Epidendrum probosantherum Hágsater 2010 GROUP Macrostachyum SUBGROUP Macrostachyum

TYPE Drawing by © R Jimenez M and The AMO Herbaria Website

Common Name The Elephant Trunk Epidendrum [refers to the peculiar, very long anther]

Flower Size .8” [2 cm]

Found the departments of Oxapampa and Pasco of Peru from the Parque Nacional Yanachaga-Chemillén, at elevations around 3400 meters as a giant sized, cold growing terrestrial with scarcely branching subapically, cane-like, terete, thick, straight, erect stems carrying numerous on the main stem, fewer on the branches, all along the apical 2/3'rds of the stem, articulate, alternate, lanceolate, obtuse, coriaceous, apical margin denticulate leaves that blooms in the winter on a terminal, racemose, erect, occurring only once, peduncle terete, thin, straight, short, rachis straight, cylindrical, simultaneously 15 flowered inflorescence with longer than the ovary, lanceolate, acuminate, gradually smaller above floral bracts and carrying non-resupinate, fleshy, rigid, green flowers with purple spots.

"Epidendrum probosantherum belongs to the GROUP Macrostachyum , which is characterized by the monopodial plants with sub-apical branching, rugose leaf sheaths, racemose inflorescence, and fleshy flowers with a simple, conduplicate lip embracing the column, and the SUBGROUP Macrostachyum which has a cylindrical inflorescence with non-resupinate flowers, the lip entire, triangular to cordiform, and the nectary pubescent in front of the stigmatic cavity. The species is recognized by the large, scarcely branching plants, the lanceolate leaves, 3.6 to 4.78" [9-11.8 cm] long, the floral bracts longer than the ovaries, .48 to .64 [12 to 16 mm] long and flowers with sepals .4 to .48" [10-12 mm] long, linear petals, and the lip widely triangular, the base truncate, and especially by the very prominent, elongate anther which ends in an process about twice as long as the body of the anther, cylindrical and reminiscent of an elephant's trunk. Epidendrum oxycalyx Hágsater & Dodson is somewhat similar but has linear-lanceolate acuminate petals, a narrower cordiform lip, without either calli nor any keel, and is widespread from southern Colombia to northern Peru and has been reported from the same area. In Epidendrum orthophyllum Hágsater & Dodson the lip is similarly widely triangular, nearly truncate at the base, the corners rounded, but lacks the narrow keel, and the sepals are wide, rhombic, and the anther is short, acute. Epidendrum chondrochilum = Epidendrum macrostachyum Lindl. which also has linear petals, has a cordiform lip, and successive flowers, though several are open at any one time; the anther is short and acute. Epidendrum palaciosii Hágsater & Dodson has smaller flowers, sepals .28 to .32" [7-8 mm] long, dorsally muriculate, petals oblanceolate, and the lip cordiform, anther ovoid, truncate." Hagsater etal 2010

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Orchidacearum 13 Plate 1378 Hagsater 2010 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 15 [1] Plate 1510 Hagsater & Sanchez 2015 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 15 [1] Plate 1519 Hagsater & Sanchez 2015 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 15 [1] Plate 1536 Hagsater & Sanchez 2015 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 15 [1] Plate 1556 Hagsater & Sanchez 2015 see recognition section;

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