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 fulgens is a crucifix orchid native to Brazil. Like E. secundum, with which it has been found to hybridize in habitats disturbed by human activity, E. fulgens flowers are non-resupinate and are born in a congested raceme at the end of a long spike. Like all crucifix orchids, the lip is adnate to the column and bears three lobes, producing the effect of a cross. Like E. cinnabarinum, E. denticulatum, and E. puniceoluteum, E. fulgens grows in the litoral restinga habitat.
Epidendrum cinnabarinum, is a terrestrial reed-stemmed Epidendrum, discovered by the German collector Philipp Salzmann in Bahia, close to Salvador, and published by John Lindley in 1831. The specific epithet refers to the vermilion flowers. E. cinnabarinum is similar to E. fulgens and E. puniceoluteum, as well as red forms of the other crucifix orchids.
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 anceps, literally the "two-edged upon a tree," a species of epiphytic orchid in the genus Epidendrum, is sometimes known as the brown epidendrum or dingy-flowered epidendrum.
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 Neotropical 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 differs 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 hemiscleria is a sympodial epiphytic orchid native to the tropical cloud forest of Ecuador and Peru, at altitudes near 3.3 km.
Epidendrum ruizianum is an epiphytic reed-stemmed Epidendrum of the orchid family native to the cloud forests of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela, at altitudes of 2–3 km.
Epidendrum coronatum is a reed-stemmed epiphytic Epidendrum orchid that grows wild in the Neotropics at medium to low altitudes.
Epidendrum calanthum is a terrestrial reed-stemmed Epidendrum orchid from the montane Tropical rainforest of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, and the West Indies.
Epidendrum lanipes is an epiphytic sympodial orchid with spindle-shaped stems native to the montane tropical rainforest of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru at altitudes ranging from 0.8 to 1.4 km.
Epidendrum mancum is an epiphytic orchid that grows in the tropical low elfin cloud forests of Ecuador and Amazonas, Peru, at altitudes of 2–3 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.
