Anguloa eburnea Linden ex B.S. Williams 1868

Photo by © Jay Pfahl

Common Name The Ivory White Anguloa

Flower Size 2" x 3.4" [5cm x 8.5 cm]

Found in southern Colombia, Ecuador and Peru at elevations of 1500 to 2500 meters on open steep slopes as a large sized, cool to cold growing terrestrial with large dark green, ovoid, slightly rugose pseudobulbs with small spines after leaf-fall carrying 3 to 4 plicate, ribbed, deciduous leaves that blooms in the summer after leaf-fall and as the new growths make their appearance on an erect, 7.2" to 8.8" [18 to 22 cm] long inflorescence with 3 large sheathing bracts and a large cucculate floral bract and carrying a single fragrant flower that smells of Vanilla.

There has been confusion for years over this and Anguloa uniflora, mostly that they are the same species but the major difference is the elongated, diamond shaped midlobe of the lip of this species versus the almost rectangular and smaller midlobe [when viewed from the front] of Anguloa uniflora

Synonyms Anguloa clowesii var. eburnea H.J.Veitch 1893; Anguloa × ruckeri var. alba Mast. 1888; Anguloa uniflora var. eburnea (B.S. Williams) Rolfe;

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; AOS Bulletin Vol 32 NO 2 1963 photo fide; Native Ecuadorian Orchids Vol 1 Dodson 1993 as A uniflora photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 63 #4 1999 photo fide; Orquideologia Vol 21 #2 1999 photo fide; Australian Orchid Review Vol 65 No 4 2000 photo; Rudolf Schlechter Die Orchideen Band 1C lieferung 44-45 pg 2763 - 2898 Brieger 2001; Orquideologia Vol. 23 No 2 2004 photo fide; Flora Of Ecuador # 76 225[2] Dodson & Luer 2005 drawing fide; Libro Rojo de Plantas De Colombia Vol 6 Primera Parte Saenz 2007 photo fide; Lycaste, Ida and Anguloa, The Essential Guide Oakley 2008 photos fide; Orchid Species of Peru Zelenko Bermudez 2009 photo fide; Las Orquideas del Peru Bezverhov 2011 photo fide; Orchids, A Colombian Treasure Vol 1 Ortiz & Uribe 2014 drawing/photo fide

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