Encyclia sclerocladia (Lindl. ex Rchb. f.) Hoehne 1952

LCDP TYPE Photo of E rhizomatosa by © Luis Ocupa-Horna

Common Name The Stiff-Stalked Encyclia

Flower Size .8" [2 cm]

Found only in Peru at elevations around 650 meters near the river Maranon as a medium sized, warm growing epiphyte with ovoid, generally grooved and wrinkled, shriveled, pale green to dark green brown pseudobulbs enveloped completely in youth by imbricate, nervose, grey sheaths and carrying 2, apical, fairly thick, rigid, elliptic, bilobed and rounded apically, gradually narrowing below into the conduplicate base leaves that blooms in the spring on a green to brown-green, paniculate, to 24" [60 cm] long, 20 to 40 flowered inflorescence with asperous ovaries and flower stalk and carrying subtly and sweetly fragrant flowers.

This species and Enc bradfordii from Venezuela have been put as synomonous at times by various sources but it is felt because of lip outlines in particular that they are most likely separate species and maybe that is where the references for Venezuela come from.

CAUTION!!! I cannot be sure if this determination is correct, Kew has E rhizomatosa as a synonym of this specis and the photo is the LCDP type for that species but it differs greatly from Dunsterville's [= E isochila] and Foldat's drawings but I cannot be sure that they are correct as most authorities place this species solely in Peru. I await better references!

Synonyms Epidendrum sclerocladium Lindl. ex Rchb. f. 1856

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

Stevens's Auction Cat. 1853(19-20 May): n.° 60 Lindl. 1853 as Epidendrum sclerocladia;

Bonplandia Rchb.f 1853 as Epidendrum sclerocladium;

* Arq. Bot. Estado São Paulo, n.s., f.m., 2: 155 Hoehne 1952;

Orchids of Peru Vol 2 Fieldiana Schweinfurth 1959 as Epidendrum sclerocladium;

Venezuelan Orchids Illustrated Vol 1 Dunsterville & Garay 1959 as Epidendrum sclerocladia drawing not = E isochila;

Flora de Venezuela Foldats Volumen XV Part 3 1970 as Epidendrum sclerocladium Drawing hmm;

Cattleyas and Their Relatives Vol VI Withner 2000 photo fide;

Las Orquideas del Peru Izerskyy & Bezverhov 2011 photo fide

Syst. Bot. 45: 15 Tamayo-Cen, Carnevali & G.A.Romero 2020 as E rhizomatosa nom. superfl. photos fide

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