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Key to Epidendrum

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Show caption*© Alexis López Hernández, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Alexis López Hernández Show caption*© Dustin Snider, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Dustin Snider 1 Plants with aerial roots throughout stem; labellum with fringed margins  Epidendrum radicans

Show caption*© Scott Ward 1 Plants with roots basal or only extending to proximal branches; labellum margins not fringed.

Show caption*© Alan Cressler: Epidendrum rigidum, Fakahatchee Strand, The Cathedral, Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park, Collier County, Florida 1 by Alan Cressler   2 Stems creeping or hanging; inflorescences distichous.

3 Stems unbranched; flowers green  Epidendrum rigidum

3 Stems branched; flowers yellow or greenish-brown.

4 Plants hanging, leaves typically concentrated throughout stems; main stems > 40 cm long; capsule 18-24 mm long with beaks 5-6 mm long  Epidendrum acunae

4 Plants creeping; leaves typically concentrated towards stem apex; main stems < 20 cm long; capsule 9-19 mm long with pedicel and beak absent  Epidendrum strobiliferum

Show caption*© Scott Ward   2 Stems erect; inflorescences racemose or corymbose.

5 Plants larger, to 100 (-110) cm long; vegetative portions of stems 60-90 cm long.

6 Inflorescence densely flowered; flowers not resupinate, spirally arranged; labellum not white (yellowish-orange to green); sepals and petals narrowly oblanceolate to obovate-elliptic; capsule beak obsolete  Epidendrum amphistomum

6 Inflorescence not densely flowered; flowers resupinate, not spirally arranged; labellum white; sepals and petals narrowly linear-lanceolate; capsule beaks to 16 mm  Epidendrum nocturnum

5 Plants smaller, to 26 (-38) cm long; vegetative portions of stems 2-23 cm long.

7 Roots 3-5 mm in diameter; stems 2-5 cm in length; petiole not exceeding 1.5 cm in length; leaves distributed near apex of stem; inflorescence racemose, flowers pale green to bronze-colored; [collectively widespread in a variety of habitats, NC to FL, w. to LA]  Epidendrum conopseum

7 Roots 1-2 mm in diameter; stems 5-23 cm in length; petiole to 2.5 cm; leaves distributed throughout stem; inflorescence compact (nearly corymbose); flowers green to yellow; [sloughs, s. FL]  Epidendrum floridense