Encylia nematocaulon (A. Rich.) Acuña 1939

TYPE Drawing by © Sagra/A Rich. 1850

LATE

Common Name The Thread-Stemmed Encyclia

Flower Size 1.2" [3 cm]

Found only in Pinar del Rio province of Cuba [See caution below] in dry scrub and tropical deciduous forests and occurs below the altitude of 200 meters as a small sized, hot growing epiphytic species with a single leaf is with clustered, conical pseudobulbs carrying a single, apical, narrowly linear leaf and blooms in late spring on the last seasons pseudobulb with an apical, erect, to 12" [30 cm] long, simple or branched, loosely 4 to 14 flowered inflorescence that is longer than the leaves carrying flowers with smooth, pedicel, ovary and capsules .

CAUTION!!!!!

For years this species in literature has represented another species which now has been found to really be Encyclia xipheres, a mainland species from Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras describd by Reichenbach in 1853 and has a very warty, almost spiny pedicel, ovary and capsule. The species originally described as E nematocaulon did not have these features and can easily been seen in the type drawing above that the pedicel, ovary and capsules are smooth. Seems to be a fairly major feature that Sagra would not have missed in his drawing . I have not seen the type publication so can make no real determintion as to the text above but the drawing is absolutely correct. Please use all my written info on this species with extreme caution!!!

Synonyms *Epidendrum nematocaulon A. Rich. 1850

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

Hist. Fis. Cuba, Bot. 11: 238 A Rich. 1850 as Epidendrum nematocaulon;

Symbolae Antillanae Vol VI Orchidaceae Urban 1909 as Epidendrum nemeatocaulon;

*Bol. Estaçión Exp. Agron. Santiago de las Vegas 60: 77 Acuña 1939

The Cattleyas and Their Relatives Vol 4 Withner 1996 photo not = E xipheres/drawing fide;

The Cattleyas and Their Relatives Vol 5 Withner 1998 photo not = E xipheres;

Harvard Pap. Bot. 5 #2: Carnevali etal. 2001 ?;

Orchidaceae Antillanae Nir 2000 drawing fide;

Orchid Flora of the Greater Antilles Ackerman 2014;

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