Epidendrum cristatum Ruiz and Pavon 1798 GROUP Cristatum SUBGROUP Cristatum type

Plant Photos by © Jay Pfahl

Another Flower Photo courtesy of Jean Claude George

Odd Color Form Photo courtesy of Patricia Harding.

to LATE THROUGH

Common Name The Comb Epidendrum

Flower Size to 2" [to 5 cm]

A large sized reedstem, hot to cool growing terrrestrial or epiphytic species of Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Surinam, Guyana, Venezuela and Trinidad that grows on trees in dense tropical forests, open pinelands, and as a terrestrial on rocky brush covered slopes below 2000 meters in altitude. This species has no psuedobulbs, but 3' [90 cm] long, thin stems enveloped basally by tubular scarious, sheaths with alternate, coriaceous, flexible, elliptic-lanceolate leaves that give rise to 1, or several, terminal, arcuate pendulous, to 2' [60 cm] long, racemose inflorescence arising on a mature cane that is subtended by 6 to 7 ellongate, triangular-conduplicate, distichous, imbricating, yellow green bracts with many fragrant flowers that open simultaneously late winter through the summer. They need regular year round water and fertilizer and should be grown in a deep pot to accomodate the large root system.

Synonyms Epidendrum alexandri Schltr. 1922; Epidendrum bathyschistum Schltr. 1919; Epidendrum calliferum Lem. 1853; Epidendrum hexadactylum Barb. Rodr. 1877; Epidendrum longovarium Barb. Rodr. 1877; Epidendrum millei Schltr. 1917; Epidendrum rantierium Lindl. ex Gojon Sanchez 1930; Epidendrum tigrinum Sessé & Moç. 1894; Epidendrum validum Schltr. 1921

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Die Orchideen der Sudamerikanischen Kordillerenstaaten I Venezuela Schlechter 1919 as E bathyschistum; Die Orchideen der Sudamerikanischen Kordillerenstaaten IV Peru Schlechter 1921 as E validum; Native Orchids of Trinidad Schultes 1960; Venezuelan Orchids Vol 3 Dunsterville & Garay 1965; Flora de Venezuela Foldats Volumen XV Part 3 1970; Icones Planetarum Tropicarum Plate 732 Hamer 1982 see observations; Icones Orchidacearum Peruviarum Plate 044 Bennett & Christenson 1993; Icones Planetarum Tropicarum plate 077 Dodson 1980; Native Colombian Orchids Vol 5 COS 1994; Icones Orchidacearum 3 Plate 391 Hagsater & Sanchez 1999 see recognition section; Native Ecuadorian Orchids Vol 2 Dodson 2002; Orchids of Bolivia Vol 2 Laelinae Vasquez and Ibisch 2004; Orquideas Da Chapada Diamantina Brito & Cribb 2005; Icones Orchidacearum Vol 11 Plate 1115 Hagsater & Sanchez 2008;

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