Epidendrum fruticosum Pav. ex Lindl. 1831 GROUP Fruticosum Photo by Moises Behar courtesy of Dalton Holland Baptista and their Orchidstudium Website


Common Name or Meaning The Bushy Epidendrum [refers to the branching, bush-like habit]
Flower Size .6" [1.5 cm]
Found in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua at elevations of 1000 to 1900 meters as a small to giant sized, warm growing epiphyte with branching, cane-like, terete, thin, straight, ascending, getting smaller towards the apical branches stems enveloped by tubular, scarious, beconing fibrous with time sheaths and carrying 2 to 3, towards the apex of the stem, suberect, articulate, distichous, coriaceous, oblong-elliptic to narrowly lanceolate, acute to subobtuse, spreading leaves that blooms in the fall to winter on a terminal, racemose, arching-nutant, thin, short, densely few [3 to 9] flowered, slightly zigzag inflorescence with 1 to 2, linear-lanceolate, acuminate, amplexicaul bracts and prominent, longer than the ovary, linear-lanceolate, acuminate, amplexicaule floral bracts and carryiong simultaneously opening, non-fragrant flowers.
Synonyms Epidendrum viejoi Rchb.f. 1855
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Icones Orchidacearum Vol 11 Plate 1126 Hagsater & Sanchez 2008 drawing;
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