ENCYCLIA PROFUSA. QUESTION ABOUT SELF POLLINATION AND POSSIBKE VARIETY.
 

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My encyclia profusa has been In bloom for a month now. last week I noticed a lot tof the blooms were starting to swell as if to form seed pods. Of the 72 blooms I got 24 look like they r gonna become seed pods. some r a little more developed than the others but the flowers opened around the same time and were not seen to be self fertilizing. My question is, is encyclia profusa a known self.pollinizer. I have seen hummingbirds around the area. Also the pollinated flowers r missing their pollinia. Whats pollinates this plant in the wild?

Second question. The structure on my blooms looks exactly like enc profusa but in all the pictures I have seen the flowers are basicall a whitish gree. Mine bloomed out with a slight purple striation on the tips. Is it mis id'ed or is this a variant. I hope u can see the details in the photo. I cant get a better pic than that

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Hi Kevin!

James Ackerman at U. of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras might have an answer for you regarding pollination. You probably know that he is one of the go-to guys in Puerto Rico regarding all things orchids.

I have his book on orchids native to (or introduced to) Puerto Rico (Christmas present this past year). I will see if that species is listed, or something similar. I know that he notes if species are self-pollinators (or not), and what may pollinate the insect-pollinated species.

I have seen pictures of E. profusa (Google search) that are colored like yours.

Hey, by the way, I wanted to let you know that all of the plants you sent to me last year are doing well! Thanks again! Only the Oeceoclades maculata has struggled a bit, not sure why (but it is still OK).

Here in Florida bees are the typical pollinators; I would wonder if it is the same for you, since we both have native species of Encyclia. All my encyclias, whether native or not, species or hybrid, end up with lots of pods set by the industrious bees. The catcyclias aren't touched.

I don't have profusa yet, though I do have a hybrid of its (x fowlieri). Mine has maroon striations/suffusion, but that is likely from the other parent.; the form is more fowlieri. Most profusa pics I've seen have been a clearer green, but I've seen pics of ones with more pigment like yours. Maybe individual variation, maybe cultural? Like how they get more purple pigment when in high light conditions?

I do know encyclias as a group have a lot of variation within a species and tend to interbreed readily, so populations can bleed from one species to the next instead of being clearcut. Is your plant field collected or commercially propagated?
('hybrid swarms' is a term I've heard applied to them)

I looked at Ackerman's book - it seems cleistogamous (self a pollinating) Encyclias are not uncommon. He actually does not mention specific pollinators for Encyclias in Puerto Rico.

Thanks. All good info

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There is a honey bee hive close by. It must be that

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