Encyclia Euchile Prosthechea oh my
 

My latest obsession is **** citrina. I don't know what genus to use for these plants.

I'm pretty sure that it isn't really Encyclia anymore, but the resources I'm finding online bounce back and forth between Prosthechea and Euchile as where it has currently landed. It looks like the activity around these orchids has been going on since the internet, so google finds out of date documents announcing the name changes and it hard to know what is current.

I'm new to orchids and wondering which source is the most "definitive" (assuming there is such a thing)? Kew is showing Euchile, so I'm thinking that is probably right.

There is, of course, an easy fix. I could just use the indigenous name cozticoatzontecoxóchitl.

It also seems that the citrina species has now been split into citrina and karwinskii which are very similar. Either way they are lovely and I can't wait to find one or would that be two?

I have a few 'Encyclias' (I am just going to stick to that name so I remember what care I need to give it!). :)

I don't have the citrina but it is a pretty one. :)

They are not so easy to find: here in EU you can find some seeling and rarely some adult plant. As I know the main difference (also easy to check) is the white mark in the label on karwinskii. Yeah, the accepted name should be Encyclia/Euchile/Prosthechea cozticoatzontecoxóchitl :rofl:

Actually, Kew lists different 'accepted' interpretations in different places, but I can't seem to insert a link right now. RHS is using Prosthechea, but that is definitive only in the sense that RHS does have final say in what is accepted for registration of hybrids. Whether Euchile is better viewed as distinctive sisters within the Prosthechea clan or the closest cousins outside it is a scientific debate. There isn't really any question about the relationship, just where to draw an imaginary line that is convenient for humans but is otherwise meaningless.

It was crammed into Encyclia at the point when many former Epidendrums were getting split up and someone panicked or got lazy. Along with all the other current Prosthecheas it never really fit there.

They are really beautiful and I've considered it more than once. My biggest stumbling block has been the winter lows it requires in order to bloom and thrive. I don't usually get good blooming from anything that requires lows into the 40's during the winter rest phase. Just ask my Den loddigesii..it grows well but I never get good blooming on it. :blushing:

Here you go....Encyclia citrina at Santa Barbara Orchid Estate

katrina -- thanks for the link unfortunately they don't have any in stock. Several of the common on-line vendors have pages with old stock, but you have to find the parent page to see if they are available. For Santa Barbara this page:

Encyclia at Santa Barbara Orchid Estate

I also emailed and asked them if they happened to have a secret stash and just had not yet updated the page. Sadly they don't.

Whilst you are looking here is a picture of my plant to keep you going
[IMG]http://i259.photobucket.com/albums/h...pswn1xqfo4.jpg[/IMG]

Wow. Even more amazing than I've seen before. Do you have a photo of the whole plant? Any tips on how you grow them?

Ok WilE...now you're making me want to give it a try even though I don't think I can give it the cool it needs. Your plant is drop-dead gorgeous!!

PMM - Does the RHS really have the final say on that? I think they just respond to the taxonomic state of affairs.

If you look at the description of a species, the taxonomic authority is often appended to its name.