Epidendrum synchronum Hágsater 2004 GROUP Spathiger SUBGROUP Coriifolium

TYPE Drawing by © Jimenez, Hágsater & E.Santiago and The AMO Herbario Website

NOCTURNAL AND AGAIN LATE to

Common Name The At The Same Time Epidendrum [refer to this species being more simultaneously opening than others in the group]

Flower Size 1.2" [3 cm]

Found in Costa Rica in higher elevation cloud forests at elevations around 1450 meters as a small to medium sized, cool growing epiphyte with simple, cane-like, erect, laterally compressed stems and carrying 2 to 5, apical, distichous, coriaceous, narrowly oblong, unequally bilobed, margin entire, articulate below into the base leaves that blooms in the winter and again in the late spring to summer on a terminal, simple, racemose, occuring only once, distichous, erect, flexuous, laterally compressed, ancipitous, zigzag, 6.8 to 9.2" [17 to 23 cm] long, successively 5 to more, 7 to 20 flowered inflorescence arising on a mature growth, with bracts that are similar to the almost as long as to longer than the ovary, ovate, conduplicate floral bracts and carrying non-resupinate, secund, nocturnally, seminally sweet, fragrant flowers.

"Epidendrum synchronum belongs to the GROUP Spathiger SUBGROUP Coriifolium which is characterized by the sympodial growth habit, distichous inflorescence with large, conduplicate bracts, fleshy green flowers with narrow petals and reniform lip. The new species is recognized by the oblong leaves up to 1.28" [3.2 cm] wide, the wide, rounded, floral bracts, successive flowers with up to 5 open at one time, acute sepals, and linear-oblong, rounded petals. It is similar to Epidendrum allochronum, identified by the very narrow, linear, acuminate petals, the very long, relatively narrow, rounded, floral bracts, and the acuminate sepals, linear, and acuminate petals. The seminal fragrance is similar to that of Epidendrum alvarezdeltoroi Hágsater and Epidendrum magnibracteatum Ames 1922 ; the first having the inflorescence no longer than the leaves and the flowers simultaneous, the second being recognized by the acute floral bracts and simultaneous flowers. Epidendrum summerhayesii Hágsater has similar floral bracts but these are more compact and imbricating, the petals somewhat wider, the whole inflorescence often deeply purple tinged, especially in Colombia." Hagsater etal 2004

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Orchidacearum 7 Plate 793 Hagsater & Salazar 2004 drawing fide

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