Epidendrum ionodesme Schlechter 1920 GROUP Pseudepidendrum SUBGROUP Porphyreum
In situ in Valle de Cocora Quindio, Colombia 5/08 at elevations of 2400 to 2800 meters as a terrestrial on cliff above raging streamPhotos by © Jay Pfahl
to 
Common Name The Violet Blue Colored Epidendrum
Flower Size 1" [2.5 cm] wide
Found in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia commonly on roadcuts at elevations around 1800 to 2900 meters as a large sized, cool to cold growing terrestrial orchid with erect, leafy stem carrying erect-patent, coriaceous, oblong-ligulate, acute leaves that blooms in the spring through fall on a many branched, paniculate, slightly compressed, 10" [25 cm] long, densely many flowered inflorescence with erect-patent, lanceolate to deltoid, acuminate floral bracts. . Often cited as a synonym as a synonym of Epidendrum porphyreum but as can be seen they are very different so I am leaving them separate at this time.
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; *Repertorium Specierum Novarum Regni Vegetabilis Schlechter 1920; Native Colombian Orchids Vol 2 COS 1991 photo fide; Icones Orchidacearum 3 Plate 307 Hagsater 1999 see recognition section; Orquideas Nativas del Tachira Cesar Fernandez 2003 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 74 No 5 2005 photo; Icones Orchidacearum 13 Plate 1320 Hagsater 2010 see recognition section
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