Epidendrum sotoanum Karremans & Hágsater 2010 GROUP Arbuscula SUBGROUP Incomptum
Photo by © Bogarin and The Epidendra Website
TYPE Drawing by © Jimenez, Hágsater & E.Santiago and The AMO Herbario Website
LATE 
Common Name Soto's Epidendrum [Mexican Botanist early 2000's]
Flower Size .8" [2 cm]
Found in Costa Rica on the Atlantic Slope of the Cordillera Central in premontane forests at elevations around 1050 to 2000 meters as a medium sized, cool growing epiphyte with terete, somewhat flexuous, new stems arise from the sub-apical node of the previous stem and carrying 3 to 5, aggregate towards the apex, unequal, middle one usually largest, obovate-elliptic, obtuse leaves that blooms in the winter through late spring on a terminal, occuring only once, laterally compressed, somewhat ancipitose, .8" [2 cm] long, 4 to 15 flowered inflorescence with half as long as the ovary, triangular, acute floral bracts and carrying flowers that have no scent.
"Epidendrum sotoanum belongs to the GROUP Arbuscula SUBGROUP Incomptum, which is characterized by the successive lateral growths produced from the middle of the previous growth, few leaves aggregate towards the apex of the stems, a short apical inflorescence with fleshy greenish to violet-green flowers with short ovaries, the lip entire to 3-lobed. The species is recognized by the large greenish yellow flowers, the glabrous, very large, deeply emarginate lip .8 to 1.2" [20 to 30 mm] wide, and the apical rounded wings of the column. It is similar and has been confused with Epidendrum brenesii Schltr. which is known from upper ridge of the Cordillera Central and the inland slopes, its inflorescence has 8 to 12[40] violet-green flowers, a reniform, velutinous, short-emarginate lip, .6 to .76" [15 to 19 mm] wide. Epidendrum bisulcatum Ames, has shorter and narrower leaves, a smaller, sub-orbicular lip and linear petals. Epidendrum incomptum Rchh.f. which also occurs in Costa Rica can be distinguished by its 3-lobed, ecallose lip, the 3 lobes more or less triangular. Outside Costa Rica, only Epidendrum foldatsii Hágsater & Carnevali from Venezuela has the same architecture, and a bilobed lip, but the flowers are small, the lip being .16 x .3" [4 x 7.5 mm]. " Hagsater etal 2010
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Lankesteriana 9(3): 405 Karremans & Hágsater 2010 drawing/photo fide; Icones Orchidacearum 13 Plate 1386 Karremans & Hagsater 2010 drawing fide;
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