Epidendrum scrotiforme Est.Domínguez, S.Mesa, E.Santiago & Hágsater 2020 GROUP Arbuscula SUBGROUP Incomptum

LCDP Photo by © E. Domínguez and Icones Orchidacearum 18(1) plate 1837 2020

Common Name The Scrotum Shaped Epidendrum [refers to the shape of the vesicle of nectary]

Flower Size 1.4" [3.5 cm]

Found in Antioquia department of Colombia on either side of the Rio Cauca in wet montane cloud forests at elevations of 800 1200 meters as a large sized, warm to cool, erect, arching to pendent growing epiphyte with simple, canelike, terete, , the new stem arising from a middle internode of the previous stem usually below the first leaf, lower part of the stem covered when young by non-foliar sheaths and carrying 4 to 5, articulate, all along the apical half, unequal in size, , progressively larger, basa;lly twisted so as to all be in the same plane as the stem ,, dark green, elliptic to widely elliptic, somewhat apicaulte, obtuse to acute, margin entire, spreading leaves that blooms in the fall on a terminal, without a spathe, peduncle very short, 3.2' [8 cm] long, pendent, racemose, successively 3 to 4, to 20 flowered inflorescence with , triangular, apex acute, pale green, lustrous, embracing, much shorter than the ovary floral bracts and carrying non-resupinate, non-fragrant flowers

"Epidendrum scrotiforme belongs to the GROUP Arbuscula SUBGROUP Incomptum which is characterized by having erect successive lateral growths produced from the middle of the previous growth, few leaves aggregated towards the apex of the stems, a short apical inflorescence with fleshy green to violet-green flowers with short ovaries, and the lip entire to 3-lobed, and the Scrotiformis complex, recognized by the lip lacking any calli but with raised veins, a cuneate base, and a prominent flat oblique nectary vesicle in the middle of the pedicellate ovary. The new species is recognized by the massive nectary which forms a prominent vesicle on the ventral part of the pedicellate ovary, scrotum-like, but flat, obliquely sub-rectangular, the apex rounded, the flowers successive, 3 to 4 open at a time, green to yellow, and the lip transversely elliptic-suborbicular, base widely cuneate, somewhat concave and widely cup-shaped in natural position, ecallose, the disc with 5 ribs, the lateral pair small, the 3-mid-ribs prominent, clearly elevated, parallel, narrow, disappearing at the end of the disc. The lip is reminiscent of Epidendrum megalopentadactylum Hágsater & Huayta but the habit of that species is very distinct with long, hanging plants and stems complanate and ancipitose. The shape of the lip of the new species, transversely elliptic, is somewhat reminiscent of Epidendrum latisegmentum C.Schweinf. from Peru, but that species clearly has 2 prominent calli on the reniform lip, no prominent vesicle in the pedicellate ovary, and the 3 ribs of the lip are low and wide. There is no other species in the Incomptum group with the base of the lip cuneate, most species are more or less cordate, or at most truncate. There are a few species with a prominent nectary forming a vesicle protruding from the pedicellate ovary, like Epidendrum pogonochilum Carnevali & G.A.Romero, but that species has a very different Dichaea-like plant, and the nectary is inflated, but not flat." Hagsater & Cisneros 2020

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Orchidacearum 18(1) plate 1837 Hagsater & Santiago 2020 LCDP/photos fide;

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