Epidendrum cerinum Schltr. 1918 GROUP Arbuscula SUBGROUP Incomptum

Photo by © Karl Senghas and The Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Jany Renz Herbaria Website

What was known as E comayguense

Photo by © Weyman Bussey

Drawing

Drawing by © Jimenez, Hágsater & E.Santiago and The AMO Herbario Website

Common Name The Waxy Epidendrum

Flower Size 1.2" [3 cm]

Found in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras at elevations of 1200 to 2300 meters as a small sized, cool to cold growing epiphyte with a new stem originating from the middle internode of the previous simple, cane-like, terete, straight stem and carrying 2 to 6, aggregate towards the apex, alternate, articulate, narrowly elliptic, acute, subcoriaceous leaves that blooms in the winter and spring on a terminal, racemose, arching, laterally compressed, thin, two winged, 2 to 10 flowered inflorescence with shorter than the ovary floral bracts and carrying non-fragrant, resupinate, successive, waxy flowers.

"Epidendrum cerinum belongs to the GROUP Arbuscula SUBGROUP Incomptum which is characterized by the successive lateral growths produced from lhe middle of the previous growth, few leaves aggregate towards the apcx of the stems, a short apical inflorescence wlth fleshy greenish to violet-green flowers with short ovaries, the lip entire to 3-lobed. The species is recognized by larger, grayish lavender to greenish brown flowers, the sepals partly spreading, acuminate, .68 to .96" [17 to 24 mm] long and the widely ovate lip with a short and irregularly fimbriate margin, the lip obliquely united to the column. Epidendrum bisulcalum Ames has short, thin stems 1.6 to 2.8" x .48 to .14" [35 to 7.0 x 0.12 to 0.35 cm], inflorescence with olive-grecn flowers, spreading, acute sepals .48 to .6" [12 to 15 mm] long, and a suborbicular lip, -44 to .5" [11 to 12.5 mm] wide, with an erose margin, and a pair of prominent laminar calli. Epidendrum brenesii Schltr. has .16 to .2" [4 to 5 mm] thick stems, .48" [12 mm] long sepals, a reniform, .6" [15 mm] wide lip, with the apex somewhat 4-lobed, an entire margin, and bicallose, the calli small, short mounds." Hagsater etal

Synonyms Epidendrum comayaguense Ames 1933

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; The Genus Epidendrum Ames 1936; Ceiba Vol 5 No 1 L O Williams 1956; Las Orquedias De El Salvador Vol 1 Hamer 1974 as Epidendrum comayaguense drawing/photo fide; Las Orquedias de El Salvador Vol 3 Hamer 1981 drawing fide; Icones Plantarum Tropicarum Plate 712 Dodson 1982 as E comayguense drawing fide; Selbyana Vol 10 Orchids of Central America Hamer 1988 as E comayaguense drawing ok; Icones Orchidacearum 4 Plate 421 Hagsater 2001 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 8 Plate 812 Hagsater 2006 see recognition section; Icones Orchidaceaerum 8 Plate 804 Hagsater 2006 see recognition section; Icones Orchidaceaerum 8 Plate 814 Hagsater 2006 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 8 Plate 844 Hagsater 2006; Icones Orchidacearum Vol 11 Plate 1109 Hagsater & Sanchez 2008 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum Vol 11 Plate 1120 Hagsater & Sanchez 2008 see recognition section; Algunas Orquideas de Mexico Tomo 1 Suarez 2013 photo fide; Orchid Genera and Species in Guatemala Archila, Szlachchetko, Chiron, Lipinska, Mystkowska and Bertolini 2018; Icones Orchidacearum 17(2) Plate 1760 Hagsater & Jimenez 2020 see recognition section; >--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------