Elleanthus cynarocephalus (Rchb. f.) Rchb. f. 1862
Photo by Weyman Bussey
Drawing by Oledrzynska 2023
THROUGH 
Common Name The Small Dog Head Elleanthus
Flower Size [2/5" [1 cm] Found in Peru Ecuador and Brazil in cloud and elfin forests at elevations of 40 to 3800 meters as a large sized, clumping, hot to cold growing epiphyte or litho-terrestrial with thick roots and stout stems enveloped basally by tubular sheaths that become basally clasping, long acuminate, distichous, alternate, plicate leaves that become bractlike apically on the stem and blooms in the spring through fall on a terminal, short, enveloped by membranceous sheaths, many flowered, capitate or subcapitate, racemose inflorescence with ovate, elliptic-ovate to oblong-ovate, long-acuminate, purplish, glabrous. longer than the ovary floral bracts and carrying an apical head of rather large, purplish flowers that are covered in a glutinous material.
CAUTION !!!! The photo above by Weyamn Bussey was taken in Mexico and accrding to Szlatchetko & Kolanowska 2023 only comes from Peru, Ecuador and Brazil. is not correct, it is most likely E capitatus. The drawing is more likely to be correct, An enigmatic species.
Growing alongside Sobralia macrantha near La Esperanza. The flower head is over 4" across.
" Distinguished by the rather small lip calli situated in the center of the cavity, the petals are .32 x .06 to .1" [8 x 1.5 to 2.5 mm] and the gynostemmium has a prominent protuberance above the middle. Both these characters separate it from Elleanthus sphaerocephalus which has petals .48 x .12" [12 x 3 mm] and the protuberance is placed below the middle of the gynostemium." Szlatchetko & Kolanowska 2023
Synonyms Bletia capitata R.Br. in W.T.Aiton 1813; Elleanthus capitatus (R.Br.) Cogn. 1910; Elleanthus casapensis (Rchb.f.) Rchb.f. 1862; Elleanthus cephalophorus (Rchb.f.) Rchb.f. 1862; Epidendrum capitatum Sessé & Moc. 1894; Evelyna capitata Poepp. & Endl. 1836; Evelyna casapensis Rchb.f. 1852; Evelyna cephalophora Rchb.f. 1852; *Evelyna cynarocephala Rchb. f. 1856
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
Bonplandia (Hannover) 4: 216 Rchb.f 1856 as Evelyna cynarocephala
* Ann. Bot. Syst. 6: 476 Rchb.f 1862;
The Orchids of Cuba Llamacho & Larramendi 2005 as Elleanthus capitatus;
Orchidaceae Antillanae Nir 2000 as Elleanthus capitatus;
Icones Planetarum Tropicarum Plate 672 Dodson 1982;
Native Ecuadorian Orchids Vol 2 Dodson 2002 as E capitatus;
Richardiana 11: 9 Dudek & Szlach 2010 as Evelyna cynarocephala;
Materials to the Orchid Flora of Colombia Vol IV:336 Szlatchetko & Kolanowska 2023 as Evelyna cynarocephala drawing fide
