As with other members of the subgenus E. subg. Spathium, the inflorescence of E. parviflorum erupts from an enlarged spathe at the apex of an un-swollen stem covered by alternate foliaceous sheaths. The linear-lanceolate acuminate leaves[3] grow up to 8 cm long and 1.2 cm wide. The paniculate inflorescence bears numerous 2 cm green flowers. The leathery sepals are 10 mm long and concave toward the dilated acuminate end, where they are 2–3 mm wide. The filiform petals, also dilated toward the end, are 10 mm long and less than 1 mm wide. The lip bears rounded lateral lobes, and divides into two triangular points at the apex. The callus is purple.
Synonymy and homonymy
Kew lists two synonyms: E. gramineumLindl. and E. patulipetalumSchltr..[4]Reichenbach 1861 listed E. gramineumLindl. as a separate species,[5] in the subgenus he called EuepidendrumLindl., a taxon of reed-stemmed Epidendrum plants with inflorescences that lack any spathe or sheath at the base; the description does not specifically mention the base of the inflorescence.
The binomial Epidendrum parviflorum has also been published for two additional species:
^C. Dodson & R. Vásquez, "EPIDENDRUM PARVIFLORUM R. & P." Plate 0226 of C. Dodson, Ed. Icones Plantarum Tropicarum, Series II, Orchids of Bolivia, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, 1989
^C. Dodson & D. Bennett, "EPIDENDRUM PARVIFLORUM R. & P." Plate 0068 of C. Dodson, Ed. Icones Plantarum Tropicarum, Series II, Orchids of Bolivia, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, 1989
^H. G. Reichenbach "Orchides" Nr. 192 in C. Müller, Ed. Walpers. Annales Botanices Systematicae Tome VI p. 367, Berlin, 1861
