Epidendrum vasquezii Hágsater & L.Sánchez 2006 GROUP Difforme

TYPE Drawing by © Vasquez and The AMO Herbaria Website

LATE

Common Name Vasquez's Epidendrum [Bolivian Orchid Authority current]

Flower Size 2.4" [6 cm]

Found in Bolivia in premontane forests at elevations around 700 meters as a small sized, warm growing epiphyte with simple, cane-like, laterally compressed, ancipitous stems carring 5, all along the stem, elliptic to ovate, coriaceous, smooth, slightly carinate, unequally bilobed, margin entire leaves that blooms in the late spring on a a terminal, arising on a mature stem, without a spathe, occuring only once, sessile, simultaneously 3 flowered inflorescence with much shorter than the ovary floral bracts and carrying pale green flowers.

"Epidendrum vasquezii belongs to the GROUP Difforme which is characterized by the sympodial, caespitose, fleshy habit, green to glaucous leaves, the apical inflorescence lacking a spathaceous bract, sessile or with a very short peduncle, one-flowered to corymbose, and the green, greenish yellow or rarely white flowers. The new species has laterally compressed stems, 3 large flowers, with a bilobed lip, the lobes orbicular and apically notched, the disc with 3 keels and numerous, evident, radiating, thickened veins. It is similar to E. althausenii which is widely distributed in the Amazon basin, has rather short stems, a single, large flower, occasionally 2, rarely 3, the lip subquadrate when spread, with the emarginate midlobe short in relation the lateral lobes, the column straight or slightly arched, and the clinandrium-hood prominent, with the margin dentate-fimbriate. The Brazilian Epidendrum angustilobum has 2 to 4 large flowers, a 3-lobed lip 2 to 4 times wider than long, the lateral lobes semi-orbicular to sub-rectangular, the midlobe subquadrate to transversely rectangular, emarginate to bilobed, and the clinandrium-hood short, dentate. Epidendrum garciae Pabst is distinguished by the single flower, intensely fragrant during day-time, greenish whlte sepals and petals white, transversely oblong, 3-lobed lip with the lateral lobes semi-elliptic, midlobe shorter than the lateral lobes, emarginate, forming 2 semi-orbicular lobes, and the slightly arching column with a prominent, erose to dentate clinandrium-ñood. Of the larger Peruvian species, Epidendrum apaganum Mansf. and Epidendrum apaganoides O.E.Benn. & Christenson have 3-lobed lips with thickened veins, and Epidendrum pseudoapaganum Bennett & Christenson has an entire, reniform lip apparently without thickened veins or keels on the lip." Hagsater etal 2006

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Orchidacearum 8 Plate 896 Hagsater & Sanchez 2006 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 14 Plate 1430 Hagsater & Santiago 2013 See recognition section;

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