Epidendrum ilense Dodson 1977 Photo courtesy of Andy's Orchids Copyright © 2002 All rights reserved.

Common Name The Lla Epidendrum [Mountains in Ecuador]

Flower Size 1 1/4" [3.5 cm]

Found as a medium sized, hot growing terrestrial or epiphyte in very wet, tropical forests in central and western Ecuador at elevations of 250 to 700 meters with tall, slender stems enveloped by tubular sheaths and carrying several pairs of distichous, narrrowly elliptic, basally clasping leaves that blooms throughout the year on a terminal, pendant, 12" [30 cm] long, few flowered racemose inflorescence that has 3 to 7, simultaneously opening flowers produced successively over the years. The fact that this species has clusters of white flowers, with a long fringe on the lip, along the stem arising from previous years inflorescence as well as at the apex distinguishes it from others.

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Icones Planetarum Tropicarum plate 081 Dodson 1980; Native Ecuadorian Orchids Vol 2 Dodson 2002