''Epidendrum ramosum'', the mountain star orchid, is a neotropical species of reed-stemmed '' Epidendrum'' orchid which grows both

epiphytically 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 ...

and terrestrially at altitudes near 1 km.

Description

''Epidendrum ramosum'' stems do not swell into pseudobulbs, are highly branched, and are covered with close, tubular sheathes, the upper ones bearing longish leaves which are rounded at the apex. The short, scaly, apical

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 ...

bears a raceme with large, alternate floral bracts which nearly cover the long pedicellate ovaries of the few green-yellow flowers. The sepals are oblong-acute, 5–6 mm long and 2 mm wide; the petals are narrower. The cordate acute lip is adnate to the column to its apex, has no lateral lobes, and bears a callus consisting of two keel-like ridges near the column apex. The four pollinia are white.

Homonymy

Five varieties of ''E. ramosum'' have been published, three of which are now recognized as separate species: * ''E. ramosum'' var. ''imbricatum'' Ames, F.T.Hubb. & C.Schweinf is a synonym for '' E. paranaense'' Barb.Rodr. * ''E. ramosum'' var. ''lanceolatum''

Griseb. August Heinrich Rudolf Grisebach () was a German botany, botanist and phytogeography, phytogeographer. He was born in Hannover on 17 April 1814 and died in Göttingen on 9 May 1879. Biography Grisebach studied at the Lyceum in Hanover, the clo ...

is a synonym for '' E. antillanum'' Ackerman & Hágsater * ''E. ramosum'' var. ''mixtum'' (

Schltr. Friedrich Richard Rudolf Schlechter (16 October 1872 – 16 November 1925) was a German taxonomist, botanist, and author of several works on orchids. He went on botanical expeditions in Africa, Indonesia, New Guinea, South and Central America a ...

) Ames, F.T.Hubb &

C.Schweinf. Charles Schweinfurth (April 13, 1890 – November 16, 1970) was an American botanist and plant collector who distinguished himself by his studies on orchids. He predominantly collected species from Peru which he described in his four volume refer ...

is a synonym for '' E. mixtum''

References

ramosum Taxa named by Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin Orchids of Central America Orchids of Belize {{Laeliinae-stub