Epidendrum serpens is a sympodial

Sympodial

Sympodial means "with conjoined feet", and in biology is often used to refer to the outward morphology or mode of growth of organisms.-In botany:...

 pseudobulbous orchid

Orchidaceae

The Orchidaceae, commonly referred to as the orchid family, is a morphologically diverse and widespread family of monocots in the order Asparagales. Along with the Asteraceae, it is one of the two largest families of flowering plants, with between 21,950 and 26,049 currently accepted species,...

 that grows among lichens on trees near the tree line at altidudes of 1.6-3.5 km in Peru

Peru

Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....

 and Ecuador

Ecuador

Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...

, including the states of Azuay and Pichincha.

Description

The flattened oblong cylindrical pseudobulbs grow to 2 cm long and bear one or two to three leaves. The short, terminal, racemose inflorescence bears three to seven rather large flowers, up to 2 cm across, colored deep violet (Reichenbach) to wine-red (Dodson & Dodson). The lip

Labellum

Labellum is the Latin diminutive of labium, meaning lip. These are anatomical terms used descriptively in biology, for example in Entomology and botany.-Botany:...

is heart-shaped where it diverges from the apex of the column, is bolobate at the apex, bears a low keel down the middle, and is slightly fringed on the edge.