Epidendrum, abbreviated Epi in the horticultural trade, is a large neotropical genus of the orchid family. With more than 1,500 species, some authors describe it as a mega-genus. The genus name refers to its epiphytic growth habit.
Epidendrum radicans is a species of orchid. Common names include ground-rooting epidendrum, fire-star orchid, rainbow orchid, and reed-stem epidendrum. It is a common roadside weed at middle elevations in Central America. It is a crucifix orchid, often confused with many other members of the section Schistochila, including E. calanthe, E. cinnabarinum, E. denticulatum, E. erectum, E. fulgens, E. ibaguense, E. imatophyllum, E. incisum, E. schomburgkii, E. secundum, and E. xanthinum, among others. The diagnostic characteristic of E. radicans is its tendency to sprout roots all along the length of the stem; other crucifix orchids only produce roots near the base. Additionally, E. radicans flowers are resupinate, unlike the members of the Epidendrum secundum complex, E. fulgens, and many other crucifix orchids. E. radicans also differs from E. secundum by bearing no nectar in the flower.
Epidendrum secundum, one of the crucifix orchids, is a poorly understood reed stemmed species, which Dressler (1989) describes as "the Epidendrum secundum complex." According to Dressler, there are dozens of varieties, some of which appear to deserve species rank. Arditti and Ghani note that E. secundum has the distinction of bearing the longest seeds known in the Orchidaceae, 6.0 mm long. By comparison, the seeds of E. ibaguense are only 2.9 mm long.
Epidendrum denticulatum, one of the crucifix orchids, is a reed stemmed species which, at least in herbarium specimens, is frequently confused with E. secundum Jacq.
Epidendrum flexuosum, a reed-stemmed Epidendrum common at mid-altitudes in Central America, is a species of orchid commonly called Epidendrum imatophyllum. It grows exposed to intense sunlight in the forest canopy, particularly on Guava species. E. flexuosum bears non-resupinate lavender flowers on a congested raceme at the end of a long peduncle.
Epidendrum blepharistes is a species of orchid in the genus Epidendrum native to Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.
Epidendrum macrocarpum, widely known as Epidendrum schomburgkii, is a species of orchid in the genus Epidendrum, and the largest-flowering crucifix orchid species. Reichenbach thought that E. fulgens and E. schomburgkii var. confluens were both synonyms for this species.
Epidendrum ibaguense is a species of epiphytic orchid of the genus Epidendrum which occurs in Trinidad, French Guiana, Venezuela, Colombia and Northern Brazil.
Epidendrum rigidum is an epiphytic reed-stemmed Epidendrum orchid common throughout the Neotroical lowlands, below 600 m (2,000 ft).
Epidendrum dendrobii is a terrestrial species of reed-stemmed Epidendrum of the Orchidaceae which grows on steep slopes in tropical montane cloud forests of Cochabamba, Bolivia and Venezuela at altitudes near 2.6 km.
Epidendrum subsect. CarinataRchb.f. (1861) is a subsection of the section E. sect. SchistochilaRchb.f. (1861) of the subgenus E. subg. AmphiglottiumLindl. (1841) of the genus Epidendrum of the Orchidaceae. This subsection differs from the subsection E. subsect. Integra in that the margins of the trilobate lip are dentate or lacerate. This subsection differes from the subsection E. subsect. Tuberculata by possessing a keel or carina on the midlobe of the lip. In 1861, Reichenbach listed nine species in this subsection.
Epidendrum sect. SchistochilaRchb.f. (1861) is a section of the subgenus E. subg. AmphiglottiumLindl. (1841) of the Genus Epidendrum of the Orchidaceae. E. sect. Schistochila differs from the section E. sect. Holochila in that the species in E. sect. Holochila have undivided lips; the species in E. sect. Schistochila have lobate lips. The species in both E. sect. Schistochila and E. sect. Holochila have racemose inflorescences, unlike those in E. sect. Polycladia, which have truly paniculate inflorescences. Like the other sections of E. subg. Amphiglottium, the members of E. sect. Schistochila are sympodial orchids bearing thin stems with alternate leaves, a long peduncle covered with thin, imbricating sheathes, and a lip adnate to the very end of the column.
Epidendrum excisum is a species of orchid known to grow both epiphytically and terrestrially on steep rocky banks in mountainous regions of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. It has been reported at altitudes from 2.4 km to 2.8 km.
Epidendrum miserrimum is a small sympodial epiphytic orchid native to northern South America, the West Indies and Central America at altitudes as low as 0.7 km and as high as 1.2 km.
Epidendrum smaragdinum is an epiphytic sympodial orchid native to the Neotropics. It has been found at 0.5 km above sea level in Napo, Ecuador It is also known from Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.
Epidendrum parviflorum is a small-flowered reed-stemmed Epidendrum orchid found in the montane tropical wet forests of Bolivia, Ecuador, and Amazonas, Peru.
Epidendrum ramosum, the mountain star orchid, is a neotropical species of reed-stemmed Epidendrum orchid which grows both epiphytically and terrestrially at altitudes near 1 km.
Epidendrum alpicolum, often called Epidendrum alpicola, is a tropical orchid native to Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela at altitudes from 1.8—2.7 km
Epidendrum cochlidium is a neotropical orchid which can grow both terrestrially and epiphytically in Peru and Venezuela at altitudes ranging from 1.2 km to 2.9 km.
Epidendrum cylindrostachys is an epiphytic orchid native to the mountainous rainforest of Colombia and Peru, at altitudes near 2.5 km. According to the World Checklist, this binomial has no synonyms or homonyms.
