Encyclia tampensis

Butterfly orchid
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Orchidaceae
Subfamily:	Epidendroideae
Tribe:	Epidendreae
Subtribe:	Laeliinae
Genus:	Encyclia
Section:	E. sect. Hymenochila
Species:	E. tampensis
Binomial name
Encyclia tampensis (Lindl.) Small

Encyclia tampensis (Encyclia from Greek - enkykleoma "to encircle" and tampensis - "Tampa") or Tampa butterfly orchid is a species of flowering plant in the Orchid family, subfamily Epidendroideae.

This species was first described by John Torrey in 1846.

Native to Florida and the Bahamas, and another variety in Cuba, E. tampensis is an epiphyte most commonly found growing on southern live oaks but also on pond apples, mangroves, Bald Cypress, pines and palms in tropical hardwood hammocks and along rivers. Vouchered specimens have been cataloged by USF as far north as Levy and Putnam Counties. They are also found in the salty Florida Keys.

The Encyclia tampensis has dark green 7 cm pseudobulbs with narrow foliage up to 16 cm in length and 2 cm in width. Mature plants produce a branched inflorescence in Summer containing several flowers with green to bronze sepals and petals surrounding a white lip with a purple dot. Flowers are alternate, 2.5 cm in diameter and fragrant. They are also called butterfly orchids because of how they sometimes appear in a breeze.

There are some variations in color and markings that exist such as Cuba's encyclia tampense var amesiana and the "alba" or white variety.

The diploid chromosome number of E. tampensis has been determined as 2n = 40; the haploid chromosome number as n = 20.

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Wikipedia