Epiphyton micranthera Maguire

  • Authority

    Maguire, Bassett & Wurdack, John J. 1958. The botany of the Guayana Highland--Part III. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 10: 1-156.

  • Family

    Rapateaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Epiphyton micranthera Maguire

  • Description

    Latin Diagnosis - Herbae perennes epiphyticae; foliis 5-7, 4-6 dm longis, vaginis valde equitantibus distichisque, in uno piano dispositis, submembranaceis vel tenuiter chartaeeis conduplicatis semilanceolatis, 10-12 cm longis, nervis prominulis, marginibus subscariosis, apice contracto, ligulo obsolete; laminis chartaceis vel subcoriaceis, 30-45 cm longis, 18-26 mm latis, subtus aliquantum prominenter 18-22-nervatis, apice breviacuminato falcato; pedunculis 6-8 axillaribus, 1.0-1.5 mm crassis, 20-30 cm longis, quadrangularibus vel quadrilobatis, apice sursum dilatato; bracteis 2, brevissimis semiannularibus, scariosomarginatis, ca. 0.5 mm longis; spiculis (3) 4-7, sessilibus, 8-9 mm longis; bracteolis 12-14, valde gradatis subacutis, inferioribus ovatis asymmetricis, 1.5 mm longis, 1.25 mm latis, mediis ca. 4.5 mm longis, 1-nervatis vel enervatis, interioribus oblongo-lanceolatis, ca. 6.5 mm longis, 2.5 mm latis, 3-nervatis; sepalis 7-8 mm longis, 3 mm latis, induratis, lanceolatis acutis, 5-nervatis, basi per 1.5-2.0 mm connatis, membranaceis; petalis anguste lanceolatis attenuato-acuminatis, 10-12 mm longis, 1.0-1.5 mm latis, basi 1-2 mm (immaturis) connatis; filamentis ca. 6 mm longis ad basim corollae 2 mm adnatis; antheris ca. 1.8 mm longis bithecatis transverse ad apicem biporis; ovario triloculari indurato, ca. 6 mm longo, truncate subrhomboideo, endocarpello a exocarpello separato; loculis pluriovulatis; seminibus non visis.

  • Discussion

    Type: epiphyte, leaves rather thick, deep green, flowers yellow, alt. 70 m, Chuare, Dept. Cauca, Colombia, Dec 23, 1946, Oscar Haught 5387 (US 1903798; Herb. Lehmanniamim s.n. s. dot. K). No other collections are known to me.

    This genus, because of general similarity of form and habit, must be considered to be an offshoot of the large Guayanan genus Stegolepis. Numerous clearcut and distinctive differences suggest that the trans-Andean segregate, with its two greatly disjunct species, has been separated from its progenitor larger generic assemblage for geologically a long time.