Epidendrum stenophyton Schltr. 1921 GROUP Macrostachyum SUBGROUP Stenophyton TYPE for the subgroup
TYPE Drawing by © Schlechter
Drawing by © Dodson & Vasquez and The Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Jany Renz Herbaria Website
LATE 
EARLY
Common Name The Slender Epidendrum
Flower Size .2" [5 mm]
Found in Peru and Bolivia in the transition zone between upper montane cloud forests and Puna at elevations around 2700 to 3600 meters as a medium sized, cold growing lithophyte with terete, branched, erect stems enveloped by numerous, scabrous sheaths and carrying rigid, suberect, clear green linear to linear-oblong, acute leaves that blooms in the late spring and early summer on a terminal, arcuate to pendulous, glabrous, short, to 1.2" [3 cm] long, simultaneously few to several flowered inflorescence with triangular, rigid floral bracts and carrying fleshy flowers.
This species is closely related to E frigidum.
"Epidendrum stenophyton Schltr. belongs to the GROUP Macrostachyum SUBGROUP Stenophyton, which is characterized by tlie branching habit, distichous inflorescence and ovate to cordiform, entire, ecallose lip. The species is recognized by the branching inflorescence, larger flowers than Epidendrum pseudogramineum, the sepals being .28" [7 mm] long. than Epidendrum pseudogramineumis similar in habit and has very small flowers, and a branching inflorescence. All other species of this group have much larger flowers. This species has been confused with Epidendrum parviflorum , which, however, has wider narrowly elliptic leaves .32" [8 mm] wide, a carinate, callose lip and much narrower, filiform petals. Epidendrum dendrobioides Thunb. has larger flowers and a racemose inflorescence." Adapted from E pseudogramineum Icones 8 Plate 875 Hagsater etal 2006
Synonyms Epidendrum frigidum var. stenophyton (Schltr.) C.Schweinf. 1944
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; *Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 9: 93 Peru Schlechter 1921; Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. Figuren-Atlas 57: 476 Schlechter 1929 drawing fide; Orchids of Peru Vol 2 Fieldiana Schweinfurth 1959 as Epidendrum frigidum var. stenophyton ; Flora de Venezuela Vol XV Tercera Parte Foldats 1970 as E frigidum var stenophyton drawing fide; Icones Plantarum Tropicarum Plate 336 Dodson & Vasquez 1989 drawing fide; Orquideas Nativas del Tachira Fernandez 2003 photo good; Orchids of Bolivia Vol II Laelinae Vasquez & Ibisch 2004 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 8 Plate 875 Hagsater & Sanchez 2006 see recognityion section; Icones Orchidacearum 16[2] Plate 1673 Hagsater & Sanchez 2018 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 18(2) Plate 1881 Hagsater & Jimenez 2021 see recognition section
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