Encyclia spatella (Rchb. f.) Schltr. 1924 - in situ in Jalisco Mexico 6/01

Another Flower same area in Jalisco Photo courtesy of Jay Pfahl

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Common Name The Spatulate-Petaled Encyclia

Flower Size 1 1/2" [3.75 cm]

Endemic to Jalisco, Michoacan, Morelos, Mexico where it occurs at 750 to 1500 meters in elevation as a medium sized epiphyte [lithophytes found in the same areas are attributed to E huerta] in oak forests or lava flows near tropical forests with conical to oblong-pyriform pseudobulbs carrying 2, apical, coriaceous, strap-shaped, acute leaves and blooms in the summer on an apical, branched, to 4' [120 cm] long, fractiflex, few to many flowered inflorescence. Jalisco MX., 610m elev., 40 klm S.E. of Puerto Vallarta, epiphytic on oaks. This species which is always an epiphyte, Encyclia huerta [always a lithophyte], Encyclia meliosma and Encyclia aenicta are all very close in most characteristics and are certainly related, Dressler & Pollard separate them essentially by the lip being acuminate [ending in a point] the length of the column 5.5 to 7mm, for E meliosma the lip being obtuse, retuse or mucronate and the column measuring between 7 to 10.5 mm for Encyclia spatella. Encyclia aenicta is more often a terrestrial than an epiphyte and has less flair to the lip.

Synonyms *Epidendrum spatella Rchb. f. 1856

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Bonplandia Rchb.f 1856 as Epidendrum spatellum; *Beitrage Zur Orchideenkunde Von Colombia 27:137 Schlechter 1924 not; The Genus Encyclia in Mexico photo 65 Dressler & Pollard 1974; Flora Novo-Galaciana Vol 16 McVaugh 1985; The Cattleyas and Their Relatives vol IV pg 126 pl 64 Withner 1998; Cattleyas and Their Relatives Vol 5 Withner 1998 photo fide; Icones Orchidacearum 5 & 6 Orchids Of Mexico Parts 2 & 3 Plate 567 Hagsater, Soto 2002 drawing fide

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