The genus Encyclia, named by Hooker (Sir William Jackson Hooker (July 6, 1785 - August 12, 1865; illustrator, systematician, and botanical taxonomist from the United Kingdom of Great Britain, Regius Professor - by royal decree - of Botany at the University of Glasgow and Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew) in 1828, belongs to the tribe Epidendreae, Subtribe Laeliinae, and includes epiphytic orchid species segregated from the genus Epidendrum - also described by Hooker in 1828. The holotype (the type species on which the genus was described) is Encyclia viridiflora.
The genus name comes from the verb enkykleomai (ancient Greek), "to surround, to encircle", referring to the lateral lobes of the labellum, which surround the column. The abbreviation used in horticultural commercial nomenclature is "E.". The accepted and valid synonyms for this genus are Doxosma Raf. and Sulpitia Raf.
Since the segregation of a group of species from the genus Epidendrum to form the genus Encyclia, based on anatomical-morphological characters considered relevant by the authors of the time, its systematics have undergone dramatic changes until almost recent times, when Higgins, in 1997, described the genus Prosthechea, moving numerous species of the genus into the new supraspecific taxon, in his efforts to finalize the classification of this vast and controversial botanical section. And, as biological nomenclature has already accustomed us, in general, and botanical nomenclature in particular, probably, as knowledge accumulates, changes will not stop here.
Cladistic studies (an approach to biological classification in which organisms are categorized into groups based on the most recent common ancestor) have shown that the genus Encyclia, in the strict sense, is monophyletic, although it included species of the current genus Epidendrum until its segregation. Other genera separated based on morphological characteristics from Encyclia are Euchile, Prosthechea, and Dinema.
Encyclia can hybridize with related genera. The variability of the Encyclia genus is amazing, with species sizes ranging from 4-6 cm to species with pseudobulbs larger than a tennis ball and leaves over half a meter long. Despite this formidable variability, however, all species of the genus possess a unique characteristic, namely, although the labellum is not fused with the column, it still more or less surrounds or encircles it to a greater or lesser extent.
Typical species of the genus, except for the type species, Encyclia viridiflora, are represented by Encyclia cordygera, often horticulturally described as Encyclia atropurpurea - a name, according to some authors, totally irrelevant for the species - but also by Encyclia cochleata (currently Prosthechea cochleata), Encyclia tampense, and Encyclia alata.
As mentioned earlier, the epiphytic genus of orchids, Encyclia species populate regions of the tropical Americas, in Florida, the Caribbean archipelago, Mexico, in low forests, at altitudes up to 1000 m, with a relatively uniform distribution within the mentioned areas. Most species are found in seasonally dry forests, generally oak, where humidity tends to remain high throughout the year, except for periods when precipitation is completely absent sometimes for several months, or is sporadic and negligible.
Most species have rigid leaves, as an adaptation to occasional drought conditions, and large onion-shaped pseudobulbs. Flowers emerge from the apical tip, and species of the genus are pollinated by birds and insects. Normally there are 8 pollinia, but in some subgroups this number is reduced to 4. Only one species, Encyclia cyperifolia, has terete, cylindrical leaves.
Species of the genus Encyclia have continuously growing rhizomes that give rise to massive groups of plants, which in the natural environment separate naturally from mature pseudobulbs. In cultivation, natural separation fails, which is why horticulturists need to intervene by manually dividing them. An exception is the species E. tampensis, which thrives in a compact form without requiring assisted division.
From a cultivation perspective, species of the genus Encyclia prefer warm to moderately warm temperatures, with high light intensity and medium humidity. In cultivation, it is ideal to allow the roots to dry between waterings. Fertilizations should be balanced, without requiring a rest period. The species are easily grown on bark substrate, in medium-sized containers. Both plastic and ceramic containers are acceptable. If adequate humidity conditions can be provided (since they can be easily overwatered, as for the winter period misting with water is sufficient), the taxa of the genus thrive in baskets.
Many species of the genus Encyclia are considered ideal for cultivation as ornamental plants, bearing flowers that can last over a month. Some species of the genus are fragrant, such as Encyclia fragrans, with a vanilla scent, or Encyclia radiata, with a fragrance somewhere between lilac, hyacinth, and tuberose.
List of valid species for the genus Encyclia (Taken from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia):
There are approximately 170 registered species for this genus.
