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.
Dendrobium lindleyi, also known as Dendrobium aggregatum, is a plant of the genus Dendrobium. They are found in the mountains of southern China and Southeast Asia.
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 armeniacum is an epiphytic species of reed-stemmed Epidendrum orchid that grows wild in Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, and Peru, at altitudes of 1–2 km.
Epidendrum ciliare, synonyms including Coilostylis ciliaris is a species of orchid. It is known as the fringed star orchid. It has a wide distribution from Mexico through Central America and the Caribbean to northern and western South America.
Epidendrum compressum is a species of orchid in the genus Epidendrum from wet montane forests of Trinidad, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.
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 conopseum, synonym Epidendrum magnoliae, sometimes called the green-fly orchid, is a species of orchid in the genus Epidendrum. It is the most northern-growing epiphytic orchid in North America, being found wild in the southeastern United States from Louisiana to North Carolina, and also in northeastern Mexico.
Epidendrum microphyllum is a species of tropical orchid in the genus Epidendrum with non-resupinate flowers.
Epidendrum pseudepidendrum is a species of orchid native to Costa Rica and Panama. The upright canes, which can reach 5 ft., bear paniculate inflorescences which can re-bloom for several years. According to Reichenbach, the strange name is the result of first being named Pseudepidendrum spectabile, before being moved to Epidendrum.
Epidendrum ibaguense is a species of epiphytic orchid of the genus Epidendrum which occurs in Trinidad, French Guiana, Venezuela, Colombia and Northern Brazil.
Epidendrum campestre, the savannah epidendrum, is a rupicolous, sympodial orchid of the genus Epidendrum, with claviculate pseudobulbs up to 10 cm (3.9 in) tall, which bear three narrow leathery linear-lanceolate leaves up to 10 cm (3.9 in) in length. The inflorescence arises from the apex of the pseudobulb, and bears up to ten flowers in the spring. The flowers are 1 cm (0.39 in) in diameter, with lilac-pink perianth segments: the lateral sepals are falcate. The tetralobate lip is adnate to the column to its end, lacks any fringe whatsoever, and has a white callus.
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 sect. Holochila Rchb.f. 1861 is a section of subgenus Epidendrum subg. Amphiglottium of the Orchidaceae. It differs from section E. sect. Polycladia by bearing inflorescences that are racemes, not panicles. It differs from section E. sect. Schistochila by having a lip with no lobes. Like the other sections of E. subg. Amphiglottium, plants of E. sect. Holochila exhibit slender stems covered with close imbricating sheaths which do not swell to form pseudobulbs, and terminal inflorescences covered at the base with close imbricating sheaths but without spathes.
Epidendrum parviflorum is a small-flowered reed-stemmed Epidendrum orchid found in the montane tropical wet forests of Bolivia, Ecuador, and Amazonas, Peru.
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 alpicola is a tropical orchid native to Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela at altitudes from 1.8—2.7 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.
