Encyclia randii [Barb.Rodr.]Porto & Brade 1935 Photo courtesy of Jay Pfahl

Flower Closeup Photo courtesy of Tennis Maynard

LATE to EARLY

Common Name Rand's Encyclia [English Orchid Enthusiast ]

Flower Size 2 1/2" [6.4 cm]

This small to medium sized, hot growing, light loving, epiphytic species can be found in North to western Brazil and Paraguay in the hot rainforest lowlands at elevations of 10 to 300 meters with pyriform pseudobulbs enveloped basally by several evanescent, imbricating sheaths and carrying 1 to 2 apical, coriaceous, smooth, narrowly lanceolate-ligulate, cymbidiform leaves that blooms on an apical, 2' [60 cm] long, erect to arcuate, several to many [10 to 20] flowered, paniculate inflorescence that is longer than the leaves occurring in the late spring and early summer in Brazil. This species has the largest flower of the Encyclia a full 2 1/2"+.

Synonyms Encyclia randiana [Linden & Rodg.] Withner 2000; Epidendrum atropurpureum var randii. (Barb.Rodr.) Linden & Rodigas 1886; Epidendrum atropurpureum var. randianum hort.; *Epidendrum randianum Barb. Rodr. 1886; Epidendrum randii Barb Rodr. 1891

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Icones Orchidacearum Brasilenses Vol I Plate 071 Castro & Campacci 2000; Coletanea de Orquideas Brasileiras 1 Encyclias Campacci 2003

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Encyclia randii Brade var. rondoniensis Jose Gonzalez 1991