• Encyclia acutifolia Schltr. (1923)
• Encyclia adenocarpa (Lex.) Schltr. (1914)
• Encyclia adenocaula (Lex.) Schltr. (1918): Rough-stemmed Encyclia
• Encyclia advena (Rchb.f.) Porto & Brade (1935): Advent Encyclia
• Encyclia aenicta Dressler & G.E.Pollard (1971): Bronze Encyclia
• Encyclia alata (Bateman) Schltr., (1914)
• Encyclia alata subsp. alata: Winged Encyclia
• Encyclia alata subsp. parviflora (Regel) Dressler & G.E.Pollard (1971)
• Encyclia alata subsp. virella Dressler & G.E.Pollard (1971)
• Encyclia albopurpurea (Barb.Rodr.) Porto & Brade (1935)
• Encyclia alboxanthina Fowlie (1990)
• Encyclia altissima Schltr. (1914): Very Tall Encyclia
• Encyclia amazonica Brongn. ex Neumann (1846)
• Encyclia ambigua (Lindl.) Schltr. (1914): Ambiguous Encyclia
• Encyclia andrichii N.L.Menezes (1992)
• Encyclia angustifolia (Sw.) Schltr. (1918)
• Encyclia angustiloba Schltr. (1921)
• Encyclia argentinensis (Speg.) Hoehne (1952): Argentine Encyclia
• Encyclia aspera (Lindl.) Schltr. (1918): Rough-stalked Encyclia
• Encyclia asperula Dressler & G.E.Pollard (1973 publ. 1974): Asperulous Encyclia
• Encyclia auyantepuiensis Carnevali & I.Ramírez (1994)
• Encyclia bipapularis (Rchb.f.) Acuña (1939)
• Encyclia bohnkiana V.P.Castro & Campacci (1999): Bohnk's Encyclia
• Encyclia bracteata Schltr. ex Hoehne (1930): Bracted Encyclia
• Encyclia bractescens (Lindl.) Hoehne (1952): Bractescent Encyclia
• Encyclia bradfordii (Griseb.) Carnevali & I.Ramírez (1986)
• Encyclia bragancae Ruschi (1976)
• Encyclia caicensis Sauleda & R.M.Adams (1978)
• Encyclia calderoniae Soto Arenas (2002 publ. 2003)
• Encyclia candollei (Lindl.) Schltr. (1914): Candole's Encyclia
• Encyclia caximboensis L.C.Menezes (1992): Caiximbo Encyclia
• Encyclia cajalbanensis Múj.Benítez (2005)
• Encyclia ceratistes (Lindl.) Schltr. (1919): Horned-columned Encyclia
• Encyclia chapadensis N.L.Menezes (1993): Chapada dos Viadeiros Encyclia
• Encyclia chiapasensis Withner & D.G.Hunt (1994): Chiapas Encyclia
• Encyclia chironii V.P.Castro & J.B.F.Silva (2004)
• Encyclia chloroleuca (Hook.) Neumann (1846): Green-and-white Encyclia
• Encyclia conchichila (Barb.Rodr.) Porto & Brade (1935)
• Encyclia contrerasii R.Gonzalez (1997)
• Encyclia cordigera (Kunth) Dressler (1964): Large-lipped Encyclia
• Encyclia cyanocolumna (Ames, F.T.Hubb. & C.Schweinf.) Dressler (1961)
• Encyclia cyperifolia (C.Schweinf.) Carnevali & I.Ramírez (1993): Sword-leafed Encyclia
• Encyclia dasilvae V.P.Castro & Campacci (2000)
• Encyclia davidhuntii Withner & M.Fuente (2001): David Hunt's Encyclia
• Encyclia dichroma (Lindl.) Schltr. (1914): Two-colored Encyclia
• Encyclia diota (Lindl.) Schltr. (1918): Two-eared Encyclia
• Encyclia diota subsp. atrorubens (Rolfe) Dressler & G.E.Pollard (1971)
• Encyclia diota subsp. diota
• Encyclia distantiflora (A.Rich. & Galeotti) Dressler & G.E.Pollard (1971)
• Encyclia diurna (Jacq.) Schltr. (1919): Daytime Encyclia
• Encyclia duveenii Pabst (1976)
• Encyclia edithiana L.C.Menezes (1996): Edith's Encyclia
• Encyclia elegantula Dressler (2004): Elegant Encyclia
• Encyclia euosma (Rchb.f.) Porto & Brade (1935)
• Encyclia expansa (Rchb.f.) P.Ortiz (1991): Expanded Encyclia
• Encyclia fehlingii (Sauleda) Sauleda & R.M.Adams (1981)
• Encyclia flabellata (Lindl.) B.F.Thurst. & W.R.Thurst. (1977)
• Encyclia flava (Lindl.) Porto & Brade (1935): Yellow Encyclia
