Epidendrum curimarcense (Orchidaceae), a new species from Central Peru

Abstract

A new species of Epidendrum from Peru, Epidendrum curimarcense, is described, illustrated and compared with the similar species Epidendrum ampelospathum. The new finding represents an important record for the flora associated with Polylepis forests of central Peru. The species has stems produced from a middle internode of the previous cane-like stem, a spathe, an elongate peduncle with several similar spaced bracts, flowers opening in succession, petals narrower than the sepals, a 3-lobed lip which is bicallose with rounded sub-equal lobes, and 4 obovoid, laterally compressed pollinia.
 Key Words / Palabras clave: Andean orchids, central Peru, Epidendrum, Junín, orquídeas andinas, Polylepis

Epidendrum alejandrinae (Orchidaceae: Laeliinae), a new species from the high Andean forests of central Peru

“…Epidendrum Linnaeus (1763:952) is one of the most diverse genera within the Orchidaceae family, widely distributed on a continental scale and with an elevation range that goes from sea level to 4200 meters (Hágsater & Soto 2005). Many new species have been discovered in Peru in recent years (Damian & Hágsater 2016;Hágsater & Santiago 2018a, b, 2019, 2020a, b, 2021Acuña-Tarazona et al 2019;Navarro et al 2020) and further explorations are carried out, new records and species are being found. Demonstrating that the diversity of Epidendrum is higher than initially estimated, as has been shown in other regions (Karremans 2021).…”