IOSPE PHOTOS

Epidendrum chondrochilum F.Lehm. & Kraenzl. 1899 GROUP Macrostachyum SUBGROUP Macrostachyum

Photo by Jay Pfahl ©

Common Name The Thick Lipped Epidendrum

Flower Size

Found in Colombia as a cold growing terrestrial that blooms in the spring.

"Epidendrum chondrochilum is part of GROUP Macrostachyum SUBGROUP Macrostachyum characterized by the monopodial plants with sub-apical branching, rugose leaf sheaths, large leaves generally spreading, racemose, erect inflorescence, and fleshy flowers generally green to black (ripe olive colored), as well as yellow to pink to purple, with an entire, conduplicate, generally ecallose and pubescent lip embracing the column, and the nectary pubescent to papillose in front of the stigmatic cavity and at least at the base of the lip. The species is recognized by the elongate, pyramidal inflorescences ca. 6.4 to 12" [16 to 30 cm] long, flower the color of ripe olives, black-brown, sepals .44 to .46" x .2 to .24" 11.0-11.5 x 5-6 mm, the apices of the floral segments obtuse, petals oblong, and the lip widely cordiform Epidendrum bangii has narrowly lanceolate leaves 2 to 5.6" x .52 to .96" [5 to 14 x 1.3 to 2.4 cm], short inflorescence 2 to 5.6" [5 to 14 cm] long with the rachis straight to slightly flexuous, basically distichous, the flowers secund, the 6 to 15 flowers generally greenish purple or greenish yellow, with the lip sometimes reddish towards the base, large lateral sepals .64 to 32" x .72 to .32" [16 to 18 x 6 to 8 mm], the apex of the floral segments acuminate, petals linear, single veined, oblique, and the lip narrowly triangular with the base cordate. Epidendrum dermatanthum Kraenzl., has linear-oblong leaves 3.4 to 7.2" x .6 to 1.6" [8.5 to 18 x 1.5 to 4 cm], flowers of similar size but reddish brown, petals linear-lanceolate, 3-veined. Epidendrum rostrigerum Rchb.f. has oblong elliptic leaves 1.6 to 3.6 x .8 to 1.2" [4 to 9 x 2 to 3 cm], the inflorescence with a straight rachis has up to 22 flowers similar in color but smaller, sepals .36 to .44" [9 to 1 mm] long, the apex of the anther surpassing the apex of the column, and the lip lunate, nearly semi-orbicular." Adapted From Icones Plate 1454 Hagsater etal 2015

The synonym below was originally provided by Hagsater pers. comm. 2017 but is now accepted by Kew as well. I await his validation.

Synonyms Epidendrum macrostachyum Lindl. 1845

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