Epidendrum pazii
Epidendrum pazii Hágsater, Icon. Orchid. 4: t. 469. 2001.
Type: Colombia. Chocó: San José del Palmar, Las Amarillas, Carretera Boqueron-Río Blanco, 2300 m. 2 April 1996. N. Paz, F. Castro, A. Fajardo & P. Grant 493 (holotype: CUVC; isotypes AMO; COL; CUVC).
Illustrated specimen: Colombia. Valle del Cauca: Road from Albán to Anserma Nuevo, 1500 m. 5 November 2015, E. Domínguez 0298, Calderón-Sáenz, C. Skotak & E. Beach (JAUM; LCDP voucher).
Eponymy: In honor of Néstor Paz from the Universidad del Valle, Cali, who collected the type specimen.
Epidendrum pazii is endemic to the southwestern Andes in Colombia in the departments of Valle del Cauca and Chocó. It differs from similar species in the sturdy plants with large, stiff leaves, and a larger number of successive flowers. Epidendrum anderssonii Hágsater & Dodson has narrower and shorter leaves, inflorescenc- es with a higher degree of branching, less flowers per inflorescence and the lacks the low longitudinal carina of the lip is absent. Epidendrum colombianum A.D.Hawkes, which is very similar to E. anderssonii, lacks the two laminar calli flanking the central carina of the lip of E. pazii.