Epidendrum

Epidendreae subtribe Laeliinae

Extremely diverse epiphytes, lithophytes and terrestrials. Rhizomes short to long-trailing or pendent. Stems erect to pendent, pseudobulbous or cane-like, simple to many-branched. Leaves one to many, alternate, distichous, leathery, often clustered toward the stem apex. Inflorescences terminal, rarely axillary, sessile to long-pedunculate, racemes or panicles, often subtended by a spathe, the floral bracts minute to conspicuous. Flowers usually produced simultaneously, sometimes produced in succession, usually resupinate, highly variable in color and markings. Sepals and petals free, the petals usually much narrower than the sepals. Lip unlobed to three-lobed, usually fused to the column, rarely free, the midlobe often deeply bilobulate, forming an internal nectary with the column, +/- callus, the callus often a pair of fleshy knobs at the junction of the lip and column. Column variable, usually club-shaped, often arching, without foot and usually without wings, the clinandrium low and smooth to hooded and variously toothed and fimbriate; pollinia 4, on caudicles and sometimes a weakly defined viscidium.

From the Greek epi, meaning on, and dendron, meaning tree, referring to the epiphytic habit of most species.

A genus of some 800 species from throughout the Neotropics. To date there is no accepted internal classification of the genus although many species clusters are recognized. Some of these, such as those surrounding E. difforme Jacquin, E. floribundum Kunth

1 Plants and leaves pendent. 2 1' Plants and leaves not pendent. 7 2(1) Leaves 1--5. 3 2' Leaves numerous; stems leafy throughout. 6 3(2) Leaves 3--5; pseudobulbs conspicuous, spindle-shaped, stalked. 4 3' Leaves solitary; stems cylindric or pseudobulbous without a basal stalk. 5 4(3) Flowers coppery-brown; callus not terminating in raised teeth. E. hagsateri 4' Flowers green; callus terminating in raised teeth. E. lacertinum 5(3') Stems swollen into obvious pseudobulbs; flowers 2--10. E. falcatum 5' Stems cylindric, not swollen; flowers 1--4. E. parkinsonianum 6(2') Leaves to 1.6 in. (4 cm) long; flowers 3--5, erect. E. megalospathum 6' Leaves to 3.9 in. (10 cm) long; flowers numerous, pendent. E. vesicatum 7(1') Flowers green to yellow-green; inflorescences sessile umbels to short-pedunculate subumbellate racemes, not subtended by spathe-like bracts (E. difforme alliance). 8 7' Flowers variously colored; inflorescences solitary flowers, pedunculate racemes or panicles, often subtended by conspicuous spathe-like bracts. 19 8(7) Clinandrium smooth and low. 9 8' Clinandrium toothed or fringed, hooded. 12 9(8) Leaves to 0.9 in. (2.3 cm) wide. 10 9' Leaves more than 1 in. (2.5 cm) wide. 11 10(9) Stems lightly compressed; lip notched at the apex forming two apical lobules. E. boricuarum 10' Stems terete; lip unlobed without an apical notch. E. floridense 11(9') Flowers 5--10; lip to 1.5 in. (3.8 cm) wide. E. barbeyanum 11' Flowers 10--25; lip to 0.7 in. (1.7 cm) wide. E. melistagum 12(8') Flowers 15--22. E. anastasioi 12' Flowers 1--9. 13 13(12') Leaves broad, more than 0.5 in. (1.3 cm) wide. 14 13' Leaves narrow, less than 0.5 in. (1.2 cm) wide. 17 14(13) Dorsal sepal to 1.2 in. (3 cm) long. E. platychilum 14' Dorsal sepal to 0.8 in. (2 cm) long. 15 15(14') Lip three-lobed, the lateral lobes minutely toothed. E. apaganum 15' Lip unlobed or without toothed margins. 