Plants to 50 cm. Pseudobulbs aggregate, dark green, ovoid-pyriform, 1-7 × 1-2.5 cm. Leaves 1-3, linear-lanceolate, 8-40 × 0.5-2 cm, leathery. Inflorescences racemes to panicles, lax, 10-80 cm. Flowers 3-45, green, yellow, or brown, often suffused with purple; sepals and petals similar, extended, oblanceolate-spatulate, 12-22 × 4-6.5 mm, apex obtuse; lip white, deeply 3-lobed, 12-18 × 12-18 mm when spread, middle lobe usually with large purple spot, suborbiculate, 6-10 mm wide, margins undulate, lateral lobes purple-veined, ovate-triangular; callus on isthmus; anthers 1, yellow; column straight, prominent wings on sides of stigmatic cavity, 1 cm. Capsules: pedicel 15-17 mm, body 17-27 × 15 mm, beak 3 mm.

Flowering May--Sep; fruiting throughout year. Epiphytic on many different trees and palms in forests and hammocks; 0--100 m; Fla.; West Indies (Bahamas).

Flowers of Encyclia tampensis are fragrant, with a sweet or honey odor, starting about noon and peaking in early afternoon when small bees in genera Auglochlora and Halictus pollinate the flowers.