Epidendrum leucolistron Hágsater, F.Werner & E.Santiago 2013 GROUP Elleanthoides SUBGROUP Rhombochilum

TYPE Drawing by Jimenez and The AMO Herbaria Website

Common Name The White Lipped Epidendrum

Flower Size .8” [2 cm]

Found in Zamora Chinchipe province of Ecuador on the eastern slope of the Andes scrambling through the understory of stunted and open upper slopes of ridge crest forests at elevations of 2380 to 2550 meters as a close to the ground epiphyte or terrestrial with branching throughout, sometimes rebranching, cane-like, terete, thin stems carrying leaves, on the main branch not seen, 4 to 6 on the branches, all along the apical 1/2 of the stem, articulate, distichous, suberect, linear-lanceolate, rounded, slightly revolute, margin crenulate leaves that blooms in the spring on a terminal, without a spathe, short, nutant, peduncle .12" [3 mm] long, terete, filiform, arched, smooth, provided with a basal, small, triangular, acute bract, rachis .4” [1 cm] long, filiform, straight, simultaneously 1 to 2 flowered inflorescence with about half as long as the ovary, triangular, acute, amplexicaul floral bracts and carrying resupinate flowers with light orange brown sepals that are dorsally overlaid with a purple tinge, transluscent white petals, a white column and lip and the pubescence of the calli and rib deep purple as well the base and apex of the column.

"Epidendrum leucolistron belongs to the GROUP Elleanthoides which is recognized by the branching habit, the grass-like leaves and the distichous inflorescence with a zigzag rachis and filiform peduncle, the flowers fleshy, the lip cup-shaped and often embracing to overlapping over the column and the SUBGROUP Rhombochilum characterized by having a rhombic lip. The species is recognized by the two-flowered inflorescences, the comparatively large flowers with sepals .36" [9 mm] long, showy white flowers with the sepals orange-brown dorsally tinged with purple, the lip spreading beyond the column, elliptic, base cuneate, apex acute, the sides upturned, the leaf-sheathes with the apical margin dentate, the 2-celled anther and 2 entire pollinia. Epidendrum elleanthoides Schltr. has up to 6, pale yellow to copper-green, small, flowers with sepals .148 to .176" [3.7 to 4.4 mm] long, the lip transversely elliptic, embracing the column, without extending far beyond, and the anther 4-celled with 4 pollinia. Epidendrum rhombochilum L.O.Williams has 4, greenish yellow flowers, sepals .26 to .32" [6.5 to 8 mm] long, the lip rhombic and the column straight, and 2 pollinia." Hagsater etal 2013

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Orchidacearum 14 plate 1449 Hagsater & Dodson 2013 drawing fide;

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