About Epidendrum cristatum Ruiz & Pav.
Epidendrum cristatum Ruiz & Pav. is an unusually large reed-stemmed Epidendrum that can grow up to 8 m tall. Like other members of the subgenus Epidendrum subg. Spathium, the stems of E. cristatum are un-swollen, and covered by tight tubular sheathes. These sheathes carry distichous, somewhat leathery, lanceolate leaves on the upper portion of the stem; the leaves can reach up to 3 cm long by 4 cm wide. Its terminal paniculate inflorescence grows through several enlarged spathes arranged in a fan that cover the peduncle. The yellow-green flowers often have purple-brown markings. The oblong convex obtuse sepals can grow up to 2.8 cm long, and are slightly longer than the linear petals. The lip is adnate to the column all the way to its apex, and has a shape that resembles a comb. The diploid chromosome number of E. cristatum has been determined as 2n = 40, and the haploid chromosome number as n = 20.
