Encyclia cordigera [HBK] Dressler 1964
Photo by © Jay Pfahl
Drawing By © Geraldo Salazar
and 
Common Name Large-lipped Encyclia - In Nicaragua - Flor de Encarnacion
Flower Size 3" [7.5 cm]
Found in Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, French Guiana, Surinam, Guyana, Sucre state of Venezuela, Brazil, Bolivar, BoyacaCasanare, Cesar and Santander departments of Colombia and Peru as a medium sized, bifoliate, hot to warm growing epiphyte, but can occasionally be lithophytic, occurring in dry forests, tropical rainforests and in dense scrub at an altitude of 0 to 900 meters with ovoid-pyriform, to subglobose pseudobulbs, subtended by a scarious sheaths in youth, sulcate with age and carrying 2 oblong-elliptic, obtuse, coriaceous, narrowing below into an elongate, narrow, petiole-like base leaves that blooms in the fall, winter and spring on an apical, with a short, basal bract, to 40' [100 cm] long, few to many flowered, racemose to paniculate inflorescence with much shorter than the pedicellate ovary floral bracts and carrying strongly fragrant, honey to vanilla scented, heavily textured, showy flowers.
This species has been called Epidendrum atropurpureum Willd. 1806 for years in absolute error and then Schlechter moved it to Encyclia atropurpurea in 1914. They are both actually synonyms of Psychilus atropurpureum. The name, *Cymbidium cordigerum Kunth 1815, which is now known as Encyclia cordigera, is the orchids that belongs with this species. Schlechter made a complete error in using the name Encyclia atropurpureum which actually described the Psychilus which was removed from Epidendrum by Sauleda in 1988 has larger [not near as large as E cordigera] purple flowers on a longer inflorescence and the plants have a similarity at first glance., but Schlechter ignored the fact that the Epidendrum atropurpureum he was using for the Cordigera plant was from the Dominican Republic and Haiti where Encyclia cordigera is not found.
This species is often found in conjunction with ants and may benefit from their presence.
Synonyms *Cymbidium cordigerum Kunth 1815; Encyclia atropurpurea var. leucantha Schlechter 1922; Encyclia atropurpurea var. rhodoglossa Schltr. 1922; Encyclia atropurpurea var.rosea [Batem.] Summerhayes 1957; Encyclia cordigera var rosea [Batem.] H.G.Jones 1969; Encyclia doeringii Hoehne; Encyclia duboisiana (Brongn. ex A. Rich.) Neumann 1845; Encyclia macrochila (Hook.) Neumann 1845; Epidendrum atropurpureum var. lionetianum Cogn. 1903; Epidendrum atropurpureum var. longilabre Cogn. 1903; Epidendrum atropurpureum var roseum [Batem.] Rchb.f 1854; Epidendrum cordigerum (Kunth) Foldats 1969; Epidendrum doeringii (Hoehne) A.D. Hawkes 1957; Epidendrum duboisianum Brongn.; Epidendrum longipetalum Godefroy-Lebeuf 1892; Epidendrum macrochilum Hook. 1836; ; Epidendrum macrochilum var. albopurpureum C. Morren 1846; Epidendrum macrochilum Hooker var roseum Batem. 1839
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Lankester's Epidendra Website CR ;
Nov. Gen. Sp. 1: 341 HBK 1816 as Cymbidium cordigerum;
Bot. Mag. 63: t. 3534 Hooker 1836 as Epidendrum macrochilum;
Bot. Mag. 63: t. 3534 Hooker 1836 as Epidendrum macrochilum drawing fide;
Nomencl. Bot., ed. 2, 2: 46 Lour. ex Steud. 1841 as Limodorum purpureum not validly publ.
