Plants cespitose, 4.5-38 cm. Roots basal, 3-5 mm diam. Stems unbranched, straight, terete, 2-5 cm. Leaves 2-3, near apex of stem; petiole to 1.5 cm; blade narrowly elliptic, 1-9.5 × 0.4-1.3 cm, nearly leathery, apex acute. Inflorescences erect, racemose, 3-26 cm; peduncle 2-10 cm; bracts triangular, to 1/2 length of ovary, 12-18 mm, apex acuminate. Flowers 6-14, spread along apical 1/2 of inflorescence, resupinate, simultaneous, pale green to bronze-colored; sepals wide open, narrowly obovate, 5-veined, 6-11 × 2-3 mm, margins revolute, apex obtuse; petals narrowly oblanceolate, 1-veined, 6-11 × 1-2 mm, apex rounded; lip base cordate, 3-lobed, middle lobe triangular, apex rounded to slightly notched, 2-callose, with low midrib, 4-6 × 5-7 mm, lateral lobes semiorbiculate; column 11-12 mm; clinandrium hood erose, covering anther; anther ovate, with low keel along front; ovary 12-18 mm. Capsules ellipsoid; pedicel 7-11 mm; body 14-23; beak 5 mm.

Flowering Jun--Jan, sporadically in fall; fruiting Oct--Jan. Evergreen and deciduous woodlands; 0--100 m; Ala., Fla., Ga., La., Miss., N.C., S.C.; Mexico (Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas).

The flowers of Epidendrum magnoliae produce a sweet-oily fragrance, especially at night.