The Epidendrum Orchid
The Epidendrum orchid, Epi in horticultural trade abbreviation, is a huge Neotropical class of the orchid family. This orchid belongs to the most diverse type of orchids yet one of the easiest to grow. It consists of about 1,100 species that are inhabitant to tropical and subtropical regions of America and the Caribbean. Nowadays, it is widely naturalized, distributed and cultivated around the world.
The botanical name Epidendrum comes from the combination of two words epi and dendron, where epi is a Greek term which means “on”, and dendron is also a Greek word which means “tree”. I can be concluded from this definition, that the Epidendrum orchid is an epiphytic type, though many of the species of it are terrestrial and few are lithophytes.
Just like other types of orchids, the Epidendrum orchid also comes with many names. Its common names include the Epi, Epidendrum Orchid, Sun Orchid, Star Orchid, Crucifix Orchid, Reed-Stem Epidendrum and Poor Man’s Orchid. Its family name is Orchidaceae.
The Epidendrum orchid has some very interesting characteristics. These traits include: (1) it grows in tufts, corymbs or panicles; (2) the flowers of it range from small to medium in size and are not noticeable; (3) the inflorescences of it are dense; (4) it is absolutely fragrant; (5) it produces an ellipsoid fruit which appears to be a 3-ribbed capsule; (6) it has a slit rostellum that produces a thick and adhesive fluid; (7) its pollinarium contains four pollinia; and (8) the stems are reed-like. It is just as beautiful as other types of orchids such as the Phalaenopsis type.
Having about 1,100 species and embracing 2,000 binomials, the Epidendrum orchid is extremely diverse in many of its aspects. Some of these species have names derived from several botanists who discovered them. These species are the Epidendrum carnevalii which was named after Carnevali, the Epidendrum dunstervilleorum which was named after G.C.K. and his wife E. Dunsterville, the Epidendrum foldatsii which was named after Foldats, the Epidendrum garayi named after Garay, the Epidendrum garciae named after Garcia-Cruz, the Epidendrum hagsateri named after Hagsater, the Epidendrum lueri named after Dr. Luer of the Missouri Botanical Gardens, the Epidendrum schlechterianum which was named after Rudolf Schlechter and the Epidendrum schweinfurthanium which was named after Schweinfurth. There are also more than 1,000 species that have been split off into new and resurrected species.
The most common habitats of the Epidendrum orchid can be found at elevations between 1,000 – 3,000 meters of land, and even below or at sea level. Therefore, habitats of this type of orchid vary from jungles to dry land and tropical forests or from hot low-elevating lands to cool and humid alpine cloud forests.
Even though the Epidendrum orchid is a diverse plant, it is still one of the easiest orchids to plant and grow. In general, most Epidendrum orchids can thrive in a well-drained soil within a transitional environment with regular repotting, fertilizing, watering and pruning. Sufficient brightness or light from the sun is also needed by this orchid. Most of the Epidendrum orchids adapt to intermediate to warm conditions, but some species prefer higher elevations where cooler climates and shady conditions prevail. Even though it does not produce large pretty blooms, if you consider its assortment of certain features, you can truly say that this type is unique from the rest of the orchid breeds.
