Encyclia spiritusanctensis L.C. Menezes 1991
Photos by © Mauro Rosim of Brazil
Drawing by © V P Castro
to
Common Name Espirito Santo Encyclia [A state in Brazil just north of Rio De Janiero]
Flower Size 2" [5 cm]
Found in Espirito Santo state of Brazil at elevations around 500 meters as a lithophyte on rock outcroppings in full sun with ovate-elongate pseudobulbs enveloped basally by several evanescent, imbricating sheaths and carries 2 to 4 apical, coriaceous, narrowly lanceolate, cymbidiform leaves and blooms in the summer in Brazil, fragrant flowers on a terminal, erect, 56" [140 cm] to 112" [to 280 cm] long, racemose rarely with lateral branches , up to 10 flowered inflorescence with small, triangular, shorter tha the pedicel floral bracts.
This species is similar to E advena but differs in being lithophytic, the longer rhizome, a very long racemose [rarely branched] inflorescence and carrying larger flowers, with a purple color to the floral segments and a very large, subquadrate midlobe of the lip. E advena is an epiphyte, with a shorter rhizome, always a paniculate inflorescence, smaller brown colored flowers.
Synonyms Encyclia megalantha var spiritusanctensis Menzes 1990;
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
* Bol. CAOB 3(1): 17 L C Menezes 1990
Orchid Digest Vol 55 No 1 1991 photo fide;
Orchid Digest Vol 56 No 4 1992 photo fide;
Cattleyas and Their Relatives Vol VI Withner 2000 photo fide;
Icones Orchidacearum Brasilenses Vol I Plate 001 Castro & Campacci 2000 drawing ok;
Coletanea de Orquideas Brasileiras 1 Encyclias Campacci 2003 photo fide;
Boletim CAOB 69/70 2008 photo fide;
Orchidees Du Bresil As Orchideas da Serra Do Castello Vol 3 Chiron & Bolsanello 2013 drawing/photo fide;
Orchids of Tropical America Meisel 2014 photo good;
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
