Encyclia patens (odoratissima)

[voyager]

I've got an orchid species that has been in bloom for a while.
It has gone past its' prime.
It was in one of my mass purchases from a local grower.

It is my favorite fragrant orchid.
I consider it to be the best smelling one I've got.
I mounted it on the trunk of one of our driveway palms.

I've had it so long that I has thrown out it's name tag I had been keeping in a cup on my desk.
I could not remember it's species name.
I went out to see if I had stuck it in behind the mounted plant and accidentally tore the plant off the tree.
I could find no way to I.D. it, and now I have to remount it.

All I could remember is that its species name said that it was fragrant, odorous or something similar.
I began searching for fragrant orchids.
I found this:
https://canadianorchidcongress.ca/Fragrant.pdf

I began searching through it for species names that held "fragran",
"odif" or "odor" in them.

I found it.
Encyclia odoratissima
Which per IOSPE, is actually E. patens.
Both photos look very similar to the blossoms on mine.

I've said before that it's as homely as a mud fence for a most beautifully smelling orchid.
I still think so.

[Jeff214]

That's awesome! What is the fragrance like?

[Keysguy]

Most all encyclia's are fragrant and honestly, a lot of them are damn hard to tell apart!

[Clawhammer]

I would have thought encyclia tampensis. Is the fragrance musky?

All you had to say was "most fragrant" and now I have to have it. Just added it to my Feb Ecuagenera order ($12 !!!). Thanks for the heads up

[voyager]

This one has what I will call a sweet flowery fragrance that tends to dissipate as you continue to smell it.
It reminds me of nothing else.

Keep in mind that orchid fragrances are noted for being very individually specific, some smell one thing, others another, some smell something, others nothing.

I had never gotten into Encyclias until I bought this one along with a very few others that have brighter colors, don't remember if they're fragrant, though.
They never impresses me enough to remember.

This one came with the name tag IDing it as E. odoratissima.

[estación seca]

Is that from H&R?

[voyager]

I remember nothing from the now missing name tag that indicated any other source.
I only know where I got it.
Note that I was able to acquire a few unusual species that were obviously personal possessions of the owner.
One also had a red tag saying that it was not for sale, which he ignored when he sold it to me.