vegetatively very similar, but the inflorescences are fewer-flowered, flowers white, larger, sepals .68 to .76" [17 to 19 mm] long, and the lateral lobes of the 3-lobed lip suborbicular and retrorse, the column has a pair of prominent lateral, subquadrate wings. Epidendrum sigsigense Hágsater & Dodson has larger elliptic leaves 3.6 to 4.4" x 1.2 to 1.4" [9 to 11 x 3 to 3.5 cm], pendent inflorescences with creamcolored flowers, sepals .56 to .72" [14 to 18 mm] long, 3-lobed lip with the lateral lobes dolabriform, as large as the mid-lobe with is deeply emarginate, forming a pair of sub-quadrate lobes with the apical margin crenate." Hagsater etal 2010

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Orchidacearum 13 Plate 1372 Hagsater & Santiago 2010 drawing fide;

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