Epidendrum tenuisulcatum [Dressler] Hagsater 1993 GROUP Neowilliamsia Photo by © Dressler and The Epidendra Website
Drawing by © Jimenez, Hágsater & E.Santiago and The AMO Herbario Website
LATER EARLIER
Common Name or Meaning The Thin Grooved Epidendrum [refers to the slit at the apex of the column]
Flower Size .6" [1.5 cm]
Found in central Panama in peak montane forests at elevations around 720 to 800 meters as a medium sized, warm growing epiphyte with a simple, cane-like, branching, from the basal internodes of the previous, laterally compressed, ancipitous, thin, erect, straight stem enveloped basally by nonfoliaceous, tubular sheaths and carrying 1 to 7, throughout the apical half, alternate, articulate, erect-spreading, ancipitous, narrowly ovate to oblong-elliptic, obtuse, minutely apiculate, subcoriaceous leaves that blooms in the later summer and earlier fall on a terminal, occuring only once, peduncle short to .8 to 2" [2 to 5 cm] long, laterally compressed, ancipitous, rachis, 4.8 to 8" [12 to 20 cm] long, paniculate, laterally compressed, ancipitous, zigzag, laxly many flowered inflorescence with 1 to 2, triangular, acute, conduplicate bracts and small, 1/3 as long as the ovary, deltoid, acute, conduplicate, ancipitous floral bracts.
"Epidendrum tenuisulcatum belongs to the GROUP Neowilliamsia characterized by the ancipitose stems and rachis, the rachis with conduplicate, acute bracts, distichous, usually non-resupinate flowers, with the lip often digitate and has 2 or 4 pollinia with 2 hard, laminar, caudicles. The species is recognized by the short stems, 1.8 to 4.8" [4.5 to 12 cm] long with a large, paniculate inflorescence up to 20" {50 cm] tall, small, yellowish brown flowers with a white, 3-lobed lip with subequal and triangular lobes, and a triquetrous ovary. Epidendrum epidendroides (Caray) Mora-Retana & J.Carcía also has a triquetrous ovary but taller stems, 4.8 to 11.2" [12 to 28 cm] long, a smaller, racemose to paniculate inflorescence, and somewhat larger flowers with sepals .44 to .56" [11 to 14 mm] long, the lip 3-lobed with the apical half of the midlobe linear. Epidendrum bicuniculatum Hágsater & E. Santiago has a racemose, zigzag inflorescence, spatulate, rounded petals, the lip spreading at the base of the column, obovate in outline and with a very small, narrow, triangular midlobe, and somewhat larger flowers, the sepals .4" [10 mm] long." Hagsater etal 2007
Synonyms *Neowilliamsia tenuisulcata Dressler 1981
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Orquídea (Mexico City), n.s., 8(1): 29-30 1981 Dressler as Neowilliamsia tenuisulcatum drawing/photo fide; *Orquídea (Mexico City), n.s., 13(1-2): 217. Hagsater 1993 drawing fide; Field Guide to the Orchids of Costa Rica and Panama Dressler 1993; Rudolf Schlechter Die Orchideen Band 1C lieferung 42 - 43 pg 2626 - 2762 Brieger 2001 as Neowilliamsia tenuisulcata; Icones Orchidacearum 9 Plate 932 Hagsater 2007 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 9 plate 996 Hagsater & Sanchez 2007 drawing fide;
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