Epidendrum frigidum Linden ex Lindl. 1845 GROUP Frutex

Drawing by © The Orquideologia Website

Drawing

Drawing by © Dunsterville & Garay and The Epidendra Website

Part Shade Cold Winter Spring Summer Fall

Common Name or Meaning The Cold Growing Epidendrum

Flower Size .4" [1 cm]

Found in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia in wet, high altitude, cloud forests on embankments at elevations of 2400 to 3600 meters as a medium to large sized, cold growing epiphyte, lithophyte and terrestrial with stiffly erect, terete, cane-like, simple but sometimes few branched, thin, straight stems carrying many all along the stem but sometimes just a few clustered at the apex, narrowly elliptic, stiffly erect, obtuse, rigid leaves that blooms at most any time of the year on a terminal, erect, nude, paniculate, to 6" [15 cm] long, including the short peduncle, the to 6" [15 cm] long, laterals pendent, successively single, many flowered inflorescence.

"Epidendrum frigidum is part of GROUP Frutex recognized by the caepitose habit, usutally simple stems, lanceolate leaves, inflorescence lacking spathes, nutant racemes, and a widely cordiform to reniform lip. The species is closely related to E stenophyton. Epidendrum melanotrichoides is also closely related to Epidendrum frigidum, the lip being widely cordiform. In E. frigidum the leaves are much larger, 3.2 to 2.6" [8 to 9 cm] long, the margin revolute, and the apex abruptly acute, the inflorescence longer with the bracts short and at right angles with the rachis, with pink flowers. Epidendrum frutex Rchb. f. has a rhombic lip. There has been much confusion in this group of species, and little detailed work has been done." Hagsater etal Icones 3 plate 353 1999

Synonyms Epidendrum macrodonax Schltr. 1921

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 6: 69 Schlechter 1919; Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 9: 88 Peru Schlechter 1921 as E macrodonax; Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. Figuren-Atlas 57: 467 Schlechter 1929 as E macrodonax drawing fide; Orchids of Peru Vol 2 Fieldiana Schweinfurth 1959; AOS Bulletin Vol 33 #8 1964; Venezuelan Orchids Illustrated Vol 4 Dunsterville & Garay 1966 drawing ok no floral bracts?? fractiflex rachis??; Flora de Venezuela Vol XV Tercera Parte Foldats 1970 drawing fide; Die Orchideen 3 Auflage Bd 1 Sonderabdruck aus Schlechter Lieferung 9 513 - 576 Brieger, Maatsch and Senghas 1977; Icones Plantarum Tropicarum Plate 469 Dodson 1989 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 3 Plate 353 Hagsater & Sanchez 1999 see recognition section; Machu Picchu Orchids Christenson 2003 photo fide; Orquideas Nativas del Tachira Fernandez 2003 photo hmm; Orchids of Bolivia Vol II Laelinae Vasquez & Ibisch 2004 as E macrodonax drawing fide; Orquideas, Tesoro de Colombia Vol 2 Ortiz & Uribe 2017 drawing fide; Orquideas, Tesoro de Colombia Vol 2 Ortiz & Uribe 2017 as E macrodonax drawing fide;

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