Epistephium sclerophyllum Lindl. 1840 Photo courtesy of © Dalton Holland Baptista photo by © Rubens Maciel Capuzzoand Orchidstudium

Common Name The Dry Leathery Leafed Epipstephium

Flower Size 4" [10 cm]

Found in Venezuela, Surinam, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina in open areas in rainforests at elevations of 100 to 900 meters as a giant sized, hot growing terrestrial with rigid, ovate-elliptical, acute, veined, basally clasping leaves that dry a matte brown and blooms in the summer and fall on a terminal, erect, successively several flowered inflorescence with, short, linear, acute, conduplicate floral bracts..

Synonyms Epistephium racemosum Barb Rodr.1877

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Flora Brasilica Vol XII II Hoehne 1945 drawing good; Flora de Venezuela Foldats Volumen XV Part 1 1969 drawing not = E subrepens; Die Orchideen 3 Auflage Bd 1 Sonderabdruck aus Schlechter Lieferung 7 385 - 448 Brieger, Maatsch and Senghas 1975; photo not = Cleistes?; Orchidaceae Brasilense Band 1 Pabst & Dungs 1975 drawing fide; Flora of the Venezuelan Guayana Vol 7 Steyermark, Berry, Yatskievych and Holst 2003; Orquideas da Chapada Diamantina Brito & Cribb 2005 drawing/photo fide; Orchids of The Brazilian Central Plateau Menezes 2004 photo fide

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