Encyclia lorata Dressler & G.E. Pollard 1974
Photo by © Robert Weyman Bussey
Photo by © John Denton and his Cattleya Orchid Source Website
Drawing by © R Jimenez and Icones Orchidacearum 5 & 6 Orchids Of Mexico Parts 2 & 3 Plate 562 Hagsater, Soto 2002
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Common Name Strap-Lobed Encyclia [refers to the narrow strap like lobes of the lip]
Flower Size 1 3/4" [4.5 cm]
Found in Guerrero state of Mexico in wet pine-oak forests of around 1875 to 2100 meters in elevation as a rare, small sized, cool to cold growing epiphytic species with subglobose, somewhat wrinkled, clustered pseudobulbs carrying 2, apical, lanceolate-elliptic to narrowly elliptic, acute to subobtuse, rigid, coriaceous, fleshy, dark green, conduplicate below into the clasping base leaves that blooms in the spring and summer on an apical, simple or few branched, warty, 8 to 9 flowered inflorescence that is shorter than the leaves.
"Encyclia lorata is recognized by the next combination of traits: warty inflorescence and ovary, greenish flowers lined with purplish-brown, cream-colored lip, red-reddish anther, narrow strap-like lateral lobes of the lip (from which the specific name originates), and the midlobe of the lip 5-keeled. It is related to Encyclia tuerckheimii, which has larger plants, longer inflorescence, more acuminate tepals, oblong-obovate lateral lobes of the lip, and narrower, acuminate, 3-keeled lip midlobe." Hagsater, Soto 2002
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
Orquidea (Mexico City), n.s., 3: 311 Dressler & G.E. Pollard 1974
The Genus Encyclia in Mexico Dressler & Pollard 1976 photo fide;
Cattleyas and Their Relatives Vol 5 Withner 1998 photo fide;
Icones Orchidacearum 5 & 6 Orchids Of Mexico Parts 2 & 3 Plate 562 Hagsater, Soto 2002 drawing fide;
Orchids of Mexico Hagsater, Soto, Salazar, Jimenez, Lopez & Dressler 2005
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