Encyclia microtos

Encyclia microtos

Common Name: Pointed Tip Encyclia Orchid

Native to: Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil. Encyclia microtos grows in wet tropical mountain forests at nearly 600 meters in elevation.

Plant Size: Medium. Encyclia microtos has 3 inch (8 cm) tall, cylindrical pseudobulbs with two upright, narrow leaves that grow to 16 inches (40 cm) in height. The flowering stem is upright to arching and grows to 6 to 40 inches (40-100 cm) in height. A branched flower stem produces between three and five individual flowers per branched.

Flower Size: 1.25 inch (3 cm)

Flower Description: The flowers of Encyclia microtos are produced on a long, arching, branched inflorescence. The lip is rather frilly and has many red veins. Petals and sepals are greenish with brown areas and lighter petal margins. The petals end in a sharp, distinctively pointed tip.

Bloom Season: Winter, Spring

Growing Temperature: Intermediate to Warm

Additional Information: Encyclia microtos has beautiful flowers that are well-displayed on an attractively arched flower spike. Individual plants can grow to become impressive specimens. Grow under typical Cattleya conditions. The flowers are best displayed on plants that are mounted on cork or tree fern.

Synonyms: Epidendrum microtos

Encyclia microbulbon

Encyclia microbulbon

Common Name: Small-bulbed Encyclia

Native to: Mexico. Encyclia microbulbon is native to the plateaus of the Mexican state of Chiapas where it grows between 1400 and 2400 meters in elevation on trees.

Plant Size: Miniature. The pseudobulbs are quite small and have a few leaves.

Flower Size: 0.66 inches (1.6 cm)

Flower Description: The flowers are produced on a branched inflorescence that grows to 18 inches (45 cm) in height. Few to many flowers.

Bloom Season: Late Winter to Summer

Growing Temperature: Intermediate

Additional Information: Encyclia microbulbon is a small or miniature Mexican species. Mount it on a piece of cork bark or tree fern. Provide standard Cattleya growing conditions with slightly warmer temperatures.

Synonyms: Encyclia ovula; Encyclia sisyrinchiifolia; Epidendrum microbulbon; Epidendrum ovulum; Epidendrum sisyrinchiifolium

Encyclia meneziana

Encyclia meneziana

Common Name: Menezes's Encyclia

Native to: Brazil. It was first discovered growing on trees in the southern part of the Brazilian state of Goias where it was collected at 600 meters in elevation.

Plant Size: Large. Mature plants in bloom can reach 1.5 meters in height. Pseudobulbs of Encyclia meneziana are large and have a pair of short leaves.

Flower Size: 2 inches (5 cm)

Flower Description: Encyclia meneziana has spade-shaped petals that are green washed with brown. The lip is white with magenta veins and spotting. There is no mention of fragrance in any of the literature.

Bloom Season: Summer.

Growing Temperature: Intermediate to Warm

Additional Information: Encyclia meneziana was first discovered in the early 1990's. Currently, it is not in cultivation but would probably thrive under warm Cattleya growing conditions.

Synonyms: None.

Encyclia meliosma

Common Name: Honey-scented Encyclia

Native to: Mexico. Encyclia meliosma is found growing in the Mexican states of Jalisco, Michoacan, Guerrero, Morelos, and Oaxaca where it grows from 300 to 1500 meters in elevation. This species grows on trees in seasonally dry forests and foothills.

Plant Size: Medium. Encyclia meliosma has conical pseudobulbs and one or two fleshy, tongue-shaped leaves.

Flower Size: 1 inch (2.5 cm)

Flower Description: Fragrant; the flowers smell like honey (although the fragrance is faint). Many flowers are produced on a tall (to 100 cm), branched inflorescence

Bloom Season: Spring to Early Summer

Growing Temperature: Warm

Additional Information: Encyclia meliosma is closely related to Encyclia spatella and Encyclia aenicta.

Synonyms: Encyclia meliosma

Encyclia megalantha

Encyclia megalantha

Common Name: Giant-Flowered Encyclia Orchid

Native to: Brazil. In their native habitat they are found growing on trees. The distribution of Encyclia megalantha is poorly understood.

Plant Size: Large. Pseudobulbs are upright and oval and grow to 4 inches (10 cm) in height. The leaves are long and recurved and grow to 18 inches (50 cm).

Flower Size: 2 inches (5 cm)

Flower Description: The petals and sepals are spoon-shaped and brown in color with a yellow margin. The pure white lip has reddish veins and is broad and notched at the tip.

Bloom Season: Early Summer

Growing Temperature: Intermediate.

Additional Information: Encyclia megalantha is not well-known or widely grown. The plant is large and can be grown mounted on cork, in slatted baskets, or in pots with a coarse, open growing medium. Provide typical cattleya growing conditions and reduce water during cool months.

