TYPE LCDP photo by R. Jiménez M. & A. Cisneros /Photo by R. Jimenez and The AMO Herbario Website
MID 
Common Name The Large E ilinizae Epidendrum [in reference to the large size of this orchids flowers and the similarity to E ilinizae]
Flower Size 1" [2.5 cm]
Found in central Ecuador in the valley southwest of the twin Ilinizas mountains, in high Andean forest, at the edge of the Reserva Ecológica Los Ilinizas on small trees at elevations around 3000 meters as a mini-mniature sized, cold growing epiphyte with stems thickened into an oblong pseudobulb, short, dark green, covered by non-foliar amplexicaul, striated when dry sheaths and carrying a single leaf at the apex of pseudobulb, ovate to oblong-lanceolate, acute, fleshy, coriaceous, smooth with a dorsal keel, green above, tinged purple towards the margins and underside, margin entire, spreading. leaves that blooms in the fall on a terminal, without a spathe, peduncle reduced, covered by 3 widely ovate, apiculate, imbricate bracts, produced from the previous years' growth, when the new growth has reached its full size, sessile, much shorter than the leaf, racemose with successively 2 flowered inflorescence with shorter than the ovary, triangular-lanceolate, embracing floral bracts and carrying resupinate flowers with the sepals and petals pinkish brown, column pink dotted over white, lip wine red and without fragrance.
"Epidendrum macroilinizae belongs to the GROUP Kalopternix SUBGROUP Serpenscharacterized by the aggregate, globose pseudobulbs with fleshy-coriaceous leaves, a sessile inflorescence, one to few fleshy, compact, star-shaped flowers, often burgundy red in color, and lip entire, more or less cordiform. The new species is recognized by the single leaved pseudobulb, sessile inflorescence with 2 pinkish brown flowers, the lip wine red, reflexed long sepals (lateral sepals about .68" [17 mm] long, lateral sepals, with apex recurved, acuminate, reflexed oblong-lanceolate petals (about .56" [14 mm] long, acute, and the lip cordiform, base auriculate, apex short apiculate, somewhat concave in natural position, margin erose especially from the sides towards the base, ecallose, and disc with a low thin mid-rib on the apical half. Epidendrum ilinizae Hágsater & Dodson has very similar flowers and lip shape, but these are smaller, sepals .4 to .52" [10 to 13 mm] long, plants are pendent with a single wine red flower. Epidendrum serpens Lindl. has 2 to 3 leaves per pseudobulb, 4 to 5 simultaneous flowers, leaves ovate-lanceolate, petals linear-lanceolate, and lip sub-rounded–ovate. Epidendrum pachycoleum Hágsater, O.Pérez & E.Santiago has an erect plant, 1 to 2 leaved, aggregate, homoblastic pseudobulbs, elliptic leaves, the apical one often much reduced, flowers reddish-violet color, sometimes 2 open at one time, sepals .28 to .292" [7.0 to 7.3 mm] long, lip apiculate, disc with a wide, low, central, promient rib that elongates to the apicule. Epidendrum platyphylloserpens Hágsater has pendent plants, smaller, pale green flowers, sepals .4 to .44" [10 to 11 mm] long, lip semi-orbicular, base truncate, apex rounded." Hagsater etal 2019
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Orchidacearum 17(1) Plate 1733 Hagsater & Jimenez 2019 LCDP Photo/photo fide; Icones Orchidacearum 17(2) Plate 1761 Hagsater & Jimenez 2020 see recognition section;
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