!Anacheilium cochleatum Hoffmannsegg 1842
Plant in situ with flowers in Dominican Republic
Photos by Jay Pfahl
Drawing By © Fritz Hamer
To 
and 
Common Name Clamshell or Cockle Shell Anacheilium - Octopus Orchid - In Cuba Orquidea negra
Flower Size to 3 1/2" [to 8.75 cm]
Found in Florida, Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Bahamas, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Cayman Islands, Leewards, Puerto Rica, Windwards, French Guiana, Surinam, Guyana, Venezuela and Colombia in dense tropical evergreen, deciduous and oak forests at altitudes up to 1900 meters as a medium sized, warm to cool growing epiphyte with smooth, ovoid to oblong-elliptic, compressed pseudobulbs partially enveloped basally by several, imbricate, scarious sheaths with 2 to 3, apical, elliptic, acute, gradually narrowing below, basally clasping leaves and can bloom for 6 months starting in the spring with an apical, erect, short to 15" [to 37.5 cm], few to many flowered, racemose inflorescence with a basal sheath that has successive opening, non-fragrant to spicy scented flowers.
They require even water and fertilizer throughout the year.
People have been known to eat the cooked pseudobulbs.
Synonyms Aulizeum cochleatum [L.] Lindley 1892; Encyclia cochleata [L.] Lemee 1955; Encyclia lancifolia (Pav. ex Lindl.) Dressler & G.E. Pollard 1971 *Epidendrum cochleatum L. 1763; Epidendrum cochleatum var. costaricense Schltr. 1923; Epidendrum cochleatum var. grandiflorum Mutel 1838; Epidendrum cochleatum var. pallidum Lindl.; Epidendrum lancifolium Pav. ex Lindl. 1853; Hormidium cochleatum [L.] Breiger 1977; Phaedrosanthus cochleatus O.Ktze. 1904; Prosthechea cochleata (L.) W. E. Higgins 1997
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
Lankester's Epidendra Website CR as Prosthechea cochleata;
Sp. Pl., ed. 2.: 1351 L 1763 as Epidendrum cochleatum;
Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl.: 98 Lindley 1831 Epidendrum lancifolium not validly publ. Mém. Soc. Roy. Centr. Agric. Dépt. N. 1838: 86 Mutel 1838 as Epidendrum cochleatum var grandiflorum; *Verz. Orchid.: 21 Hoffman 1842; Fol. Orchid. 3: 41 Lindley 1853 as Epidendrum cochleatum var pallidum;
Bonplandia Rchb.f 20 1854 as Epidendrum cochleatum; Bonplandia Rchb.f 1856 as Epidendrum lancifolium; Symbolae Antillanae Vol VI Orchidaceae Urban 1909 as Epidendrum cochleatum; Flora of Jamaica Fawcett & Rendle 1910 as Epidendrum cochleatum; Die Orchideen Schlechter 1915 as Epidendrum cochleatum; Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 6: 68 Schlechter 1919 as Epidendrum cochleatum; Atlas des Orchidees Cultivees Constantin 1920 as Epidendrum cochleatum drawing fide; Repert. Sp. Nov. Regni. Veg. Beih. 19: 118. Costa Rica Schlechter 1923 as Encyclia cochleatum var costaricense; Repert. Sp. Nov. Regni. Veg. Beih. 19: 211. Costa Rica Schlechter 1923 as Epidendrum cochleatum; The Genus Epidendrum Ames 1936 as Epidendrum cochleatum; The Genus Epidendrum Ames 1936 as Epidendrum lancifolium; Flore Descriptive des Antilles Francaises H. Stehle 1939 as Epidendrum cochleatum; The Orchids of Panama L.O. Williams & P Allen 1946 as Epidendrum cochleatum; Ceiba Vol 5 No 1 L O Williams 1956 as Epdidenrum cochleatum; AOS Bulletin Vol 30 No 9 1961 as Epidendrum cochleatum; Brittonia 13: 264 Dressler 1961 as Encyclia cochleata AOS Bulletin Vol 31 No 3 1962 as Epidenrum cochleatum; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965 as Epidendrum cochleatum; Venezuelan Orchids Vol 4 Dunsterville & Garay 1966 as Epidendrum cochleatum drawing fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 36 #4 1967 as Epidendrum cochleatum; AOS Bulletin Vol 36 #7 1967 as Epidendrum cochleatum photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 36 #9 1967 as Epidendrum cochleatum; Flora de Venezuela Foldats Volumen XV Part 3 1970 as Epidendrum cochleatum drawing fide; Phytologia 21: 437 Dressler & G E Pollard 1971 as Encyclia cochleata; The Native Orchids of Florida Luer 1972 as Encyclia cochleata drawing/photos fide; Las Orquedias de El Salvador Vol 1 Hamer 1974 as Epidendrum cocleatum drawing/photo fide; Flora of the Lesser Antilles Garay & Sweet 1974 as Epidendrum cochleatum Flora of the Lesser Antilles Garay & Sweet 1974 as Epidendrum cochleatumdrawing fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 44 #8 1975 as Encyclia cochleata; Orcidaceae Brasilensis Pabst & Dungs 1975 as Epidendrum cochleatum; The Genus