In 1759, Linnaeus named the cowhorn, Epidendrum punctatum. Of the orchids known at that time, seven genera were terrestrial and based on those native to Europe. Epidendrum "upon a tree" was applied to all orchids that were not terrestrial. Little could Linnaeus realize the thousands of orchids to be discovered in both the Old and New World tropics. (A History of the Orchid, Merle A. Reinikka, Timber Press, 1995)
By the early 1800s, orchids were arriving in Europe from all over the world. Epidendrum simply did not fit the myriad of flower shapes and colors, and the variety of plant forms. In 1813, Robert Brown established the genus, Cyrtopodium "curved little foot" for the shape of the column in the center of the flower. [The column is the pale green structure between the two wings of the labellum (lip petal) in the above photo.]
John Lindley moved the cowhorn to Cyrtopodium in 1833. The cowhorn was not known in Florida until 1867 when it was 'discovered' by Dr. A.P. Garber. Back then, cowhorns were abundant in the Big Cypress Swamp of south Florida.
The 'orchid fever' that started in the late 18th century continued into the twentieth. Carlyle Luer wrote of the pillaging of the cowhorn, "It is certainly one of our most spectacular native orchids. Because it has such great appeal, it has been intensively sought and unmercifully hauled out of the forests of southern Florida...Immense plants weighing hundreds of pounds existed. Old accounts relate that wagon-load upon wagon-load of the largest plants were carted out. Since then, the smaller ones have disappeared too. Today these beautiful plants can be found only in the inaccessible areas of the most remote swamps, but these, too, are gradually falling victim to thoughtless collectors." (The Native Orchids of Florida, Carlyle A. Luer, 1st Ed. NY Botanical Garden, 1972)
