Pollardia tripunctata [Lindl] Withner & Harding 2004 Photos by © Eric Hunt and His Orchid Website

Plant and Flowers Photo courtesy of Rick Barry

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Common Name The Three Spot Pollardia [refers to the three Calli on the Column]

Flower Size 1 1/4" to 1 1/2" [3 to 4 cm]

A small sized, warm to cool growing, epiphytic, deciduous species found on oaks at altitudes of 1200 to 2000 meters that is endemic to Nayarit, Jaslisco, Guerrero, Mexico, Morelos, and Oaxaca states of Mexico with ovoid to ovoid-ellipsoid, slightly compressed, closely clustered pseudobulbs partially enveloped basally by a few scarious sheaths and carrying 2 to 3, apical, narrowly elliptic, acute to obtuse, gradually narrowing below into the conduplicate, basally clasping leaves that are deciduous in the winter and starts a new growth in the spring as well as blooms on an old leafless growth in the spring and early summer on an apical, 1 1/2" [4 cm] long, 1 to 5, fragrant flowered inflorescence that is the length of the leaves or less, arising from the apice of an older leafless, ellipsoid to ovoid pseudobulb as a new growth appears. Mounting on branches or treefern seems to be the way to go and they need a slightly cooler and drier winter.

Synonyms Encyclia diguetii (Ames) Hoehne 1952; Encyclia tripunctata (Lindl.) Dressler 1961; Epidendrum diguetii Ames 1922; Epidendrum micropus Rchb. f. 1863; *Epidendrum tripunctatum Lindl. 1841; Prosthechea tripunctata [Lindl] Higgins 1997; Pseudencyclia tripunctata (Lindl.) V.P.Castro & Chiron 2003

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; AOS Bulletin Vol 28 No 8 1959 photo as Epidendrum tripunctatum; AOS Bulletin Vol 33 no 5 1964; Flora Novo-Galaciana Vol 16 McVaugh 1985 as Encyclia tripunctata; Icones Orchidacearum I Plate 24 Hagsater & Salazar 1990 as Encyclia tripunctata drawing fide; *The Cattleya and Their Relatives Vol 7 The Debateable Epidendrum Withner & Harding 2004 photo fide;

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