Epidendrum lignosum Lex. 1825 GROUP Conopseum SUBGROUP Propinquum
Photos by © Karl Senghas and The Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Jany Renz Herbaria Website
Photo by Noble Bashor
Drawing by © Jimenez, Hágsater & E.Santiago and The AMO Herbario Website
Common Name The Woody Epidendrum
Flower Size 3/4" [2 cm]
Pictured definitely not species - Oaxaca MX., 2286m elev., Highway 189 at klm 415, epiphytic on deciduous oaks, growing with Laelia furfuracea
Found in Jalisco, Colima, Michoacan, Guerrero, Mexico, D. Federal, Oaxaca, Vera Cruz and Puebla states of Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua at elevations of 2000 to 2300 meters as a small sized, cold growing epiphyte with branched, terete, thin, somewhat sinuous stems enveloped completely by scarious sheaths and carrying 2 to 3, clustered towards the apex, articulate, distichous, linear-elliptic, rounded to obtuse, basally clasping leaves that blooms in the summer on a terminal, short to 3.8" [2 cm], fractiflex, erect to arcuate, simultaneously 3 to 5 flowered inflorescence with much shorter than the ovary, linear-oblong, acute, amplexicaul floral bracts, carrying resupinate, fragrant flowers.
Cited as a synonym of Epidendrum propinquum and is certainly related but if this ID is correct it is quite different than the other.
"Epidendrum lignosum belongs to the GROUP Conopseum SUBGROUP Propinquum which is characterized by the symopodial, bush-like habit with thin stems, subcoriaceous leaves, racemose, few-flowered inflorescence, and the mostly yellow or pale green flowers, sometimes marked or tinged with purple. The species is recognized by the relatively small plants, to 16" [40 cm] tall, with linear-elliptic, fleshy, apically rounded to obtuse leaves, lateral or apical, subessile inflorescence, with 3 to 5 greenish yellow to green flowers with the apex of the column purple or reddish. Epidendrum propinquum A Rich. & Galeolti has larger plants, to 53" [130 cm] tall, narrowly elliplic, acute leaves, the inflorescence always apical, 1.2 to 2.4" [3 to 6 cm] long, with up to 10 greenish yellow flowers, sometimes tinged with purple. Epidendrum skutchii Ames, F.T.Hubb. & C.Schweinf. also has tall plants, to 48" [120 cm] tall, with linear-lanceolate, acute grass-like leaves, an apical inflorescence 1.8 to 2.6" [4.5 to 6 cm] long, with radiating fleshy thickened veins on the disc of the lip." Hagsater etal 2008
Synonyms Epidendrum ledifolium A. Rich. & Galeotti 1845; Epidendrum liparidoglossum L.O. Williams 1968
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; The Genus Epidendrum Ames 1936; Ceiba Vol 5 No 1 L O Williams 1956; AOS Bulletin Vol 33 No 4 1964 as E ledifolium drawing; Las Orquedias De El Salvador Vol 1 Hamer 1974 as E ledifolium drawing/photo fide; Orquídea (Mexico City). 7(4): 1980 as E ledifolium photo/drawing fide; Orquídea (Mexico City). 7(4): 1980 as E liparidoglossum photo/drawing fide; Las Orquideas de El Salvador Vol 3 Hamer 1981 as E ledifolium drawing ok/photo hmm; Flora Novo-Galaciana Vol 16 McVaugh 1985 as E ledifolium ; Selbyana Vol 10 Orchids of Central America Hamer 1988 as E ledifolium drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 1 Plate 28 Hagsater & Salazar 1990 see recognition section as E ledifolium; Icones Orchidacearum 1 Plate 28 Hagsater & Salazar 1990 see recognition section as E liparidoglossum; Icones Orchidacearum 3 Plate 324 Hagsater & Sanchez 1999 as E ledifolium see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 3 Plate 350 Hagsater & Sanchez 1999 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 5&6 Plate 579 Hagsater & Sanchez 2002 as E ledifolium see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 5-6 Plate 579 Hagsater 2002 see recognition section; Orchids of Mexico Hagsater, Soto, Salazar, Jimenez, Lopez and Dressler 2005; Icones Orchidacearum 11 Plate 1138 Hagsater & Sanchez 2008 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 13 Plate 1384 Hagsater & Santiago 2010 See recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 14 Plate 1426 Hagsater & Santiago 2013 See recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 15 [1] Plate 1501 Hagsater & Sanchez 2015 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 15 [1] Plate 1501 Hagsater & Sanchez 2015 as E ledifolium see recognition section; Orchid Genera and Species in Guatemala Archila, Szlachchetko, Chiron, Lipinska, Mystkowska and Bertolini 2018
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