Epidendrum rhizomaniacum culture

Hey there! I some years ago ordered a plant of Epi. rhizomaniacum from Ecuagenera… but when it finally bloomed out it had the ordinary small green flowers of a nondescript Epi. difforme-like species, not the white flowers with broad lips and wide petals as in the pic in their catalog or on IOSPE. I am going to try it again, and have mentioned my experience to Ecuagenera in my order... As to culture: what few references exist online say the plant grows cool to warm; to my eye, it quite resembles the rare and choice species from Costa Rica, Epidendrum mirabile, which is semi-pendant (like Encyclia mariae, say, rather than Encyclia citrina), and decidedly cool-growing. I am going to try to treat it like a Pleurothallid: and like those, as well as most montane species, I will only apply distilled water, both in irrigating and misting. Will let you know how it goes after I get my plant in late July!

Links to 3 other pics than those in IOSPE:

1.
http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/_...s/en/images/7/71/Epidendrum_rhizomaniacum.jpg

2.

http://www.flowershots.net/web-content/Photogallery/Epidendrum/e rhizomaniacum2 copy.jpg? copy.jpg

3.
http://www.loujost.com/Jocotoco Reserves/E5613.jpg

 

UPDATE: The plant received of Epi. rhizomaniacum in summer 2019 came already half-dead, with blackened foliage; the stems didn't last a week before it was wholly dead. In my January 2020 order I made one last attempt. This time it came with only a few black leaves... in the six weeks since then, I have it potted in a clay pot in NZ sphagnum, and so far as today it is still alive; it may even have grown very slightly. But it's not out of the woods yet... more updates to follow.

The foliage itself is tender and a tad floppy, which is likely the reason for its susceptibility to black rot. It reminds me indeed of what I have seen of the foliage of Epi. mirabile, and also a tad like Epi. ilense, though that foliage is sturdier.