Medium sized epiphyte. Stems cylindrical, to 10 cm long, curving downwards. Leaves 1 or 2, lanceolate, to 50 cm long, to 5 cm wide, curved. Flowers 1?5, to 15 cm wide, fragrant, white, yellow or greenish, darkening with age, labellum white or yellowish; summer to autumn. Sepals and petals similar, narrow-lanceolate, spreading. Labellum 3-lobed, side lobes triangular with toothed outer margins, midlobe linear, pointed.
Mexico and C America.
E. nocturnum Jacq. from N, C and S America is a robust epiphyte with compressed cane-like stems, 1-few showy white to yellowish-green flowers and deeply 3-lobed labellum with the midlobe long and narrow.
E. catillus Rchb. f. & Warsz. from S America is a robust epiphyte with cane-like stems and few-many red to violet flowers with deeply 3-lobed labellum.
Source: (2005). Orchidaceae. In: . Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 5. Flowering plants. Monocotyledons. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.