A new Peruvian species of Epidendrum (Laeliinae: Orchidaceae) belonging to the Epidendrum incomptum group

Abstract

A new species of Epidendrum from the northern Peruvian department of Amazonas belonging to the Incomptum group is described and illustrated. Epidendrum olorteguii is similar to E. tamaense but is easily distinguished by having the flowers green to yellow or rarely ivory white, the sepals lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, acuminate, the petals narrowly elliptic, acuminate, and the lip trilobed, with lateral lobes prominent, transversely sub-rectangular, basal corners narrowly rounded, distal corner widely rounded and the mid-lobe with two obliquely triangular lobes, the sides involute, the apex with a short, thickened, narrowly triangular, reflexed apiculus. Information on its distribution, habitat, phenology, and conservation status are provided. On the other hand, E. olorteguii is also compared with three morphologically similar species, E. incomptum, E. tamaense and E. ornis.

<i>Epidendrum edquenii</i> (Laeliinae), a new species from a montane wet forest of the Private Conservation Area La Pampa Del Burro, Amazonas, Peru

“…The available information on the floristic diversity of the area, in particular the Orchidaceae, is very limited, with only 12 species of the family recorded so far (Shanee et al 2012). However, as the area is being explored, a high diversity of plants is being recorded, especially of the genus Epidendrum (Arista et al 2023, Damián et al 2022, indicating that this genus is much more diverse than previously estimated.…”