Epidendrum transversellipticum Hágsater 2001 GROUP Alberti SUBGROUP Physinga

TYPE Drawing by © Lopez and The AMO Herbaria Website

Common Name The Transversly Elliptic Epidendrum [refers to the lip shape]

Flower Size .2" [.5 cm]

Found in western Panama on the ridge of the intercontinental divide at elevations of 1400 to 1700 meters as a miniature sized, cool growing epiphyte with simple, cane-like, ancipitous stems carrying 3 to 4, all along the stem, alternate, unequal in size, gradually larger towards the apex, narrowly elliptic, acuminate, margin entire leaves that blooms in the fall on a terminal, without a spathe, pluri-racemose, erect, peduncle ancipitous, two-winged, naked, .24" [6 mm] long, with an apical bract similar to the floral bracts, 2.9" [7.4 cm] long, successively single, to 9 flowered inflorescence with conduplicate, shorter than the ovary, elliptic, rounded, imbricate floral bracts and carrying resupinate, green flowers without fragrance data.

"Epidendrum transversellipticum belongs to the GROUP Alberti SUBGROUP Physinga recognized by the caespitose habit, ancipitose stems, long, nude, two-winged peduncle and the raceme of imbricating bracts with flowers produced singly in succession. The species is recognized by the small habit, .12" [3 mm] long bracts, .24" [6 mm] long sepals, transversely elliptic, entire lip and the prominent, straight clinandrium. Epidendrum jefeallenii Hágsater & Carda-Cruz is much larger overall, the sepals .4 to .44" [10 to 11 mm] long, the column .32" [8 mm] long, and the cordiform, emarginate lip .16 to .2" x .2 to .24" [4 to 5 x 5 to 6 mm] in size. Epidendrum maduroi Hágsater & Carda Cruz is still larger, with stems 8 to 12" [20 to 30 cm] long, with sepals .48 to .6" [12 to 15 mm] long, subreniform lip .24 to .32" [6 to 8 mm] wide and a short clinandrium. Epidendrum panamense Schltr. has an ovate, subcordate, acuminate lip and the ovary somewhat inflated into a vesicle." Hagsater etal 2001

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Orchidacearum 4 Plate 492 Hágsater 2001 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 9 Plate 971 Hagsater 2007 see recognition section;

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