Epidendrum falcatum Lindl. 1840 GROUP Coilostylis SUBGROUP Falcatum Type for the subgroup

Photo by © Marc Flandres and His Orchid Home Page in France

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Common Name The Sickle-Shaped Epidendrum [refers to the leaves]

Flower Size 3 1/2" [8.5 cm]

Endemic to Mexico where it is found on limestone rocks and cliffs in pine and pine oak cloud forests, and xerophytic shrub and thorn forests at altitudes of 1000 to 2100 meters as a medium sized, cool growing lithophytic species with pendant, fusiform pseudobulbs carrying a single, articulate, coriaceous-fleshy, narrowly linear-lanceolate, acute, sickle shaped leaf that flowers in the spring and summer on a terminal, 2" [5 cm] long, umbelliform raceme arising on a newly maturing pseudobulb with 4 to 8, large, simultaneously opening flowers that have a jasmine to easter lily scent by day and a soapy smell at night.

Epidendrum falcatum is the type of the GROUP Coilostylis SUBGROUP Falcatum recognized by the pendent, sympodial, caespitose habit, roots only at the base of the first stems, a single, fleshy, succulent, lanceolate leaf, the large, star-shaped flowers, and the deeply 3-lobed lip. The species differs from E parkinsonianum mostly by having coarse, thick and gnarly rhizomes and pseudobulbs.

Synonyms Aulizeum falcatum Lindley ex stein 1892; Brassavola suaveolens Galeotti ex Hemsl. 1879; Coilostylis falcata [Lindl] Withner & Harding 2004; Epidendrum lactiflorum A. Rich. & Galeotti 1845; Epidendrum parkinsonianum var. falcatum (Lindl.) Ames, F.T. Hubb. & C. Schweinf. 1945;

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Repert. Sp. Nov. Regni. Veg. Beih. 19: 37. Costa Rica Schlechter 1923 as Epidendrum falcatum var zeledoniae; Repert. Sp. Nov. Regni. Veg. Beih. 19: 212. Costa Rica Schlechter 1923 as Epidendrum falcatum var zeldoniae; The Genus Epidendrum Ames 1936 as Epidendrum parkinsonianum var falcatum; AOS Bulletin Vol 31 # 3 1962 as Epidendrum falcatum photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 36 #1 1967 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 36 #4 1967 as Epidendrum falcatum; An Introdution to the Orchids of Mexico Wiard 1987 as Epidendrum falcatum photo fide; Icones Orchidacearum I Plate 31 Hagsater and Salazar 1990 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 1 Plate 37 Hagsater & Sanchez 1990 see recognition section; The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Orchids Pridgeon 1992 as Epidendrum falcatum photo fide; Australian Orchid Review Vol 69 No 4 2004 photo; Orchids of Mexico Hagsater, Soto, Salazar, Jimenez, Lopez and Dressler 2005 as Epidendrum falcatum; *The Cattleyas and Their Relatives, the Debateable Epidendrum Withner and Harding 2004 photo fide; Icones Orchidacearum 11 Plate 1151 Hagsater 2008 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 13 Plate 1337 Hagsater & Santiago 2010 See recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 13 Plate 1368 Hagsater & Dodson 2010 See Recognition section; Algunas Orquideas de Mexico Tomo 1 Suarez 2013 as Epidendrum falcatum photo fide; Orchids of Tropical America Meisel 2014 as Epidendrum falcatum photo fide; Icones Orchidacearum 15 [1] Plate 1529 Hagsater & Sanchez 2015 see recognition section; Orchid Digest Vol 80 #2 2016;

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