Epidendrum torraense Hágsater & Silverst. 2001 GROUP Elleanthoides SUBGROUP Rhombochilum

TYPE Drawing by © Lopez and The AMO Herbaria Website

LATER

Common Name The Cerro de Torra Epidendrum [an isolated mountain in el Choco department of Colombia]

Flower Size .2" [5 mm]

Found in Choco department of Colombia in primary cloud forests at elevations around 2500 meters as a small sized, cold growing epiphyte with terete, branching in maturity, new stems arise from near the apex of the stem, branches shorter than the main stem carrying all along the stem, sub-coriaceous, narrowly oblong to lanceolate, unequally bilobed, margin unevenly erose-denticulate, dark green above, clear green beneath leaves that blooms in the later summer on a terminal, without a spathe, arising on the main stem and the branches, racemose, occuring only once, peduncle short, terete, apparently successively single, 1 to 3 flowered inflorescence with triangular, shorter than the ovary, dorsally verrucose, obtuse floral bracts and carrying non-resupinate flowers with violet to white tinged red-violet, petals white and the lip is spotted with red violet.

"Epidendrum torraense belongs to the GROUP Elleanthoides SUBGROUP Rhombochilum characterized by thin, branching stems carrying narrow, grassy leaves and has a hair-thin peduncle of the inflorescence and carries successively opening, small delicate flowers and is distinguished by the branching stems with striated and verrucose sheaths, short simple inflorescence and small white flowers tinged red-violet, sepals .14 to .16" [3.5 to 4 mm] long, with the short column practically completely covered by the lip in natural position. The species is closely related to E. chrysanthum Hágsater & Dodson, which has yellow-bronze flowers, sepals.34" [8.5 mm] long, and the apex of the .2" [5 mm] long column barely covered by the lip. Epidendrum rhodanthum Hágsater & Dodson is sympatric with and quite similar in size to E. chrysanthum, but the flowers are white tinged with old-rose color, and the lip proportionately longer in relation to the column. Epidendrum elleanthoides Schltr., though quite similar florally, has a toothed column and much shorter leaves 1.6 to 2.8" x .14 to .2" [40 to 70 x 3.5 to 5 mm], with a very thin and branched peduncle of the inflorescence, being thus closer to E. guacamayense Hágsater & Dodson.

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Icones Orchidacearum 4 Plate 491 Hagsater & Silverstone 2001 drawing fide; Orquideas, Tesoro de Colombia Vol 2 Ortiz & Uribe 2017 drawing fide;

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