Epidendrum puracestachyum Hágsater & E.Santiago 2015 GROUP Macrostachyum SUBGROUP Macrostachyum Photo by © Rodrigo Escobar and Herbario AMO Website

THROUGH EARLIER

Common Name The Purace Ear of Corn Epidendrum [refers to this species being found on the Volcan de Purace and similar to E macrostachyum]

Flower Size .8" [2 cm]

Found in southern Colombia on the southern end of the Cordillera Central in paramo and tall Andean forests at elevvations of 2800 to 3200 meters as a large sized, cold growing terrestrial with cane-like, branching when mature, terete, erect, straight stems carrying numerous on the main stem, 6 to 10 on the braqnches, all along the stems, articulate, alternate, suberect, unequal in size, basally shorter, lanceolate, acute, margin entire leaves that blooms in the summer through earlier winter on a terminal, without a spathe, racemose, erect, occuring only once, peduncle .4" [1 cm] long, terete, erect, bractless, rachis 5.6 to 6.4" [14 to 16 cm] long, successively few to 18 flowered inflorescence with prominent, slightly longer than the ovaryym gradually diminishing in size above, narrowly lanceoalte-triangular, acuminate, clasping floral bracts and carrying non-resupinate fleshy flowers with the perianth wine red.

"The species is recognized by the lanceolate leaves 5.3-8 x 0.9-2.5 cm, short, inflorescence with wine-red colored flowers, oblongelliptic, acute sepals 11-12 mm long, reflexed, oblong-triangular, sub-acute petals 9.5 x 1.7 mm, and the deltate lip with the corners rounded and the apex obtuse. Epidendrum oxycalyx has elliptic-lanceolate leaves 5-17 x 1.2-4.5 cm, inflorescence with reddish brown to greenish brown flowers, sepals acuminate, 15-23 mm long, petals linear-lanceolate, acuminate, 11-16 x 1.0-1.2 mm, and the lip narrowly cordiform. Epidendrum recurvitepalostachyum Hágsater & E.Santiago, has oblong, obtuse leaves 2-10 x 0.7-1.5 cm, a short, dense inflorescence, with a sinuous rachis, flowers yellow, slightly tinged with reddish, sepals elliptic, obtuse, 8-11.5 mm long, petals oblong-elliptic, obtuse, 10-11 x 2.5-3.5 mm. Epidendrum stenobractistachyum Hágsater & E.Santiago is vegetatively very similar, but the flowers are greenish yellow, sepals narrowly elliptic, 14-15 mm long, petals slightly recurved, oblong and falcate, 13 x 2.8 mm, lip deltate. Epidendrum porphyrostachyum Hágsater et E.Santiago has narowly elliptic, purple colored leaves, 13-14.5 x 2.3-3.1 cm, the inflorescence is elongate and sub-lax-flowered, 24 cm long, flowers are deep purple, lateral sepals narrowly ovate, 15 mm long, petals linear, short-acuminate, 14 x 2 mm, and the lip deltate-cordiform." Hagsater etal 2015

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list IPNI ; *Icon. Orchid. 15(1): t. 1552 Hagsate & Santiago 2015 drawing/photo fide; Orquideas, Tesoro de Colombia Vol 2 Ortiz & Uribe 2017 photo fide;

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