Encyclia atrorubens (Rolfe) Schltr. 1918
Photo by © Eric Hunt
Photo by © Patricia Harding
Photo by © Robert Weyman Bussey
Drawing By © R Solano/Hagsater * Soto 2002
Common Name Dark Red Encyclia
Flower Size 1.5" [3.75 cm]
Found only in Oaxaca and Guerrero states of Mexico at elevations of 1100 to 2000 meters mostly in humid, oak forests as a bifoliate, medium sized, cool growing epiphytic species with clustered, conical to spherical pseudobulbs carrying 2 narrow, linear leaves that blooms in the fall on a terminal, 40" [1 meter+] long, branched, many [20 to 100] flowered inflorescence.
"The flowering season in the fall and the dark burgundy flowers are unique among Mexican Encyclias. Morphologically it is similar to the lowland, spring-flowered Encyclia diota , from which it has been considered a subspecies. However, no intermediate forms exist, they are completely allopatric, from different habitats, and with different blooming periods. There is no convincing evidence supporting that they are subspecies of the same taxon. It is also similar to Encyclia hanburyi, with larger flowers, denser inflorescences, broader lip lobes, and paler, more brownish tepals. Some cultivated specimens have pseudobulbs about the size of a baseball.
Synonyms Encyclia diota subsp. atrorubens (Rolfe) Dressler & G.E. Pollard 1971; *Epidendrum atrorubens Rolfe 1896
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1896: 46 Rolfe1896 as Epidendrum atrorubens
*Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 36(2): 471 Schlechter 1918;
The Genus Epidendrum Ames 1936 as Epidendrum atrorubens;
Orchid Digest Vol 34 #9 1970 as Epidendrum atrorubens drawing fide;
Phytologia 21: 436 Dressler & Pollard 1971 as E diota var atrorubens
The Genus Encyclia in Mexico Dressler & Pollard 1974 as E diota var atrorubens photo fide;
Cattleyas and Their Relatives Vol V Withner 1998 drawing/photo fide;
Botanicas Orchids Laurel Glen 2002 photo fide;
Icones Orchidacearum 5 & 6 Orchids Of Mexico Parts 2 & 3 Plate 557 Hagsater, Soto 2002 drawing fide;
Orchids of Mexico Hagsater, Soto, Salazar, Jimenez, Lopez & Dressler 2005 photo fide;
AOS Bulletin Vol 85 #11 2016 photo fide;
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