Encyclia in Mexico Dressler & Pollard 1976 as Encyclia cochleata; Die Orchideen 3 Auflage Bd 1 Sonderabdruck aus Schlechter Lieferung 9 513 - 576 Brieger, Maatsch and Senghas 1977 as Hormidium cochleatum drawing fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 48 No 5 1979 as Encyclia cochleata; Orquídea (Mexico City), n.s., 7[3]: 1979 as Encyclia cochleata; Orchids of Venezuela, An Illustrated Field Guide Vol 1 Dunsterville & Garay 1979 as Epidendrum cochleatum drawing fide; Las Orquedias de El Salvador Vol 3 Hamer 1981 as Epidendrum cocleatum drawing fide; Icones Planetarum Tropicarum Plate 687 Dodson 1982 as Encyclia cochleata drawing fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 54 No 4 1985 as Encyclia cochleata photo fide; Flora Novo-Galaciana Vol 16 McVaugh 1985 as Encyclia lancifolia; Orchids of Guatemala and Belize Ames and Corell 1985 as Epidendrum cocleata; AOS Bulletin Vol 55 No 3 1986 as Encyclia cochleata photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 56 No 1 1987 as Encyclia cochleata photo fide; An Introdution to the Orchids of Mexico Wiard 1987 as Encyclia cochleata photo fide; An Introdution to the Orchids of Mexico Wiard 1987 as Encyclia lancifolia photo fide; Selbyana Vol 10 Orchids of Central America Hamer 1988 as Encyclia cochleata drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum I Plate 16 Salazar 1990 as Encyclia cochleata drawing fide; Orchids Travel By Air A Pictoral Safari Mulder, Mulder-Roelfsema and Schuiteman 1990 as Encyclia cochleata photo fide; Manual of Cultivated Orchids Bechtel, Cribb, Launert 1992 as Encyclia cochleata photo fide; A Field Guide to the Orchids of Costa Rica and Panama Dressler 1993 as Encyclia cocleata; AOS Bulletin Vol 63 No 5 1994 as Encyclia cochleata photo fide; Native Orchids of Colombia Vol 5 COS 1994 as Encyclia cochleata photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 64 No 6 1995 Photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 64 No 11 1995 as Encyclia cochleata photo fide; Manual of Orchids Stewart 1995 as Encyclia cochleata; An Orchid Flora Of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands Ackerman 1995 as Encyclia cocleata drawing fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 66 No 5 1997 as Encyclia cochleata photo fide; Venezuela, Paraiso de Orquideas Romero 1997 as Encyclia cochleata photo fide; Phytologia 82: 376 W E Higgins 1997 publ. 1998 as Prosthechea cochleata; Guatemala Y Sus Orquideas Behar & Tinschert 1998 as Encyclia cochleata photo fide; Orchids of Venezuela [An illustrated field guide] Vol. 3 Ramiro and Carnevali 2000 as Prosthechea cochleata drawing fide; Orchid Australia Vol 12 No 2 2000 photo; Harvard Pap. Bot. 5 #2: Carnevali etal. 2001;
AOS Bulletin Vol 71 No 4 2002 photo fide; Moscosoa 13:118 2002
as Prosthechea cochleata photo fide; Fl. N. America 26: 614 Hagsater 2002 as Prosthechea cochleata var triandra; Botanica's Orchids Laurel Glenn 2002 as Protheschea cochleata; Australian Orchid Review Vol 68 No 6 2003 photo fide; Manual de Plantas de Costa Rica Vol 3 Hammel, Grayum, Herrera and Zamora 2003 as Prosthechea cochleata; The Cattleyas and Their Relatives, the Debateable Epidendrum Withner and Harding 2004 photo fide; Algunas Orquideas de Oaxaca Suarez 2004 as Prosthechea cochleata photo fide; Flora's Orchids Nash & La Croix 2005 as Protheschea cochleata; AOS Bulletin Vol 74 No 2 2005 as Encyclia cochleata photo fide; The Orchids of Cuba Llamacho & Larimendi 2005 as Prosthechea cochleata photo fide; Orquideas de la Serrania del Baudo Misas Urreta 2005 as Prosthechea cochleata drawing/photo not - A chacoensis; AOS Bulletin Vol 75 No 3 2006 as Prosthechea cochleata photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 75 No 8 2006 as Prosthechea cochleata photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 75 No 10 2006 as Prosthechea cochleata photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 76 #10 2007 drawing fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 77 #1 2008 as Prosthechea cochleata photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 77 No 8 2008 drawing fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 77 No 9 2008 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 77 no 10 2008 as Prosthechea cocleata photo fide; Richardiana 8: 30 Christenson 2008 as Prothechea cochleata; Richardiana 8: 30 Christenson 2008 as Prothechea cochleata var grandiflora; Orchids of