Encyclia perplexa (Ames, F.T.Hubb. & C.Schweinf.) Dressler & G.E.Pollard 1971

TYPE Drawing of E porrecta by © R.Adams & P.J.Cribb 1985

LATE

Common Name The Perplexing Encyclia [refers to its similarity to many other similar species]

Flower Size

Found in Vera Cruz state of Mexico and Belize in wet broadleaved forests at elevations of 720 to 950 meters as a large sized, warm growing epiphyte with clustered, pyriform, pseudobulbs enveloped in youth by fibrous-scarioussheaths and carrying 3, apical, linear-lanceolate to linear, obtuse, rigid, dark green, coriaceous leaves that blooms in the late summer and fall on a more or less erect, terminal, peduncle provided with several bracts, loosely paniculate, branches fractiflex, verrucose, each branch to 2.8" 7 cm] long, 22 to 32" [55 to 80 cm] long, many flowered inflorescence with triangular, much shorter than the pedicel floral bracts and carrying faintly fragrant flowers

"E. perplexa is closely related to Encyclia ceratistes and Encyclia chloroleuca but differs from these and allied species in the exceptionally small flowers with porrect petals. It is further distinguished from E. ceratistes by having well-developed, subquadrate wings on the short column and from E. ehloroleuca by the verrucose inflorescence, branches and ovaries. The large, branched inflorescence immediately sets E. perplex apart from such species as Encyclia gravida and Encyclia asperula ." R.Adams & P.J.Cribb 1985 as E porrecta

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

Bot. Mus. Leafl. 3: 108 Ames, F.T.Hubb. & C.Schweinf. 1935 as Epidendrum oncidioides var perplexum

Arq. Bot. Estado São Paulo, n.s., f.m., 2(6): 154 Hoehne 1952 as E oncidioides var perplexa;

* Phytologia 21: 437 Dressler & G.E.Pollard 1971;

Kew Bull. 40: 638 B.R.Adams & P.J.Cribb 1985 as E porrecta

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