Epidendrum chioneum Lindl 1845GROUP Andean SUBGROUP Cernuum
Photo by © Arturo Carrillo
Photo by © Oscar Perdomo and the Proyecto Orquideas de Umbita Website
Drawing by © Jimenez, Hágsater & E.Santiago and The AMO Herbario Website
Common Name The Snow White Epidendrum
Flower Size .6" [1.5 cm]
Found in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru at elevations of 2300 to 2800 meters as a large sized, cold growing terrestrial with simple to more usually branching sub-apically, cane-like terete, erect stems entirely enveloped by close, tubular leaf sheaths and carrying numerous on the main stem, 9 to 20 on the secondary branches, articulate, distichous, all along the stem, coriaceous, sub-erect, unequal in size [ main stem larger], ovate-lanceolate to oblong lanceolate, obtuse to apiculate, sessile and basally clasping leaves that blooms at any time of the year on a terminal, without a spathe, occuring only once, short and usually nodding, 3" [7.5 cm] long, several flowered inflorescence
Very similar to E connatum but differs as far as I can tell only in the divergent calli of the lip base and the leaves, and leaf sheaths.
"Epidendrum chioneum belongs to the GROUP Andean SUBGROUP Cernuum, characterized by the monopodial, cane-like stems with sub-apical branching, coriaceous to sub-coriaceous leaves and fleshy flowers, the lip entire or 3-lobed. The species is recognized by erect sub-apical branches nearly parallel to the main stem, the coriaceous, lanceolate, acute, apiculate leaves, and the snow-white flowers devoid of any fragrance. Epidendrum zipaquiranum Schltr. is vegetatively similar but the flowers are yellow to green and fragrant. Epidendrum kirkbridei Hágsater & E. Santiago has apically rounded, obtuse leaves, the pink flowers with white calli, and small floral bracts, ca .24" [6 mm] long. Epidendrum torquatum Lindl. has oblong-lanceolate leaves with a rounded apex, larger flower with sepals .6" [15 mm] long, the lateral lobes of the lip as large as the midlobe, with a single keel on the midlobe. Epidendrum jaramilloi Hágsater & Dodson has narrowly lanceolate leaves with the apex rounded and bilobed, somewhat larger sepals.36 to .52" [9 to 13 mm] long, green to greenish yellow flowers, with the dorsal surface tinged purple-brown. The latter two are apparently endemic to Ecuador" Hagsater etal 2009
Synonyms Epidendrum claesianum Cogn. 1901;
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 7: 245 Schlechter 1920; Flora de Venezuela Volumen 15 Parte 3 Foldats Drawing fide; Fieldiana Biology, Vol 33, 1st Supple. to the Orchids of Peru Schweinfurth 1970; Venezuelan Orchids Illustrated Vol 5 Dunsterville & Garay 1972 drawing hmm; Orchids of Venezuela, An Illustrated Field Guide Vol 1 Dunsterville & Garay 1979 drawing hmm; Icones Orchidacearum 2 Plate 149 Hagsater & Sanchez 1993 see Recognition section; Manual Of Orchids Stewart 1995; Orchids of Venezuela [An illustrated field guide] Vol. 1 Ramiro and Carnevali 2000 drawing hmm; Icones Orchidacearum 7 Plate 729 Hagsater & Sanchez 2004 see Recognition section as E zipaquirianum; Icones Orchidacearum Part 12 Plate 1221 Hagsater 2009 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 12 Plate 1255 Hagsater 2009 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum Part 12 Plate 1257 Hagsater 2009 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum Part 12 Plate 1300 Hagsater 2009 see recognition section; Orquideologia 29: 1 2012 photo fide; Orquideas, Tesoro de Colombia Vol 2 Ortiz & Uribe 2017 photo fide;
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