Epidendrum sumacostachyum Hágsater & E.Santiago 2015 GROUP Macrostachyum SUBGROUP Macrostachyum

TYPE Drawing by © Jimenez and The AMO Herbaria Website

LATE EARLY

Common Name The Cerro Sumaco E macrostachyum Like Epidendrum [A mountain in Napo province of Ecuador]

Flower Size .4" [1 cm]

Found in the province of Napo Ecuador in montane forests at elevations around 2600 meters as a medium? sized[only a portion of the main stem was seen], cold growing epiphtye with cane-like, subapically branching, basally terete, slightly laterally compressed above, striaght stems carrying main stem not seen, 4 on the branches, all along the apical half of the stem, articulate, alternate, partly spreading, lanceolate, obtuse, apical margin denticulate leaves that blooms in the late summer and early fall on a terminal, erect, without a spathe, peduncle .4 to .45" [1 to 1.2 cm] long, laterally compressed, straight, rachis 2.4 to 2.8" [6 to 7 cm] long, laterally compressed, thin, 2.8 to 3.2" [7 to 8 cm] long overall, helicoid in shape, lax, simultaneously 15 to 17 flowered inflorescence with lower ones as long as the ovary, shorter above, narrowly triangular, acuminate, amplexicaul, apical margin erose floral bracts and carrying non-resupinate, fleshy, green flowers.

"Epidendrum sumacostachyum 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 narrow, lanceolate leaves, 2.6 to 3.6" x .44 to .6" [6.5 to 9 x 1.1 to 1.5 cm], the short inflorescences with prominent floral bracts, though not longer than the ovary .24 to .36 [6 to 9 mm] long, green flowers sepals .28 to .306" [7.0 to 7.6 mm] long, obtuse, glabrous, oblong, falcate petals, and the nectary barely penetrating the ovary behind the sepals. Epidendrum notostachyum Hágsater & E.Santiago is vegetatively very similar, but the flowers are somewhat larger, sepals .36 to.38" [9.0 to 9.5 mm] long, acute, dorsally ornamented with evident papillae, linear-oblanceolate, straight petals, never falcate, and a short nectary that does not penetrate the ovary. Epidendrum microcarpum Hágsater & Dodson has shorter leaves on the branches, .16 to .2" x .4 to .48" [4 to 5.5 x 1.0 to 1.2 mm], yellowish green flowers, sepals .24 to .26" [6.0 to 6.5 mm] long, ventrally and scarcely papillose, linear petals and a short nectary that does not penetrate the ovary. Epidendrum palaciosii Hágsater & Dodson has elliptic-lanceolate leaves .4 to .48" x 1.2" [10 to 12 x 3 cm], dense, many-flowered, cylindrical inflorescences, with grayish flowers, sepals .28 to .32" [7 to 8 mm] long, dorsally muricate." Hagsater etal 2015

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Orchidacearum 15[1] Plate1563 Hagsater & Santiago 2015 drawing fide

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