Epidendrum tritropianthum Hágsater & E.Santiago 2007 GROUP Epidanthus

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

LATE THROUGH

Common Name The Three Keeled Epidendrum [refers to the 3 keels on the lip which separates this species from others in the Epidanthus group]

Flower Size 1/4" [6 mm]

Found in Costa Rica and Panama in cloud forests in mosses at elevations around 2100 meters as a miniature sized, cold growing epiphyte with simple, cane-like, terete, branching from the internodes near the base of the previous stem and carrying 5 to 8, all along the apical 1/2 of the stem, alternate, more or less fleshy, erect spreading, acicular, acute, margin entire leaves that blooms in the late spring through fall on a terminal, occuring only once, racemose, erect, laterally compressed, straight, filiform, secund, lax, 2" to 3" [5 to 7.5 cm] long, few flowered inflorescence with a bract at the middle that is similar to the somewhat, longer than the ovary, widely triangular, acute, amplexicaul floral bracts and carrying 3 to 7, successively opening, resupinate, distichous flowers.

"Epidendrum tritropianthum belongs to the GROUP Epidanthus, which is characterized by short small, somewhat scandent plants with very thin stems, very narrow, more or less fleshy leaves, with a small, narrowly triangular, acute ligule opposite the blade, an apical, distichous, usually secund inflorescence, and 2 or 4 pollinia. The species is recognized by the white flowers with the lateral lobes of the lip reddish purple, the petals spreading, sepals and petals 1-veined, and the lip ecallose with low keels. Epidendrum paranthicum has white flowers with a yellow lip, or, yellow to greenish yellow flowers, or reddish-brown, sometimes dotted flowers, the petals slightly reflexed and the lip with an evident semicircular callus. Epidendrum talamancanum (Atwood) Mora Retana & j.Carcía has much larger plants, longer leaves.36 to 1.28" [0.9 to 3.2 cm] long the flowers usually cream colored or white, occasionally tinged purple, the sepals and petals 3-veined, .168 to .28" [4.2 to 7 mm] long sepals reflexed, and the lip with a single minutely apiculate callus." Hagsater etal 2007

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Orchidaceaum 9 Plate 998 Hagsater & Salazar 2007 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 13 Plate 1367 Hagsater & Dodson 2010 See Recognition section;

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