Prosthechea Orchids

Prosthechea Knowles & Westc. 1838 is an epiphytic growing genus from the orchid family (Orchidaceae), native to tropical America. The orchid genus has been established by The British botanists George Beauchamp Knowles (1790 – 1862) and Frederic Westcott (?–1861) in the year 1838.


Just one year later in 1839 they changed the generic name to Epithecia, as they thought the name is to similar to Prosthesia Blume 1826, a plant from the Violaceae family. The new name Epithecia was illegitimate, as the name Prosthechea was validly published and accepted. At that time, there was just a single orchid, Prosthechea glauca included in the genus, which later on has been switched to several orchid genera, as Epidendrum, Dichaea or Encyclia. Finally it was the start to a big mess in nomenclature, which caused and still causes a lot of confusion. The American orchid specialist Wesley E. Higgins reestablished the Prosthechea genus in 1997 (published in 1998), which nowadays includes about 112 orchid species. Unfortunatly the reestablishment of the “old genus” didn`t stop the mess, as modern botanists create even more genera to integrate this orchids. The abbreviation in horticultural trade is: Psh.


Epithechea Orange Blaze (Epidendrum Orange Blaze)

10/06/2013

Epithechea Orange Blaze (Epidendrum Orange Blaze)

Epithechea Orange Blaze (synonym: Epidendrum Orange Blaze) is an epiphytic, also lithophytic growing orchid hybrid, a crossing between the hybrid Epithechea Morning Star (seed parent) and the species orchid Epidendrum cinnabarinum (pollen parent). Epithechea Orange Blaze plants reach heights up to a bit more than 1 meter, inflorescences get lengths up to 80 cm and Read More »

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Prosthechea ionocentra (Encyclia ionocentra)

23/05/2013

Prosthechea ionocentra (Encyclia ionocentra)

Prosthechea ionocentra (Rchb. f.) W.E. Higgins 1997, (formerly Encyclia ionocentra (Rchb. f.) Mora-Ret. & Garcia-Castro 1990), is an epiphytic growing orchid species, native to Costa Rica, Panama and Colombia. The fragrant flowers, with a spicy scent, strongest at night time, get a size of about 3,5 cm in diameter. Flowering period: Autumn - Winter. The Read More »

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Prosthechea fragrans (Encyclia fragrans)

03/05/2013

Prosthechea fragrans (Encyclia fragrans)

Prosthechea fragrans (Sw.) W.E. Higgins 1997 (Encyclia fragrans (Sw.) Dressler 1961) is an epiphytic growing orchid species, native to Central- and South America and the Caribbean Islands. The highly fragrant flowers of Prosthechea fragrans (Encyclia fragrans), with a scent reminescent of vanilla and honey, get a size of about 4 cm. The about 10 cm Read More »

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Orchid Hybrid Epithechea Stella Mancini

18/04/2013

Epithechea Stella Mancini

Epithechea Stella Mancini is an epiphytic growing orchid hybrid, an intergeneric crossing between the species orchids Epidendrum densiflorum (seed parent) and Prosthechea calamaria (pollen parent). Epithechea Stella Mancini (synonym: Epidendrum Stella Mancini) has been registered with the Royal Horticultural Society in the year 2010 by M.C.Mancini. Flowers get a size of about 3 cm. Epithechea, Read More »

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Prosthechea radiata (Encyclia radiata)

22/04/2010

Prosthechea radiata (Encyclia radiata)

Prosthechea radiata (Lindl.) W.E. Higgins 1998 (synonym: Encyclia radiata) was primarily described by Sir John Lindley as Epidendrum radiatum Lindley 1841. 1961 Robert Louis Dressler, an American botanist, categorised this beautiful orchid as Encyclia radiata (Lindl.) Dressler 1961. In the year 1981 the name of the orchid species was changed in Anacheilium radiatum (Lindl.) Pabst, Read More »

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Octopus Orchid (Prosthechea cochleata)

06/02/2010

Encyclia cochleata Anacheilium cochleatum

The beautiful, but quite strange looking Encyclia cochleata Lemee 1955 orchid, is also classified as Anacheilium cochleatum Hoffmannsegg 1842. In common parlance, this orchid beauty from Middle- and South America, is called Octopus Orchid or Clamshell- or Cockle Shell Anacheilium. The epyphytic growing plant is native to Guatemala, Mexico, Belize, Brasil, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Read More »

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