Epidendrum ruizianum is an epiphytic reed-stemmed Epidendrum of the orchid family native to the cloud forests of Bolivia (including Cochabamba and La Paz), Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela, at altitudes of 2âÂÂ3 km.
Epidendrum ruizianum belongs to the subgenus E. subg. Spathium <small>Lindl.</small>, and as such is a sympodial plant with cylindrical, unswollen stems covered with close, imbricating sheathes which bear leaves on the upper part of the stem, and with the apical inflorescence erupting from an enlarged spathe. The stems grow to 90 cm tall. The keeled, leathery leaves grow to 16 cm long and 4 cm wide. The paniculate inflorescence grows as long as 50 cm, with the alternate, dense racemes emerging from falcate spathes 5 cm long. The yellow-green flowers have reflexed rigid striate acute sepals and reflexed filiform petals 10 mm long. The trilobate lip is adnate to the column to its apex, and is heart shaped and convex where it diverges from the column. The lateral lobes of the lip are fringed, and the medial lobe divides in two at its apex.
The synonym E. nutans <small>Ruiz & Pav. (1798)</small> is an illegitimate name because it is a homonym of E. nutans <small>Sw. (1788)</small>, which is the accepted name of a different species.
Some pictures of the flowers and inflorescence may be found at The Internet Orchid Species Photo Encyclopedia