Pollardia michuacana [La Llave & Lex] Withner & Harding 2004
Photo by © Julio Valdez Partida
Photo by © Weyman Bussey
Flower Closeup, in situ Mexico 6/07
Inflorescence and plant in situ
Photos by Edouard Faria
Drawing By © R Jimenez/Hagsater & Soto
Common Name The Michoacan Pollardia [A Mexican State]
Flower Size to about 1" [to about 2.5 cm]
Found in Michoacan, Mexico, Morelos, Guerrero, Oaxaca, Hidalgo, Vera Cruz, and Chiapas states of Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras in dry forests at 1500 to 2800 meters in elevation as a medium to large sized, cool to cold growing terrestrial or lithophyte with ovoid to pyriform, clustered pseudobulbs carrying 2 to 3, apical, elliptic-lanceolate to ligulate, acute leaves that can flower throughout the year on an apical, 5 1/2' [2 m] long, branched, many flowered inflorescence carrying fleshy long-lived, non-scented flowers.
"This is the Prosthechea species with the largest pseudobulbs and the tallest inflorescences. The panicle is usually less than 39.3" [1 meter] in height, but one as high as 82.7" [2.1 meters] has been recorded. Although closely related to Pollardia concolor and Pollardia punctulata this plant is always terrestrial or rupiculous with 2 to 4 leaves, and much larger in size. The shape of the midlobe of the lip is quite variable. Much of the published literature seems to include traits of P. punctulata.
Synonyms Encyclia amabilis Schlechter 1918; Encyclia icthyphylla (Ames) Hoehne 1952; Encyclia michuacana (La Llave & Lex.) Schltr 1918; Encyclia virgata (Lindl.) Schltr. 1914; Epidendrum ichthyphyllum Ames 1923; *Epidendrum michuacanum La Llave & Lex. 1825; Epidendrum sphaerobulbon A. Rich & Gal. ?; Epidendrum virgatum Lindl. 1840; Epidendrum virgatum var pallens Rchb.f 1865; Prosthechea michuacana (La Llave & Lex.) W.E. Higgins 1997; Pseudencyclia michuacana (Lex.) V.P.Castro & Chiron 2003
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
Nov. Veg. Descr. 2(Orchid. Opusc.): 26 Lexara 1825 as Epidendrum michuacanum;
J. Bot. (Hooker) 3: 83 Lindley 1841 as Epidendrum vigatum nom. illeg.
Bonplandia (Hannover) 4: 326 Rchb.f 1856 as Epidendrum virgatum var pallens;
Orchideen Beschreib. Kult. Zücht.: 212 Schlechter 1914 as Encyclia virgata;
Die Orchideen Schlechter 1915 as Encyclia virgata;
Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 36(2): 472 Schlechter 1918 as Encyclia micuacana
Schedul. Orchid. 2: 28 Ames 1923 as Epidendrum ichthyphylla;
The Genus Epidendrum Ames 1936 as Epidendrum virgatum;
Arq. Bot. Estado São Paulo, n.s., f.m., 2: 152 Hoehne 1952 as Encyclia ichthyphylla,
Ceiba Vol 5 No 1 L O Williams 1956 as Epidendrum virgatum;
Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965 as Epidendrum virgatum;
Las Orquedias De El Salvador Vol 1 Hamer 1974 as Epidendrum virgatum drawing/photo fide;
Las Orquedias de El Salvador Vol 3 Hamer 1981 as Epidendrum virgatum drawing fide;
Flora Novo-Galaciana Vol 16 McVaugh 1985 as excluded species Encyclia michuacana;
ORQUIDEA (Méx. ) 10 (1) ABRIL 1986 as Encyclia michuacana photo fide;
Selbyana Vol 10 Orchids of Central America Hamer 1988 as Encyclia michuacana drawing fide;
Phytologia 82: 379 W E Higgins 1997 publ. 1998 as Prosthechea michuacana;
Orquideas del Estado de Morelos ORQUÍDEA (MÉX.) VOLUMEN 16 NÚMERO ÚNICO enero 2002 as Prosthechea michoacan drawing/photo fide;
Richardiana 4: 33 V P Castro & Chiron 2003 as Pseudencylia michuacana;
*The Cattleyas and Their Relatives Vol 7 The Debateable Epidendrum Withner & Harding 2004 photo fide;
Icones Orchidacearum fascile 10 plate 1068 Hagsater & Soto 2008 as Prosthechea michoacana drawing fide;
Orchid Genera and Species in Guatemala Archila, Szlachchetko, Chiron, Lipinska, Mystkowska and Bertolini 2018 as Pseudoencyclia michuacana photo fide
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