16 16(15') Leaves to 1.6 in. (4 cm) wide, obtuse. E. hunterianum 16' Leaves to 0.8 in. (2 cm) wide, acute. E. orientale 17(13') Flowers 3--4, small, the dorsal sepal to 0.6 in. (1.4 cm) long. E. scharfii 17' Flowers 1--2, larger, the dorsal sepal more than 0.8 in. (2 cm) long. 18 18(17') Sepals and petals subequal; column to 0.4 in. (0.9 cm) long. E. hammelii 18' Sepals and petals unequal, the petals thread-like; column to 0.7 in. (1.7 cm) long. E. mantisreligiosae 19(7') Stems pseudobulbous. 20 19' Stems slender, not swollen into pseudobulbs. 28 20(19) Leaves solitary. 21 20' Leaves two or more. 23 21(20) Lateral lobes of the lip fimbriate. E. ciliare 21' Lateral lobes of the lip entire. 22 22(21') Sepals to 2 in. (5 cm) long. E. oerstedii 22' Sepals to 1 in. (2.5 cm) long. E. purpurascens 23(20') Miniature trailing plants. E. aviculum 23' Caespitose plants. 24 24(23') Inflorescence produced from the base of a pseudobulb. E. stamfordianum 24' Inflorescences terminal. 25 25(24') Flowers cerise-fuchsia, Ionopsis-like. E. longicaule 25' Flowers white to pale greenish-white. 26 26(25') Inflorescences panicles. E. purum 26' Inflorescences long-peducnulate racemes. 27 27(26') Flowers 10--15; the dorsal sepal to 0.8 in. (2 cm) long. E. bracteolatum 27' Flowers 3--8; the dorsal sepal to 1.2 in. (3 cm) long. E. viviparum 28(19') Inflorescences long-pedunculate, congested racemes (“reed stem” epidendrum). 29 28' Inflorescences otherwise. 37 29(28) Flowers dull-colored, green to dark greenish-purple. 30 29' Flowers brightly colored, pink to reddish-orange. 31 30(29) Flowers solidly colored, green to dark greenish-purple. E. anceps 30' Flowers green with maroon-purple spots. E. orchidiflorum 31(29') Flowers not resupinate, the lip uppermost. E. flexuosum 31' Flowers resupinate or +/- horizontal. 32 32(31') Plants rooting at the leafy nodes along the stem. E. radicans 32' Plants rooting only at the stem bases. 33 33(32') Callus irregularly three-lobed. E. secundum 33' Callus a pair of fleshy short basal knobs separated by a central keel from the base of the lip to the apex. 34 34(33') Flowers pink to magenta; lip unlobed; the dorsal sepal to 0.4 in. (0.9 cm) long. E. calanthum 34' Flowers orange to orange-red; lip deeply three-lobed; the dorsal sepal more than 0.4 in. (0.9 cm) long. 35 35(34') Flowers smaller, the dorsal sepal to 0.7 in. (1.9 cm) long, the column to 0.4 in. (0.9 cm) long. E. baumannianum 35' Flowers larger, the dorsal sepal more than 0.8 in. (2 cm) long, the column more than 0.4 in. (1 cm) long. 36 36(35') Center of lip red-spotted. E. cinnabarinum 36' Lip not spotted. E. macrocarpum 37(28') Flowers bright orange-red. 38 37' Flowers variously colored, never orange-red. 39 38(37) Stems branching above the base forming chains; inflorescences cylindric racemes. E. ardens 38' Stems strictly caespitose; inflorescences globose heads. E. hemiscleria 39(37') Plants trailing or creeping. 40 39' Plants caespitose. 45 40(39) Lip fimbriate. E. medusae 40' Lip entire. 41 41(40') Lip three-lobed; the leaves twisted to lie in one plane. E. compressum 41' Lip unlobed. 42 42(41') Flowers 1--2, the floral bracts inconspicuous. 43 42' Flowers 5--7; the floral bracts conspicuous and persistent. E. rigidum 43(42) Flowers sessile, resting on the upper leaves, usually in pairs. E. schlechterianum 43' Flowers carried above the leaves on the pedicellate ovary, usually solitary. 