Epidendrum bicornialpicola Hágsater, Chamaya & Iberico, 2023

Gonzáles, James Alexander Chamaya, Hágsater, Eric, Ayala, Elizabeth Santiago, Salinas, Julian Duarte & Vela, Gustavo Iberico, 2023, Three new species of Epidendrum (Orchidaceae: Laeliinae) from the cloud forests of Chota, northern Peru, Phytotaxa 625 (1), pp. 77-87 : 84-86

Epidendrum bicornialpicola Hágsater, Chamaya & Iberico , sp. nov. ( Figures 1 , 4 )

Type: — PERU: Cajamarca: Chota: Bosque La Palma , 2778 m, 19 julio 2022, J. A. Chamaya G. 104 (holotype: CPUN!) .

Epidendrum bicornialpicola is similar to E. delsyae Hágsater & Cisneros (2020 : t. 1809) but the leaves are half as long, (3.2–6.0 cm long vs. 7.4–13.4 cm long), pale yellow-green flowers with a lip ochre (vs. ochre flowers with a lip ochre-orange), smaller sepals (6.7–8.6 mm long vs. 10–12.8 mm long), and the lip with calli upright, acute, divergent (vs. calli non upright, rounded, slightly paralell).

Description:— Lithophytic and epiphytic, sympodial, caespitose herb, ca. 62 cm tall (including inflorescence). Roots 2–3 mm in diameter, basal, thick, white. Stems 44 × 0.3–0.5 cm, simple, cane-like, terete below, laterally compressed above, erect to arching; basal 1/3 covered by papyraceous sheaths ca. 4.0 × 0.4 cm, light brown. Leaves 7, articulate, alternate, sub-coriaceous and lower leaves smaller, spreading; sheaths 2.0–3.0 × 0.2–0.4 cm tubular, somewhat laterally compressed, glabrous; blades 3.2–6.0 × 0.8–1.2 cm, 5:1, linear-lanceolate, acuminate, sub-erect, margin entire, spreading, medium green. Spathes 1–2, 3.0–6.0 × 0.2–0.3 cm, tubular, acuminate, lower one leaf-like towards apex, slightly imbricating. Inflorescence 17 cm long, apical, a sub-densely flowered raceme, arching nutant; peduncle 8.5 cm long, erect, straight, nearly totally hidden by spathes, rachis 8 cm long, strongly arched and nutant at base, nearly straight thereafter. Floral bracts 4 mm long, prominent, nearly as long as ovary, linear-triangular, acuminate, embracing. Flowers ca. 24, simultaneous, resupinate, apical lip always pointing to axis of rachis, flowers pale yellow-green, lip ochre, column white; fragrance reminiscent of lavender during daytime. Ovary 4.5–9.0 × 1.0– 1.1 mm, terete, thin, arching, not inflated, unornamented, furrowed, green. Sepals free, fleshy, 3-veined, margin entire, spreading; dorsal sepal 6.4–6.7 × 2.5–2.7 mm, somewhat concave, obovate-elliptic, acuminate; lateral sepals 8.4–8.6 × 2.7–2.9 mm, partly concave, ovate-elliptic, acuminate, oblique, aristate, with low dorsal keel that continues apically to form an aristate tip, margin of keel entire. Petals 4.5–5.0 × 0.5–0.6 mm, free, spreading, linear oblanceolate-oblong, acuminate, 1-veined, margin entire, spreading. Lip 4.3–4.5 × 3.6–3.8 mm (with spread lateral lobes), united to column, fleshy, 3-lobed, base cordate; bicallose, calli prominent, laminar, short, acute, upright, divergent; disc with a very short thick broad mid-rib, extending beyond calli to base of mid-lobe; lateral lobes ca. 1.0–1.2 × 2.0– 2.2 mm, embracing apex of column without covering it, transversely elliptic, margin slightly erose; mid-lobe 2.0–2.3 × 1.5–1.6 mm, slightly arched upwards in natural position, triangular, acuminate, margin entire. Column 2.3 mm long including lateral wings, dorsally 1.3 mm to edge of clinandrium-hood, dorsally clinandrium hood somewhat upturned, thick, apex oblique, with pair of rounded wings that surpass clinandrium-hood. Clinandrium-hood short, slightly upturned, margin erose. Rostellum sub-apical, slit; viscarium semi-liquid. Lateral lobes of stigma, cuniculus not seen. Anther reniform, 4-celled. Pollinia 4, ovoid, laterally compressed, caudicles soft and granulose, short. Capsule not seen.

Distribution and ecology: —Presently known only from the type in northern Peru: Cajamarca, Chota; grows lithophytic and epiphytic at 2778 m elevation in well illuminated places. Flowering in July to November

Etymology: —From the Latin bicorni -, who horned, and alpicola, Alpine, found in mountains, the species has unusual calli which are triangular, upright and divergent, when all other species have the calli parallel to the lip and more or less finger-like.

Conservation status: —DD. Data deficient. Presently known only from the type.

Taxonomic Discussion: — Epidendrum bicornialpicola belongs to the Alpicola Group, which is characterized by the simple stems, the long, narrow spathes, numerous flowers, the fleshy lips, the triangular mid-lobe and roundish lateral lobes, and the lip with two laminar calli and a rounded process in between. The new species is recognized by the peduncle of the inflorescence, straight, erect, about as long as apical leaves, the spathes of the peduncle tubular, closely appressed, the rachis sharply aching nutant, nearly straight but nutant, the yellow-green flowers, ochre lip and white column, the lateral sepals 8.4–8.6 × 2.7–2.9 mm, the petals 4.5–5.0 × 0.5–0.6 mm, linear oblanceolate-oblong, acuminate, and the lip 4.3–4.5 × 3.6–3.8 mm when spread, bicallose, calli prominent, laminar, short, acute, upright, divergent; disc with a very short thick wide mid-rib, extending beyond calli to base of mid-lobe. Epidendrum delsyae is larger overall, the leaves 7.4–13.4 × 1.0– 1.2 cm, the peduncle of the inflorescence shorter than the apical leaf, the flowers relatively large, the sepals and petals ochre, apex greenish orange, lip ochre-orange, column green, the sepals 10–12.8 mm long,, and the lip with a mid-lobe 3.8 × 1.8 mm, sub-trilobed in general form, acute, attenuate at the middle, the apical half ensiform.

The Ecuadorian Epidendrum aenigmaticum Hágsater & Dodson (2007: t. 902) is recognized by the leaves oblongelliptic, obtuse, 9.5–15 × 1.5–2.1 cm, flowers brown-orange, the dorsal sepal 5.4–6.0 mm long, and the lip 3.6 × 3.5 mm, the calli laminar, rounded, with a thick, elliptic, short mid-keel, the lateral lobes transversely ovate-elliptic, the mid-lobe 1.7 × 1.2 mm.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Distribution map of new species of Epidendrum. Prepared by James Chamaya.

FIGURE 4. Lankester Composite Dissection Plate (LCDP) of Epidendrum bicornialpicola Hágsater, Chamaya & Iberico. A. Plant habit. B. Inflorescence. C. Flower, lateral view. D. Dissected perianth. E. Ovary with lip and column; upper and lateral views. F. Pollinarium. Prepared by Anaís Cisneros from the images by J. A. Chamaya taken from the specimen that served as the holotype.