Epidendrum zongoincomptum Hágsater & E.Santiago GROUP Arbuscula SUBGROUP Incomptum

TYPE Drawing by © Jimenez and The AMO Herbaria Website

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Common Name The Rio Zongo Incomptum Group Epidendrum [A River in Peru where the type was collected]

Flower Size 1.6" [4 cm]

Found in western Bolivia on the eastern slope of the Andes at elevations around 2000 meters as a medium sized, cool to cold growing epiphyte with simple, terete, thin, erect, straight stems carrying 5 to 6, all along the apical half of the stem, alternate, articulate, oblong-elliptic, acute, margin entire leaves that blooms in the late spring on a terminal, without a spathe, occuring only once, racemose, arching-nutant, peduncle .48" [1.2 cm] long, terete, thin, straight, basal with a triangular-lanceolate, long-acuminate bract, simultaneously 22 flowered inflorescence with prominent, shorter than the ovary, smaller towards the apex, narrowly triangular, acuminate, amplexicaul floral bracts and carrying resupinate, pale greenish yellow flowers without fragrance data.

"Epidendrum zongoincomptum belongs to the GROUP Arbuscula SUBGROUP Incomptum, which is characterized by the successive lateral growths produced from the middle of the previous growth, few leaves aggregate towards the apex of the stems, a short apical inflorescence with fleshy green to violet-green to black flowers with short ovaries, the lip entire to 3-lobed. The species is recognized by 5 to 6 leaved stems, the pale greenish yellow flowers, lip 3 lobed, the lateral lobes slightly reflexed, mid-lobe trapezoid, minutely apiculate, ecallose disc with 5 thin ribs. Epidendrum incomptum Rchb.f. green flowers, concolor, or sometimes the lip purple, the mid-lobe of the lip subquadrate, disc ecallose and without ribs. Epidendrum homoion Hágsater & Dodson has olive-green flowers, the posterior margin of the lateral lobes of the lip forming a right-angle with the mid-lobe which is sub-quadrate and deeply emarginate, petals obtrullate, very wide, lib bicallose, without ribs. Epidendrum carchiense Hágsater & Dodson has 6 to 7, olive-green to purple flowers, the lip smooth, without ribs, without calli, but a basal pair of small thickenings the mid-lobe entire, apiculate, and the floral segments acuminate, narrow. Epidendrum marsiorum R.Vásquez & P. L. Ibisch is another species found in the Valley of Río Zongo, and widespread from eastern Peru, Puno to Cochabamba, has smaller flowers with the sepals .32" [8 mm] long , chocolate-purple, concolor, the lip entire, reniform, with the apex mucronate, and the disc bicallose, without ribs." Hagsater etal 2015

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Orchidacearum 15[1] Plate 1568 Hagsater & Santiago 1993 drawing fide;

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