44 44(43') Lip transverse, wider than long, to 0.7 in. (1.8 cm) wide. E. porpax 44' Lip not transverse, longer than wide, to 0.4 in. (1 cm) wide. E. viridibrunneum 45(39') Inflorescences solitary flowers or racemes without branches at primary flowering, sometimes producing branches with subsequent reflowering. 46 45' Inflorescences panicles, only pedunculate on young or weak plants. 74 46(45) Flowers 1--4, often produced in succession. 47 46' Flowers more than 1--4, produced simultaneously. 54 47(46) Lip unlobed. 48 47' Lip three-lobed. 51 48(47) Lip strongly acuminate. 49 48' Lip obtuse, rounded or with a small mucronule. 50 49(48) Leaves bluish-green; the dorsal sepal to 0.9 in. (2.3 cm) long; the sepals and petals marked with reddish- purple. E. sophronitis 49' Leaves not bluish-green; the dorsal sepal to 0.5 in. (1.2 cm) long; the sepals and petals unmarked. E. werfii 50(48') Stems leafy toward the apex; the inflorescences without a subtending spathe. E. eburneum 50' Stems leafy throughout; the inflorescences subtended by a spathe to 2 in. (5 cm) long. E. scutella 51(47') Flowers small, the dorsal sepal to 0.6 in. (1.5 cm) long; the petals pendent, helically twisted, parallel. E. longipetalum 51' Flowers larger, the dorsal sepal more than 1 in. (2.5 cm) long. 52 52(51') Flowers smaller, the dorsal sepal to 1 in. (2.6 cm) long; the leaves narrow, to 0.6 in. (1.5 cm) wide. E. longicolle 52' Flowers larger, the dorsal sepal more than 2 in. (5.2 cm) long; the leaves wider, more than 1 in. (2.5 cm) wide. 53 53(52') Inflorescence completely concealed by the clasping terminal leaf base. E. carpophorum 53' Inflorescence clearly visible above the terminal leaf base. E. nocturnum 54(46') Margins of the lip fringed or toothed, at least in part. 55 54' Margins of the lip not fringed or toothed. 59 55(54) Inflorescences long-pedunculate, arching-pendent; the flowers white; the lip strongly convex. E. ilense 55' Inflorescences sessile or short-pedunculate; the flowers never white; the lip flat or shallowly convex. 56 56(55') Inflorescences pedunculate, the peduncle subtended and concealed by numerous conspicuous overlapping bracts. E. cristatum 56' Inflorescences subsessile, the peduncle neither subtended nor concealed by overlapping bracts. 57 57(56') Sepals and petals rose-lavender. E. corymbosum 57' Sepals and petals dark green or yellowish-green with brownish-red markings. .58 58(57') Lip deeply three-lobed, the lateral lobes fimbriate, the midlobe linear, with entire margins. E. criniferum 58' Lip unlobed with finely toothed lateral margins, rigidly convex. E. pseudepidendrum 59(54') Lip unlobed. 60 59' Lip three-lobed. 64 60(59) Leaves equitant, the floral bracts indistinguishable from the leaves; the flowers small, mostly concealed by the foliaceous floral bracts. E. lockhartioides 60' Leaves typical for the genus. 61 61(60') Inflorescences erect, the floral bracts conspicous, compressed, persistent, subequal to the ovaries. E. coriifolium 61' Inflorescences arching-pendent, the floral bracts otherwise. 62 62(61') Dorsal sepal to 0.9 in. (2.4 cm) long; the lip to 1 in. (2.6 cm) wide. E. eximium 62' Dorsal sepal to 0.3 in. (0.8 cm) long; the lip to 0.3 in. (0.7 cm) wide. 63 63(62') Stems to 3.5 in. (9 cm) long; the leaves acute. E. carolii 63' Stems to 9.8 in. (25 cm) long; the leaves long- acuminate. E. laucheanum 64(59') Flowers white, green, yellow, or pale orange without markings. 65 64' Flowers pink to purple or with markings. 