Enc. alata

Flower

Plant

I acquired this plant last year at the St. Aug. Orchid Society from Dr. Ruben Sauleda. Last year there was only one inflorescence and this year there are four nice, tall inflorescences. When these flowers bloom they have a very nice sweet fragrance similar to honeysuckle. The smell is so strong it attracts the bees and a lot of time they pollinate it.  

Encyclia alata:

This medium to large sized, hot to warm growing species is found from Mexico through Costa Rica ocurring at altitudes of 0-1000 meters, epiphytically on trees in open forests and occasionally terrestrially in soil pockets. They have ovoid-conical to pyriform pseudobulbs carrying 1 to 3 apical, linear-lanceolate, acute, tough leaves that are often tinged with purple. There can be diverse differences in flower morphology in this species most often in size and the shape of the lateral sides of the lip. It has a honey-sweet smelling fragrance and they bloom in the spring through fall on an apical, to 5' [150 cm] long, arching, branched inflorescence with many, variable in color and shape flowers.