Epistephium lobulosum Garay 1978 TYPE Drawing by © Garay

Common Name The Lobed Epistephium [refers to the deeply 3 lobed lip]

Flower Size 3.2" [8 cm]

Found in Pataza province of Ecuador st elevations around 900 meters on the stony bed of rivers as a giant sized, terrestrial with an erect, leafy stem carrying distantly 2 ranked, thin, ovate, abruptly acuminate, sub-cordate and basally clasping leaves that blooms on a spicate, laxly many flowered, to 12" [30 cm] long, successsively 2 to 3, many flowered inflorescence with narrowly ovate-lanceolate, long-acuminate floral bracts and carrying rather thin, purple flowers

Differs from the similar Peruvian E amabile by the much wider leaves, a deeply 3 lobed lip with falcate lobules to the midlobe and elliptic petals

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; *Fl. Ecuador 9(225: 1): 56 Garay 1978 drawing fide; Rudolf Schlechter Die Orchideen Band 1C lieferung 41 pg 2565 - 2625 Brieger 2001

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