• Encyclia fowliei Duveen (1990): Fowlie's Encyclia
• Encyclia fucata (Lindl.) Schltr. (1914): Brown-veined Encyclia
• Encyclia gallopavina (Rchb.f.) Porto & Brade (1935): Peacock-like Encyclia
• Encyclia garzonensis Withner (2000)
• Encyclia ghillanyi Pabst (1976)
• Encyclia gonzalezii L.C.Menezes (1991): Gonzalez' Encyclia
• Encyclia gracilis (Lindl.) Schltr. (1914): Graceful Encyclia
• Encyclia granitica (Lindl.) Schltr. (1919): Granite-growing Encyclia
• Encyclia gravida (Lindl.) Schltr. (1918)
• Encyclia guadalupeae R.Gonzalez & Alvarado (1999): Guadalupe Encyclia
• Encyclia guatemalensis (Klotzsch) Dressler & G.E.Pollard (1971): Guatemalan Encyclia
• Encyclia guianensis Carnevali & G.A.Romero (1994)
• Encyclia hanburyi (Lindl.) Schltr. (1914): Hanbury's Encyclia
• Encyclia hermentiana Brongn. ex Neumann (1846)
• Encyclia howardii (Ames & Correll) Hoehne (1952): Howard's Encyclia
• Encyclia huebneri Schltr. (1925)
• Encyclia huertae Soto Arenas & R.Jiménez (2002 publ. 2003): Ground-dwelling Encyclia
• Encyclia inaguensis Nash ex Britton & Millsp. (1920): Inagua Encyclia
• Encyclia incumbens (Lindl.) Mabb. (1984): Aromatic Encyclia
• Encyclia ionosma (Lindl.) Schltr. (1914): Violet-scented Encyclia
• Encyclia isochila (Rchb.f.) Dod (1986): Equal-lipped Encyclia
• Encyclia ivoniae Carnevali & G.A.Romero (1994)
• Encyclia kennedyi (Fowlie & Withner) Hágsater (1973): Kennedy's Encyclia
• Encyclia kermesina (Lindl.) P.Ortiz (1995)
• Encyclia kienastii (Rchb.f.) Dressler & G.E.Pollard (1971)
• Encyclia kingsii (C.D.Adams) Nir (1994): King's Encyclia
• Encyclia kundergraberi V.P.Castro & Campacci (1998): Kundergraeber's Encyclia
• Encyclia leucantha Schltr. (1919)
• Encyclia lineariloba Withner, (2001)
• Encyclia lorata Dressler & G.E.Pollard (1974): Strap-leafed Encyclia
• Encyclia luteorosea (A.Rich. & Galeotti) Dressler & G.E.Pollard (1971): Yellow-pink Encyclia
• Encyclia maderoi Schltr. (1920)
• Encyclia magdalenae Withner (2000): Magdalena Encyclia
• Encyclia magnicallosa (C.Schweinf.) Pabst (1967 publ. 1972)
• Encyclia mapuerae (Huber) Brade & Pabst (1951)
• Encyclia maravalensis Withner (1995)
• Encyclia marxiana Campacci (2003)
• Encyclia meliosma (Rchb.f.) Schltr. (1918): Honey-sweet Encyclia
• Encyclia microbulbon (Hook.) Schltr. (1918): Small-bulbed Encyclia
• Encyclia microtos (Rchb.f.) Hoehne, (1952): Tiny-eared Encyclia
• Encyclia monteverdensis M.A.Díaz & Ackerman (2004)
• Encyclia mooreana (Rolfe) Schltr. (1914): Moore's Encyclia
• Encyclia naranjapatensis Dodson (1977): Naranjapata Encyclia
• Encyclia nematocaulon (A.Rich.) Acuña (1939) : Thread-stemmed Encyclia
• Encyclia nizandensis Pérez-García & Hágsater (2002 publ. 2003)
• Encyclia obtusa (A.DC.) Schltr. (1918)
• Encyclia oestlundii (Ames, F.T.Hubb. & C.Schweinf.) Hágsater & Stermitz (1983) : Oestlund's Encyclia
• Encyclia oncidioides (Lindl.) Schltr. (1914): Oncidium-like Encyclia
• Encyclia osmantha (Barb.Rodr.) Schltr. (1914): Capart's Scented Encyclia
• Encyclia oxypetala (Lindl.) Schltr. (1918)
• Encyclia oxyphylla Schltr. (1925)
• Encyclia pachyantha (Lindl.) Hoehne (1952)
• Encyclia paraensis V.P.Castro & A.Cardoso (2003)
• Encyclia parallela (Lindl.) P.Ortiz (1995)
• Encyclia parviloba (Fawc. & Rendle) Nir (1994)
• Encyclia patens Hook. (1830): Spreading-flowered Encyclia
