Epidendrum triloboleptophytum Hágsater, Naranjo & A.E.Mend. 2018 GROUP Leptophytum
TYPE LCDP/TYPE Photo © by A E Mendoza and The AMO Herbario Website
Common Name The 3 Lobed Lip Slender Plant Epidendrum
Flower Size .48" [1.2 cm]
Found in Loja province of Ecuador upper slope of the Cordillera Oriental of the Andes at elevations around 2443 meters as a small sized, cold growing epiphyte with cane-like, terete at the base to laterally compressed at the apex, progressively slightly arching, the new stem produced from a middle internode of the previous stem carrying 2 to 7 per stem, distributed along the apical half of the stems, distichous, partly spreading, articulate, grass-like; laterally compressed, ancipitose, minutely striated and rugose when dry basal leaf sheaths; blade linear, acuminate, minutely apiculate, margin crenulate, slightly revolute leaves that blooms in the late spring on a terminal, arising through a single, tubular, ancipitose, apex cuspidate, closely appressed to the peduncle spathe, peduncle .72 to 1.2" [1.8 to 3 cm] long, laterally compressed, straight, nearly totally covered by the spathe; rachis 1.8 to 3.8" [4.5 to 9.5 cm] long, terete, very thin, without being filiform, 2.8 to 5.2" [7 to 13 cm] long, racemose, arching, laxly, simultaneously, 18 to 25 flowered inflorescence with shorter than the ovary (except for the basal flower), linear, acuminate, 1-veined, papiraceous, embracing, gradually smaller towards the apex of the rachis floral bracts and carrying resupinate, delicate, pale yellow flowers with out fragrance.
"Epidendrum triloboleptophytum belongs to the GROUP Leptophytum which is characterized by the straggling vegetative habit forming compact plants, delicate, grass-like, linear leaves, inflorescence racemose, subtended by a narrow, conduplicate spathe, flowers pale yellow, delicate, lip entire or 3-lobed, bicallose, calli elongate, parallel, fleshy, blending into a low midrib which runs down the middle of the lip. The species is recognized by the deeply 3-lobed lip, lateral lobes dolabriform, mid-lob narrowly triangular, acuminate. Epidendrum leptophytum Hágsater, has the lip triangular-rhomboid in outline; bicallose, calli elongate, parallel, fleshy, blending into a low mid-rib which runs down the middle of the lip; lip overall triangular with the lateral margins denticulate towards the base, entire towards the apex, basal corners rounded, the base abruptly narrowed, cuneate, fleshy, provided with a pair of basal, very small, retrorse appendages, nearly parallel to the column." Hagsater etal 2018
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; *Icones Orchidacearum 16[1] Plate 1661 Hagsater & Sanchez 2018 drawing/photo fide; Icones Orchidacearum 17(1) Plate 1798 Hagsater & Jimenez 2019 see recognition section;
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