The Orchids of Mexico and Guatemala Bateman 1843 as Epidendrum macrochilum var roseum
The Orchids of Mexico and Guatemala Bateman 1843 as Epidendrum macrochilum var roseum drawing fide;
Ann. Soc. Roy. Agric. Gand 2: 365, t. 86 C Morren 1846 as Epidendrum macrochilum var albopurpurea;
Rev. Hort. (Paris), sér. 2, 4: 137 Neumann 1846 as Encyclia macrochila;
Bonplandia Rchb.f 1854 as Epidendrum/Encyclium atropurpureum
Bonplandia 2:19 Rchb.f 1854 as Epidendrum/Encyclium atropurpureum var roseum
Bonplandia Rchb.f 1854 as Epidendrum/Encyclium atropurpureum;
Orchidophile (Argenteuil) 12: 257 God. Leb. 1892 as Epidendrum longipetalum nom. illeg.;
Die Orchideen Schlechter 1915 as E atropurpurea photo fide;
Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 6: 74 Schlechter 1919 as Encyclia atropurpurea;
Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 7: 253 Schlechter 1920 as E atropurpurea;
Atlas des Orchidees Cultivees Constantin 1920 as Epidendrum atropurpureum drawing fide;
Repert. Sp. Nov. Regni. Veg. Beih. 17: 45. Panama Schlechter 1922 as E atropurpurea;
Repert. Sp. Nov. Regni. Veg. Beih. 17: 45. Panama Schlechter 1922 as E atropurpurea var leucantha;
Repert. Sp. Nov. Regni. Veg. Beih. 17: 45. Panama Schlechter 1922 as E atropurpurea var rhodoglossa;
Repert. Sp. Nov. Regni. Veg. Beih. 19: 46. Costa Rica Schlechter 1923 as E atropurpurea;
Repert. Sp. Nov. Regni. Veg. Beih. 19: 130. Costa Rica Schlechter 1923 as E atropurpurea;
Repert. Sp. Nov. Regni. Veg. Beih. 19: 221. Costa Rica Schlechter 1923 as E atropurpurea;
Beitrage Zur Orchideenkunde Von Colombia 27:137 Schlechter 1924 as E atropurpurea;
Bot. Mus. Leafl. 3: 63 Ames, F.T.Hubb. & C.Schweinf. 1935 as Epidendrum atropurpureum var lacinatum;
The Orchids of Panama L.O. Williams & P Allen 1946 as E atropurpureum not description = E cordigera;
The Orchids of Panama L.O. Williams & P Allen 1946 as E atropurpureum var lacinatum not = E cordigera;
Arq. Bot. Estado São Paulo, n.s., f.m., 2: 24 Hoehne 1946 as Encyclia doeringii;
Orchids of Guatemala and Belize Ames and Correll 1952 as Epidendrum atropurpureum drawing fide;
Ceiba Vol 5 No 1 L O Williams 1956 as E atropurpureum not = E cordigera;
Bot. Mag. 171: t. 290 Summerhayes 1957 as Encyclia atropurpureum var rosea;
Orquídea (Rio de Janeiro) 18: 170 A D Hawkes 1957 as Epidendrum doeringii;
Orquideas de Mexico Wright 1958 as E atropurpureum photo fide;
AOS Bulletin Vol 29 #10 1960 as Epidendrum atropurpureum var roseum photo fide;
Native Orchids of Trinidad Schultes 1960 as Epidendrum atropurpureum;
AOS Bulletin Vol 30 No 4 1961 as Epidendrum atropurpureum photo fide;
Venezuelan Orchids Vol 2 Dunsterville & Garay 1961 as Epidendrum atropurpureum drawing fide;
AOS Bulletin Vol 32 # 10 1963 as Epidendrum atropurpureum Photo fide;
*Taxon 13: 247 Dressler 1964;
Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965 as Epidendrum atropurpureum Willd. not = Psychilus atropurpureum description fide for E cordigera;
AOS Bulletin Vol 35 No 10 1966 as Epidendrum atropurpureum photo fide;
AOS Bulletin Vol 36 # 9 1967 as Epidendrum atropurpureum;
AOS Bulletin VOl 38 No 6 1969 as Epidendrum atropurpureum;
Darwiniana 15: 23 H G Jones 1969 as E cordigera var rosea;
AOS Bulletin Vol 38 #10 1969 as Epidendrum atropurpureum drawing fide;
Bol. Soc. Venez. Ci. Nat. 28: 234 Foldats 1969 as Epidendrum cordigerum;
Orchid Digest Vol 34 #9 1970 as Epidendrum cordigerum drawing fide;
Flora de Venezuela Foldats Volumen XV Part 3 1970 as Epidendrum cordigera drawing fide;
Las Orquedias De El Salvador Vol 1 Hamer 1974 as Epidendrum cordigerum drawing/photo fide;
The Genus Encyclia in Mexico Dressler & Pollard 1974 photo fide;
Orchidaceae Brasilenses Pabst & Dungs 1975 as E doeringii drawing fide;
Die Orchideen 3 Auflage Bd 1 Sonderabdruck aus Schlechter Lieferung 10 576 - 632 Brieger, Maatsch and Senghas 1977 photo fide;
Orquideas de Colombia Ortiz 1978 drawing fide;
AOS Bulletin Vol 48 No 5 1979;
Orquídea (Mexico City), n.s., 7[3]: 1979;
Orchids of Venezuela, An Illustrated Field Guide Vol 1 Dunsterville & Garay 1979 as Epidendrum cordigerum drawing fide;
Orchid Digest Vol 44 No 2 1980;
Las Orquedias de El Salvador Vol 3 Hamer 1981 as Epidendrum cordigerum drawing fide;
Icones Planetarum Tropicarum Plate 688 Dodson 1982 drawing fide;
Orchid Digest Vol 47 No 3 1983 photo fide; An Introdution to the Orchids of Mexico Wiard 1987 as E cordigera photo fide;
Selbyana Vol 10 Orchids of Central America Hamer 1988 drawing fide; Icones Planetarum Tropicarum Series II Orchids of Peru Plate 0052 Dodson & Bennett 1989 drawing fide;
Icones Orchidacearum I Plate 17 Hasater & Salazar 1990 drawing fide;
Orchids Travel By Air A Pictoral Safari Mulder, Mulder-Roelfsema and Schuiteman 1990 photo fide;