69 65(64) Plants branching above the base forming chains; the flowers yellow. E. steyermarkii 65' Plants caespitose; flowers not yellow. 66 66(65') Flowers small, the dorsal sepal to 0.4 in. (1.1 cm) long. 67 66' Flowers larger, the dorsal sepal more than 0.5 in. (1.2 cm) long. 68 67(66) Leaves toward the apex; the dorsal sepal to 0.1 in. (3 mm) long; flowers greenish-orange. E. armeniacum 67' Leaves only at the apex; the dorsal sepal to 0.4 in. (11 mm) long; flowers green to brownish-green. E. conopseum 68(66') Flowers pale green. E. coronatum 68' Flowers white. E. longiflorum 69(64') Sepals and petals patterned. 70 69' Sepals and petals unmarked. 71 70(69) Sepals, petals and lip similarly colored. E. cnemidophorum 70' Sepals and petals pale green suffused with brown highly contrasting with the reddish-rose lip. E. cooperianum 71(69') Lip five-lobed to seven-lobed. E. quinquepartitum 71' Lip three-lobed. 72 72(71') Lateral lobes of the lip at 45? angles to the midlobe; flowers rose-pink. E. pfavii 72' Lateral lobes of the lip at 90? angles to the midlobe; flowers intense cerise-fuchsia. 73 73(72') Flowers larger, the dorsal sepal to 0.9 in. (2.2 cm) long. E. friderici-guilielme 73' Flowers smaller, the dorsal sepal to 0.4 in. (1.1 cm) long. E. syringothyrsus 74(45') Ovaries pubescent. E. lanipes 74' Ovaries smooth. 75 75(74') Lip marked with contrasting pigment. 76 75' Lip unmarked. 81 76(75) Lip lobes extended as banner-like or moustache-like lobules. E. cirrhochilum 76' Lip lobes not extended. 77 77(76') Lip unlobed. E. paniculosum 77' Lip three-lobed with the midlobe bilobulate. 78 78(77') Inflorescences one-branched panicles; the lip rigidly convex. E. unguiculatum 78' Inflorescences several-branched panicles; the lip +/- flat. 79 79(78') The center of the lip a solid patch of pigment. 80 79' The center of the lip with a ring of purple spots. E. veroscriptum 80(79) Center of the lip dark purple. E. atroscriptum 80' Center of the lip pink. E. roseoscriptum 81(75') Small pants, the stems to 3.5 in. (9 cm) long. E. diffusum 81' Larger plants, the stems more than 15 in. (38 cm) long. 82 82(81') Sepals and petals fuchsia to dark blackish-purple. 83 82' Sepals and petals greenish-yellow to yellowish-brown. 84 83(82) Flowers intense fuchsia; the petals reflexed. E. capricornu 83' Flowers blackish-purple; the petals incurved. E. melanoporphyreum 84(82') Inflorescences subtended by a conspicuous spathe to 5.1 in. (13 cm) long. E. excisum 84' Inflorescences not subtended by a spathe. 85 85(84') Apical lobules of the lip strongly divergent. E. densiflorum 85' Apical lobules of the lip parallel. E. polyanthum

Ackerman, J. D. and A. M. Montalvo 1986. Two new species of Epidendrum with lateral inflorescences. Selbyana 9:126-129; Adams, R. M. and G. J. Goss 1975. The reproductive biology of the epiphytic orchids of Florida 3, Epidendrum anceps Jacquin. Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 45:488-492; Allen, P. H. 1958. A natural hybrid from Honduras. Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 27(5):310-312; Alves, R. J. V. 1990. Floral morphology and distribution of the Epidendrum ellipticum complex (Orchidaceae) in Brazil. Preslia 62:25-31; Ames, O., F. T. Hubbard and C. Schweinfurth 1934. Three polymorphic alliances in Epidendrum. Bot. Mus. Leafl. 