Costa Rica Vol 2 Morales 2009 as Prosthechea cochleata photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 76 #1 2012 as Prosthechea cocleata photo fide; Guia de Orquideas de Chiapas Carlos Rommel Beutelspacher Baigts 2013 as Prosthechea cochleata photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 78 #1 2014 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 84 #3 2015 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 80 #2 2016 as Prosthechea cocleata; AOS Bulletin Vol 85 #3 2016 as Epidendrum lancifolium drawing fide; ; AOS Bulletin Vol 85 #3 2016 as Epidendrum cochleatum drawing fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 85 #4 2016 as Prosthechea cocchleata photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 85 #7 2016 as Prosthechea cochleata photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 85 #8 2016 as Prosthechea cochleata photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 85 #11 2016 as Prosthechea cochleata photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 86 #6 2017 as Prosthechea cochleata photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 86 # 7 2017 as Prosthechea cochleata photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 82 #2 2018 as Prosthechea cochleata Photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 87 #10 2018 as Prosthechea cochleata photo fide; Orchid Genera and Species in Guatemala Archila, Szlachchetko, Chiron, Lipinska, Mystkowska and Bertolini 2018 as Prosthechea cochleata; Orchid Digest Vol 83 #3 2019 as Prosthechea cochleata photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 89 #1 2020 as Prosthechea cocleata photo fide; Vanishing Beauty, Native Costa Rican Orchids Vol 2 Lacaena to Pteroglossa Pupulin 2020 as Prosthechea cochleata photo fide; Materials to the Orchid Flora of Colombia Vol IV:412 Szlatchetko & Kolanowska 2023 drawing/photo fide;
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Anacheilium cochleatum var. alba [L.] Hoffmannsegg 1842 References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
AOS Bulletin Vol 56 No 1 1987 photo fide; Australian Orchid Review Vol 68 No 6 2003 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 74 No 5 2005 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 79 #1 2010 as Prosthechea cocleata photo fide;
Anacheilium cochleatum var. triandrum (Ames) Sauleda & Wunderlin & B.F. Hansen 1986 Common Name The Three Anthered Encyclia
Flower Size to 2 1/2" [to 6.25 cm]
This variety occuring in Florida, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic has 3 anthers instead of the normal 2 and the flowers and plants are smaller.
Synonyms Anacheilium cochleatum var. triandrum (Ames) Sauleda & Wunderlin & B.F. Hansen 1986; Encyclia cochleata f. albidoflava P.M.Br. 1995; Encyclia cochleata subsp. triandra (Ames) Hágsater 1994; Encyclia cochleata var. triandra (Ames) Dressler 1961; *Epidendrum cochleatum var triandrum Ames 1904; Epidendrum triandrum (Ames) House 1906; Epidendrum cochleatum var. triandrum Ames 1904; Prosthechea cochleata f. albidoflava (P.M.Br.) P.M.Br. 1998; Prosthechea cochleata subsp. triandra (Ames) Nir 2000; Prosthechea cochleata var. triandra (Ames) W.E. Higgins; Prosthechea cochleata var. triandra (Ames) Hágsater 2002; AOS Bulletin Vol 77 no 1 2008 photo
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
Contr. Ames Bot. Lab. 1: 16 Ames 1904 as Epidendrum cochleatum var triandrum; Muhlenbergia 1: 129 House 1906 Epidendrum triandrum;
Man. S.E. Fl.: 392 Small 1933 as Anacheilium cochleatum triandrum; The Genus Epidendrum Ames 1936 as Epidendrum cochleatum var triandrum; Brittonia 13: 253 Dressler 1961 as Encyclia cochleata var triandra; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965 as Epidendrum cochleatum var triandrum; AOS Bulletin Vol 50 No 5 1981 as Encyclia cochleata var triandra photo fide; Phytologia 56: 308 Sauleda, Wunderlin & B.F.Hansen 1984 as Anacheilium cochleatum var triandrum; AOS Bulletin Vol 56 No 1 1987 photo; Moscosoa 7: 153 Donald Dod 1993 ; Orquídea (Méx.) 13(1-2): 215-218.Hagsater 1993 as Encyclia cochleata subsp triandra; N. Amer. Native Orchid J. 1: 132 P M Brown 1995 as Encyclia cochleata f albidoflava; N. Amer. Native Orchid J. 4: 52 P M Brown 1998 as Prosthechea cocheata f albidoflava; species name not validly published. Orchid. Antill.: 407 Nir 2000 Prosthechea cochleata subsp triandra; --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
