Epidendrum tetragonioides Hágsater & Dodson 2009 GROUP Andean SUBGROUP Cuniculatum

TYPE Drawing by © Lopez and The AMO Herbaria Website

Common Name The Quadrangular-Like Epidendrum [refers to the shape of the lip]

Flower Size 1/2" [1.25 cm]

Found in northern Ecuador near the Colombian border in Paramo at elevations of 3300 to 3600 meters as a small sized, cold growing terrestrial with much branched, without any clear primary stem, a series of short, thin, terete, cane-like stems new stems arising from the upper half of the previous stem, carrying 4 to 6 per stem, all along the upper half, linear-lanceolate, dorsally keeled towards the apex, apiculate, margin entire leaves that blooms in the spring and summer on a terminal, racemose, arching, short, occuring only once, peduncle very short, terete, naked, simultaneously 6 flowered inflorescence with much shorter than the ovary, triangular, acuminate floral bracts and carrying resupinate, orange-brown flowers.

"Epidendrum tetragonum belongs to the GROUP Andean SUBGROUP Cuniculatum , which is characterized by the monopodial, branching habit, adpressed leaf-sheaths, acute leaves, margin crenate and usually a 3-lobed lip. The species is recognized by the relatively small flowers, with sepals .28 to .32" [7 to 8 mm] long, narrowly oblanceolate petals with an irregular dentate apical margin, and the rectangular, entire lip, less than twice as long as it is wide, the base somewhat cordate, with 3 prominent keels. At first sight, the plants would appear to be similar to Epidendrum cuniculatum which has thicker stems, wider floral segments, and small lateral lobes of the lip and the midlobe about square, 1.04 x 1.08" [2.6 x 2.6 mm]. Vegetatively it is similar to Epidendrum cardenasii Hágsater though this species has wider leaves .2 to .28" [5 to 7 mm] wide, yellow flowers and a bilobed, reniform, deeply cordate lip. The flowers are somewhat similar to Epidendrum guagra- urcuense Hágsater & Dodson which is much larger vegetatively, with leaves .6 to 1.04" [15 to 26 mm] wide and has a larger, proportionately wider lip .28 to .32" x .24 to .28" [7 to 8 x 6 to 7 mm) and wider petals with an entire margin." Hagsater etal 2009

Synonyms Epidendrum tetragonum Hágsater & Dodson 2004

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Icones Orchidacearum 7 Plate 794 Hagsater & Dodson 2004 as E tetragonum not drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum Vol 8 Plate 862 Hagsater & Sanchez 2006 as E tetragonuum see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 9 Plate 988 Hagsater 2007 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 12 Plate 1233 Hagsater 2009 as E tetragonum see recognition section; * Icones Orchidacearum pg. v Hagsater & Dodson 2009

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