2(4):41-71; Ames, O., F. T. Hubbard and C. Schweinfurth 1936. The genus Epidendrum in the United States and Middle America. Cambridge, Massachusetts; Bock, I. 1982. Epidendrum tridens Poepp. und Endl. var. briegeri Bock, var. nov., eine neue varietät aus Kolumbien. Die Orchidee 33:156-159; Bock, I. 1982. Epidendrum vigiaense, eine neue spezies aus Kolumbien. Die Orchidee 33:231-233; Bock, I. 1984. Epidendrum luckei, eine neue Art aus Kolumbien. Die Orchidee 35:100-103; Boyden, J. C. 1980. Floral mimicry by Epidendrum ibaguense (Orchidaceae) in Panama. Evolution 34:135-136; Brieger, F. G. 1978. Uber einige interesante Epidendrum-arten der subgenus Ampiglottium-Schistochila. Die Orchidee 29:52-59; Brieger, F. G. and H. D. Bicalho 1978. Restabelecimento do Genero Physinga Lindl. (Orchidaceae). Bradea 2(34):231-237; Carnevalim G. and G. A. Romero 1996. Orchidaceae Dunstervillorum VII: the Epidendrum nocturnum alliance in the Venezuelan Guayana and the Guianas. Lindleyana 11(4):239-249; Christenson, E. A. 1991. The last Physinga Lindl. (Orchidaceae). Phytologia 70(3):147-148; Christenson, E. A. 1996. Mesoamerican orchid studies VII: a name change for Epidendrum viejii. Lindleyana 11(4):223; Christenson, E. A. 1998. Orchid portrait: Epidendrum longicaule. Orchids 67(6):590-593; Cocucci, A. E. and W. A. Jensen 1969. Orchid embryology: pollen tetrads of Epidendrum scutella in the anther and on the stigma. Plant 84:215-229; Cocucci, A. E. and W. A. Jensen 1971. Orchid embryology: germinating male gametophyte of Epidendrum scutella. Kurtziana 6:25-39; Correll, D. S. 1947. A new Epidendrum from Mexico. Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 16(2):106-108; Dod, D. D. 1975. Epidendrum buchii Cogn. redescubierta. Bol. Jardin Bot. Nac. 2(4):17-18; Dod, D. D. 1975. Una nueva orquidea para el pais, Epidendrum soratae Rchb.f. Bol. Jardin Bot. Nac. 2(1):12; Dressler, R. L. 1959. A name for an interesting Epidendrum. Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 28(5):358-361; Dressler, R. L. 1964. Another natural hybrid in Epidendrum. Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 33(4):289-291; Dressler, R. L. 1967. The genera Amblostoma, Lanium, and Stenoglossum (Orchidaceae). Brittonia 19:237-243; Dressler, R. L. 1983. Epidanthus: ser o no sera? E. crassus, una nueva especie de Panama. Orquidea (Mex.) 9(1):13-19; Fischer, F. E. L. and G. A. Meyer 1840. Seraphyta multiflora, eine neue Orchideen-Gattung aus Mexico. Bull. Sci. Acad. Imp. Petersb. 7:1-3; Garay, L. A. 1953. O genera Amblostoma Scheidw. Orquidea 15(5):1-15; Garay, L. A. 1967. A new Colombian Epidendrum. Orchid Rev. 75(890):280-281; García-Cruz, J. and L. Sánchez Saldaña 1999. Epidendrum. Fl. Veracruz 112:1-110; González Tamayo, R. 1993. Una nueva especie de Epidendrum (Orchidaceae) del Occidente de Mexico. Bol. IBUG 1(6):441-448; Goss, G. J. 1977. The reproductive biology of the epiphytic orchids of Florida 5, Epidendrum difforme Jacquin. Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 46(7):630-636; Hagsater, E. 1980. Epidendra Mexicana Pollardiana 7: el complejo Epidendrum propinquum. Orquidea (Mex.) 7(4):313-333; Hagsater, E. 1980. Additamenta as Epidendra Mexicana Pollardiana 7: Epidendrum liparidoglossum, sinonimo con E. ledifolium. Orquidea (Mex.) 7(4):385; Hagsater, E. 1983. Epidendrum simulacrum, una especie altamente endemica de Panama. Orquidea (Mex.) 9(1):95-100; Hagsater, E. 1984. Epidendra Mexicana Pollardiana 10: Epidendrum dorsocarinatum Hagsater, una nueva especie del Estado de Mexico. Orquidea (Mex.) 9(2):313-317; Hagsater, E. 1984. Epidendrum