''Epidendrum macrocarpum'', widely known as ''Epidendrum schomburgkii'', is a species of orchid in the genus '' Epidendrum'', and the largest-flowering crucifix orchid species.

Reichenbach Reichenbach may refer to: Places Austria * Reichenbach (Litschau), a part of Litschau * Reichenbach (Rappottenstein), a part of Rappottenstein Germany * Reichenbach (Oberlausitz), in Niederschlesischer Oberlausitzkreis district, Saxony * Rei ...

thought that '' E. fulgens'' and ''E. schomburgkii'' var. ''confluens'' were both synonyms for this species.

Description

''E. macrocarpum'' has been placed (as ''E. schomburgkii'') in the subgenus ''E.'' subg. ''Amphiglottium'', and like other members of this subgenus, it exhibits a sympodial form of growth with un-swollen stems covered by the close, imbricating distichous sheathes, which are leaf bearing above, and a

peduncle Peduncle may refer to: *Peduncle (botany), a stalk supporting an inflorescence, which is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed *Peduncle (anatomy), a stem, through which a mass of tissue is attached to a body **Peduncle (art ...

covered from its base with close, imbricating sheathes. The stems of this

epiphyte An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phoroph ...

grow to 1 m tall.C. Dodson and R. Vásquez, "EPIDENDRUM SCHOMBURGKII Lindl.", plate 0335 of ''Icones Plantarum Tropicarum, Series II Orchids of Bolivia'', Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis. 1989. The oblong obtuse fleshy leaves grow to 10 cm long by 2.5 wide. As with other members of ''E.'' sect. ''Schistochila'', the racemose inflorescence bears many flowers with trilobate lips. The flowers of ''E. macrocarpum'' are bright orange,

resupinate Resupination is derived from the Latin word ''resupinus'', meaning "bent back with the face upward" or "on the back". "Resupination" is the noun form of the adjective "resupine" which means "being upside-down, supine or facing upward". The word " ...

, and large, measuring nearly 5 cm across. The narrow lanceolate acute sepals and petals are 25 mm long but only 5 mm wide. As with other members of ''E.'' subsect. ''Carinata'', the lobes of the lip are fringed, and there is a keel running down the midlobe.

Homophony

''Epidendrum schomburgkii'' var. ''confluens'' Lindl. (1853) is a synonym for ''

Epidendrum ibaguense ''Epidendrum ibaguense'' (pronounced ee-bah-GAIN-say) is a species of epiphytic orchid of the genus Epidendrum which occurs in Trinidad, French Guiana, Venezuela, Colombia and Northern Brazil. Taxonomy According to Reichenbach, ''E. ibag ...

'' Kunth (1816). ''Epidendrum incisum''

Rchb.f. Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach (Dresden, 3 January 1823 – Hamburg, 6 May 1889) was a botanist and the foremost German orchidologist of the 19th century. His father Heinrich Gottlieb Ludwig Reichenbach (author of ''Icones Florae Germanicae et Helve ...

& Warsz. (1854) ''

nom. illeg. ''Nomen illegitimum'' (Latin for illegitimate name) is a technical term, used mainly in botany. It is usually abbreviated as ''nom. illeg.'' Although the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants uses Latin terms for other k ...

'' is not a synonym for ''E. macrocarpum'', but for ''

Epidendrum secundum ''Epidendrum secundum'', one of the crucifix orchids, is a poorly understood reed stemmed species, which Dressler (1989) describes as "the ''Epidendrum secundum'' complex." According to Dressler, there are dozens of varieties, some of which appe ...

Jacq. Nikolaus Joseph Freiherr von Jacquin (16 February 172726 October 1817) was a scientist who studied medicine, chemistry and botany. Biography Born in Leiden in the Netherlands, he studied medicine at Leiden University, then moved first to Par ...

(1760).

References

macrocarpum Plants described in 1792 {{Laeliinae-stub