• Encyclia pauciflora (Barb.Rodr.) Porto & Brade (1935): Few-flowered Encyclia
• Encyclia peraltensis (Ames) Dressler (1997)
• Encyclia perplexa (Ames, F.T.Hubb. & C.Schweinf.) Dressler & G.E.Pollard (1971)
• Encyclia phoenicea (Lindl.) Neumann (1846) : Phoenician Encyclia
• Encyclia picta (Lindl.) Hoehne (1952)
• Encyclia pilosa (C.Schweinf.) Carnevali & I.Ramírez (1993)
• Encyclia plicata (Lindl.) Schltr. (1914) : Pleated Encyclia
• Encyclia pollardiana (Withner) Dressler & G.E.Pollard (1971) : Pollard's Encyclia
• Encyclia profusa (Rolfe) Dressler & G.E.Pollard (1971) : Profuse Encyclia
• Encyclia pyriformis (Lindl.) Schltr. (1914) : Pear-shaped Encyclia
• Encyclia randii (Barb.Rodr.) Porto & Brade (1935)
• Encyclia recurvata Schltr. (1919)
• Encyclia replicata (Lindl.) Schltr. (1920) : Folded-lip Encyclia
• Encyclia rufa (Lindl.) Britton & Millsp. (1920) : Bahama Encyclia
• Encyclia rzedowskiana Soto Arenas (2002 publ. 2003)
• Encyclia santos-dumontii L.C.Menezes (1992)
• Encyclia sclerocladia (Lindl. ex Rchb.f.) Hoehne (1952): Stiff-stalked Encyclia
• Encyclia seidelii Pabst (1976): Seidel's Encyclia
• Encyclia selligera (Bateman ex Lindl.) Schltr. (1914) : Saddle-lipped Encyclia
• Encyclia silvana Campacci (2003)
• Encyclia spatella (Rchb.f.) Schltr. (1924): Spatulate-petaled Encyclia
• Encyclia spiritusanctensis L.C.Menezes (1990): Espirito Santo Encyclia
• Encyclia steinbachii Schltr. (1922): Steinbach's Encyclia
• Encyclia stellata (Lindl.) Schltr. (1914): Starry Alanje Encyclia
• Encyclia suaveolens Dressler (1968 publ. 1971): Sweet-smelling Encyclia
• Encyclia subulatifolia (A.Rich. & Galeotti) Dressler (1961): Awl-shaped Encyclia
• Encyclia tampensis (Lindl.) Small (1913): Florida Butterfly Orchid
• Encyclia tenuissima (Ames, F.T.Hubb. & C.Schweinf.) Dressler (1961)
• Encyclia thrombodes (Rchb.f.) Schltr. (1921)
• Encyclia tocantinensis V.P.Castro & Campacci (1996)
• Encyclia trachycarpa (Lindl.) Schltr (1918): Rough-fruited Encyclia
• Encyclia trautmannii Senghas (2001)
• Encyclia triangulifera (Rchb.f.) Acuña (1939): Triangular Encyclia
• Encyclia tripartita (Vell.) Hoehne (1952)
• Encyclia tuerckheimii Schltr. (1918): Tuerckheim's Encyclia
• Encyclia unaensis Fowlie (1991): Una Encyclia
• Encyclia uxpanapensis Salazar (1999)
• Encyclia viridiflora Hook. (1828)
• Encyclia withneri (Sauleda) Sauleda & R.M.Adams (1981): Withner's Encyclia
• Encyclia xerophytica Pabst (1976): Desert Encyclia
• Encyclia xipheroides (Kraenzl.) Porto & Brade (1935)
• Encyclia yauaperyensis (Barb.Rodr.) Porto & Brade (1935): Yauapery Encyclia
Natural hybrids:
• Encyclia × alcardoi V.P.Castro & Chiron (2002) (Encyclia argentinensis × Encyclia flava)
• Encyclia × bajamarensis Sauleda & R.M.Adams (1981) (Encyclia gracilis × Encyclia rufa)
• Encyclia × guzinskii Sauleda & R.M.Adams (1990) (Encyclia altissima × Encyclia plicata)
• Encyclia × hillyerorum Sauleda & R.M.Adams (1990) (Encyclia fehlingii × Encyclia fucata)
• Encyclia × knowlesii Sauleda & R.M.Adams (1990) (Encyclia fehlingii × Encyclia plicata)
• Encyclia × lleidae Sauleda & R.M.Adams, (1984) (Encyclia gracilis × Encyclia plicata)
• Encyclia × lucayana Sauleda & R.M.Adams (1981) (Encyclia fahlingii × Encyclia gracilis)
• Encyclia × raganii Sauleda & R.M.Adams (1984) (Encyclia altissima × Encyclia gracilis)
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