Epidendrum sumapacense Hágsater & E.Santiago 2004 GROUP Andean SUBGROUP Soratae

TYPE Drawing by © Lopez and The AMO Herbaria Website

EARLY EARLY

Common Name The Nevado de Sumapaz Epidendrum [A mountain in the department of Meta in Colombia]

Flower Size .8" [2 cm]

Found in the department of Meta Colombia in paramo at elevations of 3300 to 3400 meters as a large sized, cold growing epiphyte with branching towards the apex, cane-like, basally terete, laterally compressed above, erect, straight stems carrying numerous on the main stem, 5 to 8 on the branches, all along the upper 2/3's of the stem, subcoriaceous, elliptic, acute, with a low dorsal keel, margin minutely crenate, slightly revolute leaves that blooms in the early winter through early summer on a terminal, arching, peduncle .8" [2 cm] long, terete, thin, straight, with a triangular, acuminate bract in the middle, 1.8 to 2.6" [4.5 to 6.5 cm] long, overall, successively several, 12 to 15 flowered inflorescence with much shorter than the ovary, triangular, acute, apically gradually shorter floral bracts and carrying resupinate, yellow to orange-yellow flowers without fragrance data.

"Epidendrum sumapacense belongs to the GROUP Andean SUBGROUP Soratae characterized by the monopodial stem, branching nabit, acute to acuminate leaves and infundibuliform sheaths. The species is recognized by the large flowers, entire, subreniform, yellow lip, with a pair of incipient lobes at the base, slightly cordate, apex truncate, apiculate, margin papilose, the large thick calli, and short disc provided with 3 smooth, low keels, and the straight column. It is very similar to Epidendrum erosum which has somewhat smaller flowers, narrowly elliptic leaves, entire, subcordiform-trapezoid lip with purple-pink spots and the margin denticulate-pubescent, the apex of the column purple tinted and the petals linear-subspathulate, rounded, the margin erose-denticulate. Epidendrum ellemaniae Hágsater & Dodson has somewhat shorter leaves, and flowers about half the size, sepals being .64 to .76" 5.4-5.6 mm long, and a deeply cordiform, acute lip, petals linear-oblanceolate, acute, margin entire. Epidendrum scopulorum Rchb.f. has a more strict habit, leaves about the same size, sepals .36 to .38" [9 to 9.5 mm] long, but cordiform, apiculate and with an entire margin, the petals narrower, acute and also with an entire margin." Hagsater etal 2004

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Orchidacearum 7 Plate 792 Hagsater & Santiago 2004 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 9 Plate 933 Hagsater 2007 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 9 Plate 992 Hagsater 2007 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 12 Plate 1289 Hagsater 2009 see recognition section; Orquideas, Tesoro de Colombia Vol 2 Ortiz & Uribe 2017 drawing/photo good; Icones Orchidacearum 16[2] Plate 1679 Hagsater & Sanchez 2018 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 18(2) Plate 1867 Hagsater & Jimenez 2021 see recognition section

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