About

Epidendrum secundum, one of the crucifix orchids, known as the lopsided star orchid, 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 appear to deserve species rank. Arditti and Ghani note that E. secundum has the distinction of bearing the longest seeds known in the Orchidaceae, 6.0 mm long. By comparison, the seeds of E. ibaguense (another crucifix orchid) are only 2.9 mm long. Distribution: Central America, Venezuela, Guyana, and Brazil; in this country, it occurs in the Atlantic Forest, Amazon, Caatinga and Cerrado domains (Pessoa c 2020). Grow in specialist orchid compost. Provide bright, indirect light.

Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0Epidendrum secundum

About the genus

Epidendrum, abbreviated Epi in the horticultural trade, is a large neotropical genus of the orchid family. With more than 1,500 species, some authors describe it as a mega-genus. The genus name refers to its epiphytic growth habit.

Wikipedia contributors, "Epidendrum", CC BY-SA 4.0Epidendrum

Plant details

Epidendrum secundum size, habit and characteristics

Plant type
Conservatory Greenhouse, Houseplants

More in the Epidendrum genus

Browse all Epidendrum