trialatum, une nueva especie centroamericana. Orquidea (Mex.) 9(2):355-360; Hagsater, E. 1986. Epidendra Pollardiana Mexicana 9: Epidendrum juergensenii Reichb.f. Orquidea (Mex.) 10:97-102; Hagsater, E. 1987. Epidendra novae et criticae 2. Epidendrum macroclinium, una nueva especie del grupo Physinga, confundida con Epidendrum physodes. Orquidea (Mex.) 10:317-336; Hagsater, E. 1987. Epidendra novae et criticae 3. Nuevas especies del grupo Epidendrum arbuscula de Mexico y Centroamerica. Orquidea (Mex.) 10:337-364; Hagsater, E. 1988. Epidendra Mexicana Pollardiana 10: Epidendrum rosilloi, una nueva especie que honora a un Orquideologia Tapatio. Orquidea (Mex.) 11:9-12; Hagaster, E. 1988. Epidendra nova et criticae 4: Nuevas especies del complejo Epidendrum difforme de Mexico y Centroamerica. Orquidea (Mex.) 11:23-42; Hagsater, E. 1993. Epidendrum secundum or Epidendrum anceps. Orquidea (Mex.) 13(1-2):153-158; Hagsater, E. 1993. New combinations in Encyclia and Epidendrum. Orquidea (Mex.) 13(1-2):215-218; Hagsater, E. and R. T. Gonzalez 1983. Epidendrum neogaliciensis: una nueva especie de Jalisco, Mexico. Orquidea (Mex.) 9(1):143-149; Hagsater, E. and R. T. Holman 1984. Epidendrum durangense Hagsater et Holman, una nueva especie del occidente de Mexico. Orquidea (Mex.) 9(2):299-307; Hawkes, A. D. 1956. Notas nomenclatorialis em Epidendrum. Orquidea 18:168-178; Hoehne, F. C. 1954. O que vem a ser Epidendrum imbricatum Lamarck. Orquidea 16:64-67; Lojtnant, B. 1977. Notes on the genus Epidendrum (Orchidaceae) in Ecuador. Bot. Notiser 130:321-328; Luer, C. A. 1981. Epidendrum troxalis, a new species from Ecuador (Orchidaceae). Selbyana 5:385; Oesterreich, H. 1978. Beitrage zue systematik der Epidendrum secundum-gruppe. Die Orchidee 29:201-207, 252-259; McCullough, R. 1980. Epidendrum cnemidophorum Lindley. Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 49(11):1212-1215; Robbins, S. and S. Bell 1991. 164. Epidendrum ilense. Kew Mag. 8(1):508; Rosillo, S. V. 1984. Epidendrum examinis Rosillo. Orquidea (Mex.) 9(2):375-381; Sanchez, L. and E. Hagsater 1993. Una nueva especie de Epidendrum (Orchidaceae) de Brasil. Orquidea (Mex.) 13(1-2):291-293; Sargent, F. H. 1965. Eulophia ecristata and Epidendrum conopseum in Mississippi. Rhodora 67:48; Sastre, C. 1990. Epidendrum bambusiformes de Guadeloupe et de Martinique. L’Orchidoph. 93:149-158; Sastre, C. 1992. Les cals du Labelle chez les Epidendrum bambusiformes. L’Orchidoph. 100:17-20; Schweinfurth, C. 1952. An attractive alpine Epidendrum. Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 21(9):682-683; Tamayo, R. G. 1993. Una nueva especie de Epidendrum (Orchidaceae) del occidente de México. Bol. IBUG 1(6):441-448; Teuscher, H. 1964. Collector’s Item: Epidendrum pfavii. Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 33(7):558-561; Veyret, Y. 1982. Apomixie et variation chez Epidendrum nocturnum Jacq. (Orchidaceae). Adansonia 4(3-4):183-192; Williams, L. O. 1940. A new Epidendrum from Mexico. Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 9(4):96-97; Williams, L. O. 1941. Two new Epidendrums from Mexico. Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 10(4):103-105; Williams, L. O. 1942. A new Epidendrum from Panama. Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 11(7):248-249; Withner, C. L. 1969. Epidendrum rowleyi, a new species to honor a naturalist. Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 38(9):779-782.