Epidendrum sphenostele Hágsater & E.Santiago 2007 GROUP Neowilliamsia

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

Common Name The Cuneate Column Epidendrum [refers to the wedge-shaped column of this species]

Flower Size .8" [2 cm]

Found in westernmost Panama without locational or plant data [described from flowers only] and carries possibly 2 flowers.

"Epidendrum sphenostele belongs to the GROUP Neowilliamsia characterized by the ancipitose stems and rachis, the rachis with conduplicate, acute bracts, distichous, non-resupinate flowers, the lip often digitate and the 2 or 4 pollinla with 2 hard, lalllinar caudicles. The species is recognized by: the relatively large flowers with sepals 10 mm long, the wide, obovate-spatulate petals, the oblong lip spreading from the middle of the column, with very small lateral lobes conical column with and the apex with the lateral margins reflexed and denticulate. Epidendrum bicuniculatum has similar sized flowers but the lip spreads from the base of the column and is widely obovate, with prominent lateral lobes as long as the midlobe and the column is thin, and the laminar lateral margins are slightly erose. Epidendrum dwyeri Hágsater has slightly smaller flowers with sepals .28 to .344" [7 to 8.6 mm] long, a suborbicular lip, cuneate, spatulate petals, and the column thin and vertically compressed. Epidendrum philowercklel Hágsater & E.Santiago has very similar wide, column and nectary, but the flowers are smaller with sepals .24 to .26" [6.0 to 6.5 mm] long, the lip 3-lobed with the margin of the lateral lobes divided and finger-like." Hagsater etal 2007

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Orchidacerum 9 Plate 989 Hagsater & Santiago 2007 drawing fide; ;

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