Synonyms: Epidendrum megalanthum, Encyclia hollandiae, Encyclia megalantha var. espiritusanctensis

Encyclia maderoi

Encyclia maderoi

Common Name: Maderoi Encyclia

Native to: Columbia and Venezuela. Encyclia maderoi is native to the mountains on the border of Columbia and Venezuela at 1000 meters in elevation.

Plant Size: Large. The plants reach 3 feet (1 meter) in height when in bloom. Encyclia maderoi has 2 inch (4-6 cm) tall pseudobulbs and two leaves that grow to 17 inches (45 cm) in length.

Flower Size: Small.

Flower Description: The flowers are yellowish-green and the petals and sepals are spoon-shaped. The lip is ruffled and white with lots of purple-magenta veins. Flowers are produced on a tall, heavily branched inflorescence.

Bloom Season: Spring?

Growing Temperature: Intermediate

Additional Information: Encyclia maderoi grows well under typical Cattleya orchid growing conditions. Grow mounted on cork or tree fern or in a slatted basket. Reduce the frequency of waterings during the cool winter months. Dr. Withner has recommended this species for future hybridization due to its heavy flower production and pleasing flower color.

Synonyms: Epidendrum bacigalupianum, Epidendrum maderoi

Encyclia macdougali

Encyclia macdougali

Common Name: MacDouglas's Encyclia.

Native to: Mexico.

Plant Size: Medium.

Flower Size: Medium.

Flower Description: Flowers are greenish-brown and have narrow petals and sepals.

Bloom Season: Spring?

Growing Temperature: Intermediate.

Additional Information: Photo courtesy of Abundaflora.

Synonyms: None.

Encyclia latipetala

Encyclia latipetala

Common Name: Broad-Petaled Encyclia

Native to: Brazil, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela.

Plant Size: Small. The pear-shaped pseudobulbs grow to 1 inch (2.5 cm) tall and have one or two broad leaves that grow to 6 inches (15 cm) long.

Flower Size: Small.

Flower Description: The flowers of Encyclia latipetala are broad near the end and have pointed apex. The sepals and narrower than the petals and are more pointed. The lip is heavily veined and attractive. Flowers are generally star-shaped.

Bloom Season: It blooms in December in its native habitat.

Growing Temperature: Intermediate.

Additional Information: This species is rarely grown by orchid collectors and does not seem to be available in the nursery trade. Grow mounted on cork or grow in slatted baskets to ensure adequate drainage and air circulation around the roots. Provide standard cattleya growing conditions. One source reports that this species is terrestrial but I cannot find any other source to confirm this. It is more probable that it grows on rocks.

Synonyms: Epidendrum latipetalum

Encyclia lutzenbergeri

Encyclia lutzenbergeri

Common Name: Lutzenberg's Encyclia

Native to: Brazil and Venezuela. It has been found growing on rocks in the Brazilian states of Brasilia and Goias. Additionally, it is found growing in southern Venezuela.

Plant Size: Medium. The small pseudobulbs produce two leaves that grow to 8 inches (20 cm) long. The leaves are about 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide.

Flower Size: About 1 inch (2.5 cm)

Flower Description: The petals and sepals of Encyclia lutzenbergeri are green and have veins running the length of the floral segment. The lip is white and has three purple veins running the length. The flower scape grows to 2 feet (60 cm) tall.

Bloom Season: Spring (October in Brazil)

Growing Temperature: Intermediate.

Additional Information: This species was discovered only in the last decade of the 20th century. Botanists are still trying to determine where this species fits into the framework of existing Encyclia species. It grows on rocks in nature and could probably be grown mounted on cork in clay pots with inorganic potting medium like rupicolous Laelia species.

Synonyms: None.

Encyclia lorata

Encyclia lorata

Common Name: Strap-Lobed Encyclia

Native to: Mexico. Encyclia lorata grows on trees in pine-oak forests in the mountains of the Mexican state of Guerrero where it is found between 1875 and 2100 meters in elevation.

Plant Size: Small. Encyclia lorata has small, round, wrinkled pseudobulbs that have two sword-shaped leaves. Leaves are dark green in color and quite fleshy.

Flower Size: size

Flower Description: Encyclia lorata produces up to nine flowers on an unbranched (occasionally branched) flower spike that blooms among the leaves.

Bloom Season: Spring to Summer

Growing Temperature: Intermediate

Additional Information: Encyclia lorata is called the Strap-lobed Encyclia orchid because of two strap-shaped parts on the midlobe that distinguishes it from other species. Grow mounted on cork or tree fern or grow in a slatted basket. Provide Cattleya growing conditions.

Synonyms: None.