Epidendrum tetralobum Hágsater & E.Santiago 2013 GROUP Coronatum SUBGROUP Artisepalum

TYPE Drawing by © Jimenez and The AMO Herbaria Website

Common Name The Four Lobed Epidendrum [refers to the shape of the lip]

Flower Size 1/2" [1.25 cm]

Found in southern Ecuador at elevations of 3000 to 3100 meters as a medium sized, cold growing epiphyte with simple, cane-like, terete, thin, erect, straight stems carrying 8 alternate, articulate, sub-erect, sub-coriaceous, all along the apical half of the stem, lanceolate, obtuse, apiculate, margin crenulate, spreading leaves that blooms in the summer on a terminal, without a spathe, peduncle 1.4" to 1.8" [3.5 to 4.5 cm] long, terete, thin, erect, straight, provided with a basal, triangular, acuminate, amplexicaul bract, racemose, 2.8 to 4" [7 to 10 cm] long, sub-dense, simultaneously 18 flowered inflorescence with shorter than the ovary, triangular, acuminate floral bracts and carrying apparently non-resupinate flowers without fragrance data and the tepals greenish rose, the lip rose, the disc is yellow and the column is yellowish rose.

"Epidendrum tetralobum belongs to the GROUP Coronatum SUBGROUP Artisepalum , which has a caespitose habit, simple stems, sub-coriaceous leaves, a racemose inflorescence without spathaceous bracts, and the aristate sepals. The species is recognized by the lanceolate leaves, erect inflorescence with greenish pink flowers, the disc of the lip yellow, ecallose, with 3 low ribs, petals narrowly elliptic, lip 3-lobed, the mid-lobe small, barely surpassing the length of the lateral lobes, so that the apical margin is somewhat truncate and 4-lobed, with the mid-lobe trapezoid and widely emarginate and bilobed. Epidendrum aristisepalum which is found in the same general area, also has the disc of the lip 3-ribbed, but the erect inflorescence is shorter, flowers are creamy green to brown-orange, the 3-lobed lip has suborbicular lateral lobes and the mid-lobe is entire, very fleshy, the apex rounded. Epidendrum birostratum C.Schweinf. has an arching inflorescence, the disc of the lip with an evident massive callus, the petals are obovate-spatulate, and the midlobe is quadrate with the apex tridentate." Hagsaer etal 2013

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Orchidacearum 14 Plate 1488 Hagsater & Santiago 2013 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 18(1) plate 1830 Hagsater, Pfahl & Cisneros 2020 see recognition section

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