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• Taxonomy
• Physical Description
• Distribution
• Similar Species
• Bibliography
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Taxonomy

Physical Description

Genus Encyclia:

Herbs, epiphytic. Roots fleshy, glabrous. Stems aggregate, erect, forming ovoid-pyriform pseudobulbs. Leaves apical, sessile, articulate; blade linear-elliptic, leathery. Inflorescences apical, racemes to panicles, flowering only once; spathe absent. Flowers resupinate, pedicellate, simultaneous; sepals subequal; petals similar; lip appressed to column, adnate only at base, callus boat-shaped; pollinia 4, obovoid, laterally compressed, subequal; caudicles 4 in 2 pairs; column winged; rostellum semiorbiculate, entire, abaxially covered with viscous substance. Fruits capsules, ellipsoid, 3-ribbed, 1-locular.

Species over 750: neotropical.

Stems of the encyclias are variable outside the flora area: rarely they are canelike and do not form pseudobulbs; leaves are sometimes semiterete. The genus has been misrepresented as epidendrums having pseudobulbs (O. Ames et al. 1936), as most of them do; some epidendrums also do.

The Florida species were segregated by J. K. Small (1933) into four genera: Encyclia, Hormidium, Anacheilium, and Epicladium. Most later authors recognized only Epidendrum or Epidendrum and Encyclia. Recent attempts for the reestablishment of Anacheilium and Hormidium (G. F. Pabst et al. 1981; R. P. Sauleda et al. 1984) were based mainly on Brazilian species and did not take Mexican species into consideration. Prosthechea has been recently recognized (W. E. Higgins 1997[1998]), thus leaving only one species of Encyclia in the flora area.^[1]

Distribution

Similar Species

Members of the genus Encyclia:

There are approximately 518 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus. Here are just 100 of them: E. adenocarpon trachycarpa · E. adenocaulos kennedyi · E. bidentata erythronioides · E. boothiana erythronioides · E. boothiana favoris · E. cochleata triandra · E. dichroma biflora · E. varicosa leiobolbon · E. varicosa leiobulbon · E. vespa triandra · E. abbreviata · E. acicularis · E. acuta · E. acutifolia · E. adenocarpa · E. adenocarpon · E. adenocarpon subsp. trachycarpa · E. adenocarpos · E. adenocarpum · E. adenocaula (Rabbit Ears) · E. adenocaule · E. adenocaulon · E. adenocaulos · E. adenocaulos var. kennedyi · E. advena · E. aemula · E. aenicta · E. aff. diota · E. affinis · E. alagoensis · E. alata (Encyclia Orchid) · E. alata subsp. parviflora · E. alata subsp. virella · E. alata virella · E. alatum · E. albopurpurea · E. alboxanthina · E. allemanii · E. allemanoides · E. almasii · E. aloisii · E. altissima · E. amabilis · E. amanda · E. amazonica · E. ambigua · E. amicta · E. andrichii · E. angustifolia · E. angustiloba · E. apuahuensis · E. aranjensis · E. argentinensis · E. argentisiensis · E. arminii · E. aromatica · E. aromaticum · E. aspera · E. asperirachis · E. asperula · E. atropurpurea · E. atropurpurea var. leucantha · E. atropurpurea var. rhodoglossa · E. atropurpurea var. rosea · E. atropurpureum var. Alba · E. atrorubens · E. aurita · E. auyantepuiensis · E. bacula · E. baculus · E. bahamensis · E. belisensis · E. belizensis · E. bennettii · E. betancourtiana · E. beyrothiana · E. bicamerata · E. bicornuta · E. bidentata · E. bifida (Thicket Butterfly Orchid) · E. bipapulares · E. bipapularis · E. bocourtii · E. bohnkiana · E. boothiana (Booth's Orchid) · E. boothiana boothiana · E. boothiana var. erythronioides (Dollar Orchid) · E. boothiana var. erythronoides · E. brachiata · E. brachyata · E. brachychila · E. brachycolumna · E. bracteata · E. bractescens (Encyclia Orchid) · E. bractesens · E. bradfordii · E. brassavolae · E. bratescens · E. brenesii · E. brevifolia

Bibliography

• Ames, O., F. T. Hubbard, and C. Schweinfurth. 1936. The Genus Epidendrum in the United States and Middle America. Cambridge, Mass.
• Dressler, R. L. and G. E. Pollard. 1976. The Genus Encyclia in Mexico, ed. 2. Mexico City.
• Pabst, G. F., J. L. Moutinho, and A. V. Pinto. 1981. An attempt to establish the correct statement for genus Anacheilium Hoffmgg. and revision of the genus Hormidium Lindl. ex Heynh. Bradea 3: 173-186.
• Sauleda, R. P. and R. M. Adams. 1983. The genus Encyclia Hook. (Orchidaceae) in the Bahama Archipelago. Rhodora 85: 127-174.

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Notes

Contributors:

• Bisby FA, Roskov YR, Orrell TM, Nicolson D, Paglinawan LE, Bailly N, Kirk PM, Bourgoin T, van Hertum J, eds (2008). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2008 Annual Checklist Taxonomic Classification. CD-ROM; Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed November 23, 2007. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from 3 providers.
• World Checklist of Selected Plant Families

Data Sources:

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 23, 2007:

• Missouri Botanical Garden, Missouri Botanical Garden

Identifiers:

• Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 16171326
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 736451

Footnotes:

1. Eric Hágsater "Encyclia". in Flora of North America Vol. 26 Page 495, 608, 613. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org.