Epidendrum clinidiodontum E.Santiago, López-Flor., Claros & Hágsater, 2024

Epidendrum clinidiodontum E.Santiago, López-Flor., Claros & Hágsater , sp. nov. ( Figure 1 View FIGURE 1 ).

Type: — COLOMBIA. Caquetá: Florencia, Corregimiento el Caraño, Vereda la Ruidosa , 2036 m, 9 de mayo de 2023, O. López, B. Claros & M. Correa 273 (holotype: HUAZ! , isotype COL! ).

Similar to Epidendrum hygrohylephilum Hágsater & E.Santiago (2004) but the lip entire pentagonal, margin crenate (vs. entire, basal half semi-elliptic, apical half triangular, margin entire), the apical margin of clinandrium-hood crenulate, apex bidentate (vs. the apical margin of clinandrium-hood entire, apex truncate), and the lip bicallose, calli laminar, leaning outwards (vs. lip unicallose, callus triangular, acute).

Description:— Epiphytic, sympodial, caespitose, erect herb, 34.0 cm tall including inflorescence. Roots 2.0 mm in diameter, basal, scarce, thin. Stems 27.0 × 0.4–0.8 cm, simple, cane - like, laterally compressed at base and ancipitose above, straight. Leaves 5, distributed throughout stems, alternate, articulate, sub-erect; sheaths 3.7–5.2 × 0.4–0.8 cm, tubular, laterally compressed, ancipitose, minutely striated, green, concolor; blade 7.2–12.5 × 1.8–2.3 cm, narrowly elliptic, apex acuminate, sub - coriaceous, margin entire, spreading. Spathes 2–3, at apex of peduncle, lower spathe 4.6–6.7 × 0.8–1.0 cm (conduplicate), narrowly ovate, apex obtuse, base tubular, ancipitose, green, concolor, second spathe smaller, 2.0 × 0.7 mm (conduplicate), dorsally keeled serrulate at apex, green, concolor, similar to floral bracts but larger. Inflorescence 7.5 cm long, apical (probably with lateral inflorescences in mature stems), short, compact, few - flowered, producing new racemes from same inflorescences through time and becoming pluri - racemose; peduncle ca. 5.0 cm long, laterally compressed, ancipitose, short, covered at apex by 2 unequal spathes. Floral bracts up to 13.0 mm long (progressively smaller), much longer than ovary, conduplicate, ovate, obtuse, imbricated. Flowers developing one at a time, resupinate, pale green, lip, and column apex cream colored; fragrance not registered. Ovary ca. 9.0–10.0 mm long, completely hidden by floral bract, ventrally inflated for apical half. Sepals 15–16 × 4.0– 4.3 mm; spreading, free, convex, narrowly elliptic, sub - acute, apiculate, 5 - veined, margin entire, some revolute; lateral sepals prominently aristate at apex. Petals 14.5 × 1.8 mm, sub-parallel to column, free, linear - oblong, apex rounded, 3 - veined, margin entire, some revolute. Lip 9.0 × 10.5 mm, united to column, entire, slightly convex, pentagonal, base slightly cordate, margin crenate, spreading, somewhat hyaline; bicallose, calli large, laminar, fleshy, sub - erect and leaning outwards meeting sides of apex of clinandrium - hood; disc fleshy. Column 9.0 mm long, thin at base, thickened in apical 2/3, straight, apex with a pair of teeth each side. Clinandrium - hood prominent, nearly half length of column, tubular, apical margin crenulate, apex bidentate, teeth triangular, central, adjacent. Anther not seen. Pollinia not seen. Rostellum apical, slit; viscarium semi - liquid. Lateral lobes of stigma small, about ¼ length of stigmatic cavity. Cuniculus deep, penetrating ¾ of pedicellate ovary, widened behind perianth and forming prominent vesicle. Capsule not seen.

Distribution and Ecology: —Presently known from the eastern slope of the Andes in southern and central Colombia, in the departments of Caquetá and Cundinamarca. Flowering in May, probably throughout the year ( Figure 2 View FIGURE 2 ).

Etymology: —From the Greek κλινη bed, the cavity in which the anther cap is situated, at the apex of the column, δυο, two, and οσοντος, tooth. In reference to the two triangular teeth at the apex of the clinandrium - hood which distinguish this species from most other Epidendrum species.

Conservation Status: —DD. Data deficient.

Additional specimens examined (paratype): — COLOMBIA. Caquetá: Doncello: Vda. Las Acacias: camino al centro poblado Berlín , 7 May 2023, Arias 960, HUAZ! digital images, AMO!. Cundinamarca: Gachalá: Vda. Tendidos del río Negro: sector del Alto de Siberia , 2570 m., 24 September 2019, Hernández-Rodríguez 233, COL !; Guayabetal: Vereda Limoncitos, Finca Casa Roja , 2387 m, received 28 January 2019, Parra s.n., Digital images, AMO !

Taxonomic discussion: — Epidendrum clinidiodontum belongs to the Albertii group which is characterized by the sympodial habit, the laterally compressed to ancipitose or somewhat fusiform - thickened stems, the apical and/or lateral, distichous inflorescences, more or less with imbricating bracts on the peduncle, producing one flower at a time, and the Ellipsophyllum subgroup, which has generally apical inflorescences, the apex of leaves acuminate, and the clinandrium-hood elongate, margin entire to dentate. The new species is recognized by the short apical inflorescences with a two - winged, short peduncle, the two prominent spathes at the apex of peduncle, the leaves 7.2–12.5 × 1.8–2.3 cm, narrowly elliptic, apex acuminate, the flowers pale green and lip cream colored, the sepals 15–16 mm long, margin revolute; the petals 14.5 × 1.8 mm, sub-parallel to column, linear-oblong, the lip 9.0 × 10.5 mm, slightly convex, pentagonal with hyaline margin, bicallose, calli laminar,, leaning outwards and the column with a bidentate apex. The flowers are similar to Epidendrum hygrohylephilum but that species has the callus triangular, acute, that continues into a thin, long rib reaching apical sinus, the lip 7.0–10.0 × 7.0– 7.3 mm, united to column, entire, basal half semi-elliptic, apical half triangular, acute, margin entire and clinandrium-hood with entire margin. Epidendrum albertii Schltr. (Schlechter 1922: 208; Santiago & Hágsater 2007) has elliptic - oblanceolate leaves 2.8–7.7 × 2.0– 3.9 cm, and the lip is ovate - oblong with an acute apex and the column strongly arched at the apex ( Figure 3 View FIGURE 3 ).