Epidendrum venceremos Hagsater, Santiago and Edquen 2021 GROUP Andean SUBGROUP Vernixium

LCDP Photo by J. D. Edquén & A. Cisneros and Icones Orchidacearum 18(2) Plate 1896 Hágsater, E.Santiago et Edquén, 2021

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Common Name The Venceremos Epidendrum [A region of the department of San Marttin where the species was discovered]

Flower Size .8" [2 cm]

Found in San Martin department of Peru on the eastern side of the Andes at elevations around 1714 meters as a small sized, cool growing, monopodial terrestrial with cane-like, thin, erect, straight stems carrying none seen on the primary stem, 7 on the branches, distributed along the apical half of the stems, spreading, alternate, coriaceous, medium green, the margin purple-black, with a tubular, minutely striated, rugose, red-brown leaf base sheath, oblong-elliptic, apex rounded, slightly recurved, margin entire, spreading leaves that blooms in the spring on a terminal, without a sp[athe, peduncle sessile, rachis 1.6" [4 cm] long, erect, racemose, laxly, successively single, to 8 flowered inflorescence with much shorter than the ovary, narrowly triangular, acuminate, embracing floral bracts and carrying resupinate, non-fragrant flowers.

"Epidendrum venceremos belongs to the GROUP Andean SUBGROUP Vernixium which is characterized by the monopodial habit with sub-apical branching, erect inflorescences, laxly non-resupinate, spreading flowers, and the lip entire to 3-lobed and facing downwards. The new species is recognized by the leaves .68 to 1.52 x .2 to .32" [1.7 to 3.8 x 0.5 to 0.8 cm], oblong, green with the margin purple-black, the inflorescence with 8 successive flowers yellow-green, erect, non-resupinate, lateral sepals 13.8 mm long, mucronate, the mucronate lip .248" x .3" [6.2 x 7.5 mm], 3-lobed, the lateral lobes flabelliform, and the mid-lobe rectangular, the disc with a wide, fleshy mid-rib and short, fleshy thickened veins, and the ovary slightly inflated behind the perianth. Epidendrum elatum C.Schweinf. is widespread from Colombia to Bolivia, and much larger overall, the leaves 1.2 to 6.4 x .72 to 1.6" [3 to 16 x 1.8 to 4.0 cm], those of the main stem much larger than those of the branches, flowers 20 to 35, green to yellow-green, lateral sepals .6 to .84" x .194 to .26" [15 to 21 x 4.6 to 6.5 mm], lip .28 to .4" x .45 to .44" [7 to 10 x 10 to 11 mm], disc with 3 low narrow ribs that reach the apex of the lip. Epidendrum pozoi, endemic to Ecuador, has leaves 2.2 TO 3.8" X .36 TO .48" [5.5 to 9.5 x 0.9 to 1.2 cm], linear-elliptic, the apex bilobed, the inflorescence up to 17 green flowers, the lateral sepals .76 to 1.04" [19 to 26 mm] long, the lip .44 to .52" x .52 to .56" [11 to 14 x 13 to 14 mm], with the lateral lobes sub-ovate-quadrate, and the midlobe slightly emarginate. Epidendrum centronum Hágsater & Dodson has very similar leaves, 2.4 to 3.6" x .32 to .52" [6 to 9 x 0.8 to 1.3 cm], flowers green tinged brown, the sepals .8 to .84" [20 to 21 mm] long, and the lip .36 x .28" [9 x 7 mm], panduriform with 3 thin parallel ribs. Epidendrum deorsus Hágsater & E.Santiago is endemic to central Peru and its leaves are1.04 to 5.2" x .8 to 1.2" [2.6 to 13 x 2.0 to 3.0 cm], oblong-elliptic, the flowers green turning ochre-yellow, horizontal, with the lip looking down, the sepals .;84" [21 mm] long, and the lip .4 x .4" [10 x 10 mm], cordiform with the calli sub-globose" Hagsater etal 2021

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Orchidacearum 18(2) Plate 1896 Hagsater & Jimenez 2021 LCDP Photo/photo fide;

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