Epidendrum rostrigerum Rchb.f. 1876 GROUP Macrostachyum SUBGROUP Macrostachyum

Drawing TYPE Photo by E Beccera/ Drawing by R Jimenez M and The AMO Herbaria Website

Drawing TYPE Drawing by © Oakes Ames Herbaria

Common Name The Beak Carrying Epidendrum

Flower Size .4" [1 cm]

Found in Ecuador, Peru and western Bolivia on the upper slopes of the Cordillera Oriental of the Andes at elevations of 2100 to 3200 meters as a medium to large sized, cold growing epiphyte with terete, cane-like, scarcely branching stems carrying numerous, all along the stem, oblong-elliptic, acute, margin entire leaves that blooms in the spring and summer on a terminal, racemose, erect, occurring only once, peduncle .4 to 1.2" [1 to 3 cm] long, erect, straight, rachis 4 to 4.8" [10 to 12 cm] long, terete, thin, straight, 6" [15 cm] long overall, successively few, 18 to 22 flowered inflorescence with slightly longer than the ovary, narrowly triangular-lanceolate, acuminate, amplexicaul, purple green floral bracts and carrying non-resupinate, fleshy, green tinged with reddish purple flowers with a yellowish lip.

"Epidendrum rostrigerum belongs to the GROUP Macrostachyum SUBGROUP Macrostachyum , which is characterized by the monopodial plants with sub-apical branching, rugose leaf sheaths, large leaves generally spreading, racemose, erect inflorescence, and fleshy flowers generally green to black (ripe olive colored), as well as yellow to pink to purple, with an entire, conduplicate, generally ecallose lip embracing the column, and the nectary pubescent to papillose in front of the stigmatic cavity and at least at the base of the lip. The species is recognized by the oblong-elliptic leaves, laxly many-flowered inflorescence ca. .52" [13 cm] long, small flowers with sepals .36 to .44" [9 to 11 mm] long, green tinged reddish purple, sepals acute, lip crescent shaped, nearly semi-circular, the apex prominently apiculate, and the apex of the anther rostrate. Epidendrum probosantherum Hágsater is vegetatively similar, but has a shorter inflorescence, 2 to 3.2" [5 to 8 cm] long, flowers somewhat larger sepals .4 to .52" [10 to 13 mm] long, sepals acuminate, and the lip deltate with the base truncate and a low rib running down the middle of the blade; it also has a long, rostrate anther. Epidendrum dermatanthum Kraenzl. has linear-oblong leaves, large flowers with sepals .6 to .72" [15 to 18 mm] long reddish brown in color, anther obtuse at the apex, and does not surpass the apex of the column. Epidendrum bangii Rchb.f. also has large flowers with sepals .52 to .72" [14 to 18 mm] long leaves are lanceolate with the apex acute to acuminate, rachis of the inflorescence somewhat flexuous. Epidendrum macrostachyum Lindl. has flowers of similar size with sepals .44 to .46" [11.0 to 11.5 mm] long the color of ripe olives, sepals are sub-obtuse at the apex, dorsal reflexed, lateral sepals spreading, leaves are lanceolate-elliptic, and the anther short and obtuse at the apex; this species is widespread but limited to Colombia and Ecuador." Hagsater etal 2015

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 10: 71 Bolivia Schlechter 1922; Orchids of Peru Vol 2 Schweinfurth 1959; Icones Orchidacearum 15 [1] Plate 1503 Hagsater & Sanchez 2015 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 15 [1] Plate 1510 Hagsater & Sanchez 2015 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 15 [1] Plate 1518 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 & Santiago 2015 drawing/photo fide; Icones Orchidacearum 15 [1] Plate 1558 Hagsater & Sanchez 2015 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 15 [1] Plate 1560 Hagsater & Sanchez 2015 see recognition section; Orquideas, Tesoro de Colombia Vol 2 Ortiz & Uribe 2017;

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