Epistephium sclerophyllum Lindl. 1840 Photo courtesy of © Dalton Holland Baptista photo by © Cassio van der Berg and Orchidstudium

Common Name The Dry Leathery Leafed Epipstephium

Flower Size 4" [10 cm]

Found in Venezuela, Surinam, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina in open areas in rainforests at elevations of 100 to 900 meters as a giant sized, hot growing terrestrial with rigid, ovate-elliptical, acute, veined, basally clasping leaves that dry a matte brown and blooms on a terminal, erect, successively several flowered inflorescence with, short, linear, acute, conduplicate floral bracts..

Synonyms Epistephium racemosum Barb Rodr.1877

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Flora Brasilica Vol XII II Hoehne 1945 drawing good; Die Orchideen #2 5-8 tafel 3 Rudolph Schlechter 1971 column only drawing ok; Die Orchideen #7 25-28 tafel 8 Rudolph Schlechter 1971 photo not = Cleistes?; Flora of the Venezuelan Guayana Vol 7 Steyermark, Berry, Yatskievych and Holst 2003; Orchids of The Brazilian Central Plateau Menezes 2004 photo fide

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