Epidendrum microsecundum Hagsater & J. Duarte 2021 GROUP Secundum SUBGROUP Secundum

LCDP Photo by R. Jiménez M. & A. Cisneros and Icones Orchidacearum 18(2) Plate 1884 Hagsater & J Duarte 2021

Common Name The Small Group Secundum Epidendrum

Flower Size .6" [1.5 cm]

Found in Azuay and Loja provinces of Ecuador in upper montane forests at elevations of 2400 to 3200 meters as a small to medium sized, cold growing, myrmecophilous, sympodial, caespitose terrestrial or epiphyte with short, simple, cane-like, terete, erect stems covered by foliar sheaths and carrying 8 to 15 all along the stem, articulate to the tubular, slightly comrpoessed, thin, smooth, papyraceous, becoming scarious when dry, green leaf sheath bases, ovate-elliptic, apex obtuse to rounded, coriaceous, green, margin entire leaves that blooms at most any time of the year on a terminal on mature stems, without a spathe, peduncle peduncle 7.4 to 14.4" [18.5 to 36.0 cm] long, green, elongate, terete, slightly flexuous, covered by gray, tubular, becoming scarious when dry, striated, chartaceous, imbricating, acute bracts, producing new racemes from the upper nodes of the peduncle, rachis .6 to 2" [1.5 to 5.0 cm] long, 8.8 to 16" [22 to 40 cm] long overall, racemose to pluri-racemose, successively, eventually all open at once, 11 to 28 flowered inflorescence with decreasing in size apically, very small compared to the ovary, triangular, acuminate, chartaceous, embracing floral bracts and carrying non-resupinate, non-fragrant flowers.

"Epidendrum microsecundum belongs to the GROUP Secundum SUBGROUP Secundum which is characterized by the caespitose habit, the erect, simple, cane-like stems, the normally elongate peduncle of the inflorescence, the erect raceme of generally nonresupinate, showy, colorful flowers, and the lip adorned by a complex a callus. The new species is recognized by the small habit, the short stems 4 to 5.2" [10 to 13 cm] tall, the red flowers, the callus orange-yellow, complex and wide, the flowers small, the sepals .32 to .4" [8.0 to 10.0 mm] long, oblanceolate, the petals obtrullate-spatulate, and the lip deeply 3-lobed, apical margins dentate to laciniate, with a large complex callus, the lateral lobes subrectangular, the mid-lobe apically bifid, forming two flabelliform lobes. In size it is equal to Epidendrum azulensis D.E.Benn. & Christenson which has longer, narrower leaves, deep purple-pink flowers, and a large white callus. Epidendrum ptochicum Hágsater is very similar but the callus is massive, formed by 4 basal, finger-like structures, the lateral ones shorter, the central ones superposed on a 3-toothed, laminar structure, elongate and reaching the middle of the mid-lobe of the lip, the apex of the column is yellow, and the orange color of the flowers is somewhat less deep, more yellow. Epidendrum rauhii Hágsater is slightly larger, but flowers are white with a yellow callus, flowers becoming yellowish when pollinated or aging, and the petals are obovate. All three species can be considered as dwarf species for the GROUP Secundum , with stems no more than 8" [20 cm] tall in optimum conditions. Epidendrum sholletiae Hágsater, L.Valenz. & J.Duarte is also short, plants 8.4 to 10" [21 to 25 cm] including the inflorescence, has red flowers with an orange callus, oblong-elliptic leaves, .56 to 1.08" x .16 to .32" [1.4 to 2.7 x 0.4 to 0.8 cm], sepals .352 to .4" [8.8 to 10.0 mm] long, petals .408 x .128" [10.2 x 3.2 mm], narrowly elliptic, the lip with a sub-quadrate to sub-flabellate lateral lobes, the margin irregularly laciniate, the lacinia short at base and progressively longer, mid-lobe very short, obtrapezoid, and a large callus." Hagsater etal 2021

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Orchidacearum 18(2) Plate 1884 Hagsater & Jimenez 2021 LCDP Photo/photo fide;

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