Native Colombian Orchids Vol 2 COS 1991 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 56 No 4 1992 as E doeringii drawing fide; An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Orchids Pridgeon 1992 photo fide; Manual of Cultivated Orchid Species Bechtel, Cribb, & Launert 1992 photo fide; Icones Planetarum Tropicarum Plate 1424 Atwood 1992 drawing fide; Field Guide to the Orchids of Panama Dressler 1993 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 58 No 1 1994 photo fide; Manual Of Orchids Stewart 1995 drawing ok; Orchid DIgest Vol 60 #1 1996 photo fide; Venezuela, Paraiso de Orquideas Romero 1997 photo fide; Cattleyas and Their Relatives Vol 5 Withner 1998 photo ok; Cattleyas and Their Relatives Vol 5:104 Withner 1998 Encyclia cordigera f. leucantha; Guatemala Y Sus Orquideas Behar & Tinschert 1998 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 69 No 4 2000 photo fide; Botanicas Orchids Laurel Glen 2002 photo fide; Orchids of Venezuela [An illustrated field guide] Vol. 1 Ramiro and Carnevali 2000 drawing fide; Cattleyas and Their Relatives Vol VI Withner 2000 photo fide; Cattleyas and Their Relatives Vol VI Withner 2000 as E doeringii drawing ok; Icones Orchidacearum Peruviarum Plate 632 Bennett & Christenson 2001 drawing fide; Orquideas Nativas del Tachira Cesar Fernandez 2003 photo fide; Manual de Plantas de Costa Rica Hammel, Grayum, Herrera and Zamora 2003 drawing fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 72 No 5 2003 photo fide; Flora of the Venezuelan Guayana Vol 7 Steyermark, Berry, Yatskievych and Holst 2003 drawing ok; AOS Bulletin Vol 73 No 8 2004; Algunas Orquideas de Oaxaca Suarez 2004 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 74 No 5 2005 photo fide; Vanishing Beauty, Native Costa Rican Orchids Vol 1 Pupulin 2005 photo fide; Genera Orchidaceae Vol 4 Epidendroideae Part 1 Pridgeon, Cribb, Chase aand Rasmussen 2005 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 75 No 1 2006; AOS Bulletin Vol 75 No 8 2006 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 75 No 11 2006 as Epidendrum atropureum drawing fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 76 No 1 2007 photo fide; Orchid Species of Peru Zelenko Bermudez 2009 photo fide; Orchids of Costa Rica Vol 1 Morales 2009 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 80 #7 2011 photo fide; Las Orquideas del Peru Izerskyy & Bezverhov 2011 photo fide; Orchids of French Guiana Szlachetko, Veyret etal 2012 drawing/photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 83 #1 2013 photo fide; Le Petit Larousse des Orquidees Lecoufle, Bartholemy and Scmidtt 2013 photo fide; Guia de Orquideas de Chiapas Carlos Rommel Beutelspacher Baigts 2013 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 78 #3 2014 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 83 #4 2014 photo fide; Orchid Flora of the Greater Antilles Ackerman 2014 as E atropurpurea [E cordigera] an excluded species; Orchids of the Darien Gap Kolanowska 2014 drawing/photo fide; Orchids of Tropical America Meisel 2014 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 80 #2 2016; AOS Bulletin Vol 85 #11 2016 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 86 #2 2017 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 86 #5 2017 photo fide; Orchid Genera and Species in Guatemala Archila, Szlachchetko, Chiron, Lipinska, Mystkowska and Bertolini 2018; Materials to the Orchid Flora of Colombia Vol IV:379 Szlatchetko & Kolanowska 2023 drawing/photo fide;
Encyclia cordigera var rosea [Batem.] H.G.Jones 1969 Photos by © Jay Pfahl Plant and Flowers in situ Mexico Another Plant and Flowers in situ Mexico Photos by © Jesus Cid
A beautiful variety from Colombia.
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
The Orchids of Mexico and Guatemala Bateman 1843 as E macrochilum var roseum The Orchids of Mexico and Guatemala Bateman 1843 as E macrochilum var roseum drawing fide; Bonplandia 2:110 Rchb.f 1854 as Epidendrum atropurpureum var roseum; AOS Bulletin Vol 29 #10 1960 photo fide; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965 as Epidendrum atropurpureum fma roseum Cattleyas and Their Relatives Vol 5 Withner 1998 photo fide; Guatemala Y Sus Orquideas Behar & Tinschert 1998 photo fide; Vanishing Beauty, Native Costa Rican Orchids Vol 1 Pupulin 2005 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 77 #7 2008 photo fide; Orchids of Costa Rica Vol 1 Morales 2009 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 85 #5 2016 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 86 #4 2017 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 86 #5 2017 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 88 #4 2019 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 88 #9 2019 photo fide; Materials to the Orchid Flora of Colombia Vol IV:426 Szlatchetko & Kolanowska 2023 as Guariananthe deckeri photo fide;
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![Encyclia cordigera var rosea [Batem.] H.G.Jones 1969](orphotdir/encycordigeravarroseum.jpg){kind=link}
