Epidendrum reflexilobum C.Schweinf. 1943 GROUP Secundum SUBGROUP Secundum

TYPE Drawing by © Schlechter

Common Name The Reflexed Lobe Epidendrum [refers to the refelexed lobes of the lip]

Flower Size .88" [2.2 cm]

Found in Huánuco, Pasco and Junín and north to the border between San Martín and Amazonas departments of Peru at elevations of 1900 to 3200 meters as a large to giant sized, cold growing terrestrial with erect, simple, cane-like, terete to slightly compressed towards the apex, thin stems covered by foliar sheaths and carrying distichous, distributed along the upper 1/4 of the stem, oblong, apex unequally bilobed, articulate, coriaceous, smooth, green, margins entire leaves with tubular, smooth, papyraceous when dry leaf sheaths that blooms in the fall, winter and spring on a terminal, without a spathe, erect, peduncle 12 to 26.4" [30 to 66 cm] long, elongate, covered by numerous tubular, imbricated, acute, scarious when dry, striated, papyraceous bracts, racemose to pluri-racemose, rachis [4.8 cm] long, cylindric, laxly, successively 4 to 6, 10 to 20 flowered inflorescence with decreasing in size, triangular, acuminate, embracing, much shorter than the ovary floral bracts and carrying non-resupinate, non-fragrant flowers

"Epidendrum reflexilobum belongs to the GROUP Secundum SUBGROUP Secundum which is characterized by the caespitose habit, the erect, simple, cane-like stems, a normally elongate peduncle of the inflorescence, an erect raceme of generally nonresupinate, showy, colorful flowers, and a lip adorned by a complex a callus. The species from Huánuco and Junín Departments of Peru is recognized by the red flowers with the callus yellow, the lateral lobes of the lip narrow and spreading. It is similar to Epidendrum macrocyphum Kraenzl. which has pink-purple flowers with a white callus formed by 3 to 5 straight parallel ribs on the mid-lobe, the mid-rib longer nearly reaching the apical sinus, with two divergent bifid calli at the base of the lateral lobes, the longer segment projecting on the junction of the mid-lobe with the lateral lobes, the lip in natural position has the mid-lobe flat, extended, the lateral lobes erect, embracing the entire column with outer margin strongly revolute. In addition, there is another similar species similar to E. macrocyphum in the Department of Ancash with a similar callus but the whole flower is pink-lilac including the callus; we have not been able to pin a name on that species yet. There is a population with smaller flowers in the province of San Martin in northern Peru, collected by Jose Dilmer Edquén, which has been included here. Epidendrum ptochicum Hágsater has similar flowers, but these are orange with the callus yellow, the leaves longer, to 5.2" [13 cm] long, and the sepals and petals shorter, .32 to .36" [8 to 9 mm] long; that species is epiphytic and myrmecophilous form western Ecuador and Colombia." Hagsater & Santiago 2020

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Orchids of Peru Vol 2 Schweinfurth 1959 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 14 Plate 1486 Hagsater & Santiago 2013 See recognition section; Orquideas, Tesoro de Colombia Vol 2 Ortiz & Uribe 2017 photo fide; Icones Orchidacearum 18(1) plate 1819 2020 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 18(1) plate 1835 Hagsater & Santiago 2020 Photos fide

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