Epidendrum xerophyticum Hagsater & E.Santiago 2016 GROUP Epidendropsis SUBGROUP Gracillimum
Photo by F A Werner/TYPE Drawing by © Jimenez and The AMO Herbaria Website
LATE 
Common Name The Xerophytic Epidendrum [refers to its habit of growing in dry areas with cacti]
Flower Size .36" [9 mm]
Found in southern Ecuador on the upper western slopes in dry montane forests with cacti along ravines, dry scrub forests or pyrogenic grasslands at elevations of 1800 to 2100 meters as a mini-miniature to miniature sized, cool to cold growing epiphyte with simple, short, cane-like, basally terete, laterally compressed above stems carrying 4 to 7, all along the stem, sub-spreading, straight, fleshy, linear-lanceolate, acute, margin entire leaves that blooms in the late winter on a terminal, paniculate, erect, peduncle 1.8” [4.5 cm] long, thin, ancipitous, erect to slightly fractiflex, provided with 1 to 2, tubular, basally ancipitous, conduplicate above the middle, acute, uncinate bracts, rachis 1.8” [4.5 cm] long, thin, terete, 5 to 6 branched, each branch sub-spreading, laxly simultaneously 18 flowered inflorescence with 5 to 7 flowers per branch, and with shorter than the ovary, narrowly triangular, acuminate, clasping floral bracts and carrying small, membraneous, reddish brown flowers with the lip always facing the rachis and without fragrance data.
"Epidendrum xerophyticum belongs to the GROUP Epidendropsis SUBGROUP Gracillimum characterized by the sympodial, caespitose, relatively small plants with non-thickened stems, long, narrow, sub-coriaceous leaves, and a long, paniculate inflorescence, delicate small flowers. The species is recognized by the small plants, 3.2 to 5" [8 to 12.5 cm] tall, leaves .8 to 1.8" x .16 to .24" [2 to 4.5 x 0.4 to 0.6 cm], linear-lanceolate, fleshy, the peduncle with acute, uncinate bracts, lip entire, widely elliptic-cordiform, and the ovary thickened along the apical half due to the swollen nectary, without forming an obvious vesicle. Epidendrum gracillimum Rchb.f. & Warsz. has taller plants, up to 8" [20 cm] tall, leaves 1.8" to 2.6" x .08 to .12" [4.5 to 6.5 x 0.2 to 0.3 cm], linear and semi-terete, the peduncle of the inflorescence with long, acuminate bracts, lip 3- lobed, the apex bilobed, and the ovary forming a small vesicle. Epidendrum schlimii Rchb.f. has plants with narrow leaves,.08 to .12" [0.2 to 0.3 cm] wide, laxly, few-flowered inflorescences, the racemes 2-flowered, .2" [0.5 cm] long, dorsal sepals strongly reflexed, parallel to the ovary, and the petals filiform. Epidendrum rolfeanum F.Lehm & Kraenzl. has plants 4.8 to 7.2" [12 to 18 cm] tall, acicular leaves 1.6 to 4.4 x .04 to .08" [4 to 11 x 0.1 to 0.2 cm], racemes of the inflorescence with 3 to 6 flowers, the flowers purple-brown with the disc of the lip greenish yellow, dorsal sepal strongly reflexed, and the petals filiform. Epidendrum cryptorhachis Hágsater has much taller plants, to 17.2" [43 cm] tall, leaves 2.8-10 x 0.4-0.8 cm, linear-lanceolate, bracts of the peduncle apically acute and clearly arched inwards but not uncinate, the racemes of the inflorescence many-flowered, parallel to the rachis, lip 3-lobed, and the ovary with a prominent, globose vesicle. Epidendrum physophorum Schltr. has similarly sized plants, 4 to 6" [10 to 15 cm] tall, leaves 1.4 to 2.4" x .6 to 1.2" [3.5 to 6 x 0.15 to 0.3 cm], dorsal sepals strongly reflexed, parallel to the ovary, petals filiform, and the ovary with a very prominent inflated vesicle." Hagsater etal 2016
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Orchidacearum 15[2] Plate 1600 Hagsater & Santiago 2016 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 16[1] Plate 1656 Hagsater & Santiago 2018 See recognition section
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