Galé’s epidendrum

Plants hanging, 50–160 cm. Roots basal or from proximal branches, 2–3 mm diam. Stems branched, sinuous, terete, main stem to 160 cm, leaves 100–120 mm × 12–22 mm; vegetative branches to 60 cm, leaves 58–110 × 10–20 mm; flowering branchlets 3–8 cm, leaves 20–60 × 9–13 mm, flowering branchlets produced from both main stem and vegetative branches. Leaves many, distributed throughout stems; petiole to 4 cm; blade narrowly lanceolate, 2-lobed, fleshy-leathery. Inflorescences distichous-imbricate; peduncle 1 cm; bracts 2–3, conduplicate, 8–18 mm. Flowers 1–3, not resupinate, simultaneous, brownish green; sepals spreading, lanceolate, abaxially keeled, many veined, 12–21 × 3–6 mm, apex acute; petals partly open, elliptic, many veined, 12–18 × 2.5–5 mm, apex obtuse to rounded; lip cordate, callus V-shaped, prolonged into central keel, 9–14 × 5–9 mm; column suffused with purple, 5 mm; clinandrium erose, short; anther obovate, 2-cleft; ovary 15–20 mm. Capsules ovoid, body 18–24 × 10–12 mm, tapered beak 5–6 mm.

Flowering May--Jun. Epiphytic on main trunks of larger trees in Fahkahatchee Swamp; 0--30 m; Fla.; Mexico; West Indies (Cuba); Central America.

Epidendrum acunae, described from Cuba, was discovered in Florida in 1962, as a single population, and it has apparently become extirpated because of overcollecting (R. Sauleda, pers. comm.). Only one specimen from Florida has been found (Sauleda 942, FTG), of which a photograph of the live flower is at AMO, apart from the record in C. A. Luer (1972). The description has been prepared from Luer and from Cuban and Mexican material.