Epidendrum melistagum Hágsater 1988 GROUP Difforme Photo courtesy of Glen Ladiner

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Common Name

Flower Size 1 3/8" [4 cm]

Found in Southern Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras as a reed-stem epiphyte in tropical semi-deciduous forests, mountain rain forests and cloud forests often in ravines at elevations of 500 to 1800 meters with simple, reed-like, thick, laterally compressed stems with tubular, laterally compressed smooth sheaths that give rise to the lanceolate ovate to elliptic, dorsally keeled leaves that are unequally bi-lobed at the apex and was determined to be a separate species from Epidendrum difforme in 1988. The inflorescence is a terminal umbell of 10 to 25 flowers occuring from the summer to mid fall. The resupinate flowers open simultaneously and have a lemon scent in the morning and at evening have a stronger more rancid smell.

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Icones Orchidacearum I Plate 35 Hagsater and Salazar 1990 drawing ok; Icones Orchidacearum 5-6 Plate 570 Hagsater and Salazar 2002 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum Vol 11 Plate 1141 Hagsater & Sanchez 2008 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum Part 12 Plate 1223 Hagsater 2009 see recognition section; Las Orquideas del Peru Izerskyy & Bezverhov 2011 photo fide

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