Encyclia meliosma (Rchb. f.) Schltr. 1918
Photo by © Jay Pfahl
Photo by © Patricia Harding
Drawing by © R Solano
to EARLY 
Common Name Honey-sweet Encyclia - In Mexico - Trompillo Amarillo
Flower Size 1" [2.5 cm]
Found in Jalisco, Michoacan, Guerrero, Mexico, Morelos and Oaxaca states of Mexico, at elevations of 300 to 1500 meters in elevation , as a medium sized, hot to cool growing epiphyte in trees on dry hillsides with subspherical to ovoid-conical pseudobulbs carrying 1 to 2, apical, ligulate to elliptic-ligulate, acute or obtuse leaves that blooms in the spring and early summer on an apical, to 40" [to 1 m] long, branched, many flowered inflorescence carrying occasionally fragrant flowers
This species and Encyclia spatella and Encyclia aenicta are all very close in most characteristics and are certainly related, Dressler & Pollard separate them essentially by the lip being acuminate [ending in a point] the length of the column .22" to .28" [5.5 to 7 mm] for E meliosma the lip being obtuse, retuse or mucronate and the column measuring between .28 to ..42" [7 to 10.5 mm] for Encyclia spatella. Encyclia aenicta is more often a terrestrial than an epiphyte and has less flair to the lip.
"The most closely related species is E. rzedowskiana , from coastal Oaxaca, with speckled-marbled tepa!s, paler flowers, narrower lip, almost odorl ess flowers, and a not spreading inflorescence; both taxa seem to be allopatric." M Soto 2002
Synonyms *Epidendrum meliosmum Rchb. f. 1869
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
Gard. Chron. 1869: 989 Rchb.f 1869 as Epidendrum meliosma
* Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 36(2): 472 Schlechter 1918
Repert. Sp. Nov. Regni. Veg. Beih. 19: 46. Costa Rica Schlechter 1923;
Repert. Sp. Nov. Regni. Veg. Beih. 19: 131. Costa Rica Schlechter 1923;
Repert. Sp. Nov. Regni. Veg. Beih. 19: 222. Costa Rica Schlechter 1923;
The Genus Epidendrum Ames 1936 as Epidendrum meliosmum;
Orchid Digest Vol 34 #4 1970 as Epidendrum meliosma drawing/photo fide;
The Genus Encyclia in Mexico Dressler & Pollard 1974 photo fide;
Orquedias Michoacanas Photo pg 37 Lapiner 1979;
Flora Novo-Galaciana Vol 16 McVaugh 1985;
Manual Of Orchids Stewart 1995;
The Cattleyas and Their Relatives VolV Withner 1998 photo fide;
Icones Orchidacearum 5 & 6 Orchids Of Mexico Parts 2 & 3 Plate 563 Hagsater, Soto 2002 drawing fide;
Orchids of Mexico Hagsater, Soto, Salazar, Jimenez, Lopez & Dressler 2005;
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