Epidendrum rhomboscutellum Hágsater et E.Santiago 2013 GROUP Megalospathum

Photo by © Delsy Trujillo

TYPE Drawing

TYPE Drawing by © Jimenez, Hágsater & E.Santiago and The AMO Herbario Website

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Common Name The Rhomboid Lip Scutella-like Epidendrum

Flower Size 1.6" [4 cm]

Found in Colombia and Peru in cloud forests at elevations of 2700 to 3100 meters as a mini-miniature sized, cold growing epiphyte or lithophyte in mosses amongst rocks with produced from a middle internode of the previous stem, cane-like, terete, thin stems with the base covered by 1 to 2, inflated, tubular sheaths and carrying 6 to 7, distributed throughout the stems, alternate, articulate, unequal in size (the basal and apical leaves generally smaller), coriaceous, reclinate; foliar sheaths tubular (sometimes slightly inflated so as to appear infundibuliform); blade narrowly lanceolate, acuminate, apical margin minutely papillose leaves that blooms in the late fall through the late spring on a terminal, erect, peduncle thin, laterally compressed, .24" [6 mm] long, totally hidden by the ovate to rhomoidal, acute, conduplicate, oblique, margin entire spathaceous bract, rachis .16" [4 mm] long, laterally compressed, also hidden within the spathaceous bract, including the flowers, 2.4 to 2.6" [6 to 6.5 cm] long, simultaenously 1 to 2 flowered inflorescence with shorter than the ovary, triangular, acuminate, amplexicaul floral bracts hidden within the spathaceous bracts along with the peduncle and the rachis.

"Epidendrum rhomboscutellum belongs to GROUP Megalospathum characterized by the caespitose but branching habit, many-leaved stem, fleshy, oblique leaves, a short, few flowered, raceme subtended by large semi-ovate spathaceous bracts, resupinate flowers, the column more or less united to the lip. The species is recognized by the scandent plant habit, relatively narrow, reclinate leaves .8 to 2.4" x .24 to .48" [2 to 6 x 0.6 to 1.2 cm], the inflorescence with 2, greenish yellow flowers, the apex of the petals tinged reddish brown, the petals narrowly oblanceolate-elliptic, acute, the lip ovate-rhombic, its base cuneate, and apex acute, bicallose, with a short mid-rib. Epidendrum scutella Lindl. has a caespitose habit, ovate-lanceolate leaves 1.68 to 4.8" x ,48 to 1" [4.7 to 12 x 1.2 to 2.5 cm], 5 flowered inflorescence, flowers lime green or yellowish green, petals ovate-lanceolate, apex acute, lip widely orbicular to orbicular-elliptic, the base cordate, and has a pair small calli ending in 2 to 3 very short, low ribs, with a longer mid-rib. Epidendrum miradoranum Dodson & D.E.Bennett has up to 4, purple-green flowers, bicolor column, pale purple at the base and intense greenish yellow towards the apex, the lip widely cordiform, obtuse. Epidendrum braccigerum Rchb.f. has triangular leaves, the apex acuminate and curved upwards, flowers pale rose, petals linear, the lip flabellate, emarginate. Epidendrum rhodochilum (Schltr.) Hágsater & Dodson has green flowers, the lip red, smaller sepals .68" [17 mm] long, the lip obovate, obtuse, the margin denticulate. Epidendrum falsum Rchb.f. has an oblong-ovate lip, apical margin denticulate, rachis elongate, with 6, laxly distributed flowers, the lip is partly free from the column. Epidendrum vulcanicum Schltr. has green flowers, narrowly lanceolate, 5-veined petals, lip obovate, the apex retuse, column is 5 mm long. Epidendrum lagotis Rchb.f. has narrowly elliptic leaves which are shorter and wider 1 to 1.4 x .4 to .6" [2. to 3.5 x 1.0 to 1.5 cm), oblanceolate petals with the apex rounded, and the lip is orbicular and apically rounded." Hagsater etal 2013

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Icones Orchidacearum Peruviarum Plate 646 Bennett & Christenson 2001 as E platyoon not = E rhomboscutellum drawing fide; * Icones Orchidacearum 14 Plate 1481 Hagsater 2013 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 15 [1] Plate 1532 Hagsater & Sanchez 2015 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 15 [1] Plate 1559 Hagsater & Sanchez 2015 see recognition section; Orquideas, Tesoro de Colombia Vol 2 Ortiz & Uribe 2017 photo ok;

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