Epidendrum sect. Polycladia
Introduction '''''Epidendrum'' sect. ''Polycladia''''' Rchb.f. 1861 is a section of the Subgenus ''E''. subg. ''Amphiglottium'' Lindl. of the Genus ''Epidendrum'' of the ''Orchidaceae''. This plants in this section differ from the plants in the other sections of ''E''. subg. ''Amphiglottium'' by having truly paniculate inflorescences: the section ''E''. sect. ''Holochila'' is characterized by racemose inflorescences and an undivided lip, and the section ''E''. sect. ''Schistochila'' is characterized by racemose inflorescences and a lobed lip.Like the other members of ''E''. subg. ''Amphiglottium'', the members of ''Epidendrum'' sect. ''Polycladia'' "possess a long leafy stem with distichous leaves, an absence of any tendency to form pseudobulbs, a peduncle suddenly covered with close sheaths, and a lip wholly united to the column. "Lindley anticipated the section ''Epidendrum'' sect. ''Polycladia'' by publishing ''E. porphyreum'' under the title "AMPHIGLOTTIUM; ''floribus paniculatis. ''Reichenbach placed 16 species in this Section. The following species are recognized by Kew (page numbers refer toReichenbach 1861):* ''E. blepharistes'' Barker ex. Lindl. (1844) including ''E. funkii'' Rchb.f. (1850) on pp. 377–378 and ''E. brachycladium'' Lindl. (1853) on p. 379* ''E. compressum'' Griseb. (1864), including ''E. laxum''  Popp. & Endl. (1836) ''nom. illeg.'' on p. 377* ''E. densiflorum'' Hook. (1840), including ''E. polyanthum'' var. ''densiflorum'' (Hook.) Lindl. (1853) and ''E. rubrocinctum'' Lindl. (1843) included by Muller in ''E. polyanthum''. * ''E. haenkeanum'' C.Presl. (1827) (p. 378)* ''E. hymenodes'' Lindl. (1853)  (p. 378)* ''E. lignosum'' Lex. (1825)  (p. 380)* ''E. martianum'' Lindl. (p. 380)* ''E. myrianthum'' Lindl. (1853) (p. 378-379)* ''E. nutans'' Sw. (1788)  (p. 376)* ''E. pallidiflorum'' Hook. (1830) (p. 378)* ''E. paniculatum'' Ruiz & Pav. (1798) (p. 376), including ''E. fastigiatum'' Lindl. (1853)'' nom. illeg.''(p. 376-377)* ''E. polyanthum'' Lindl. (1831) (p. 379-380)* ''E. porphyreum'' Lindl. (1841) (p. 377)* ''E. saxatile'' Lindl. (1841), which Reichenbach 1861 listed as ''E. miersii'' Lindl. (1853) on p. 378
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