Bifrenaria tyrianthina (Loudon) Rchb. f. 1858

Another Color Form Photos by © Eric Hunt and His Orchid Website

to and EARLY

Common Name The Purple Blooming Bifrenaria

Flower Size up to 3 1/2" [to 8.75 cm]

Found in Bahia and Minas Gerais States of Brazil at elevations of 1000 to 2000 meters, in an area with a distinct winter dry season as a cool to warm growing epiphyte or lithophyte with broadly ovoid-pyriform, angled, deeply sulcate pseudobulb carrying a single, apical, elliptic-oblong, suberect, subacute or obtuse, thin-textured, plicate leaf. that blooms in the spring and early summer on a basal, racemose, 4" [7.5 cm] long, erect, rigid inflorescence with 1 to 4, fragrant, fleshy, long-lasting flowers arising on a mature pseudobulb. This species although similar to B harrisoniae is differentiated by it's long spur that is twice as long as the column and the narrow stipe.

Synonyms Bifrenaria dallemagnei R.H. Torr. 1893; Bifrenaria magnicalcarata [Hoehne Pabst 1976; Bifrenaria tyriantha var. magnicalcarata Hoehne. 1950; *Lycaste tyrianthina Loudon 1850; Maxillaria tyrianthina hort. ex W. Baxter 1850;

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;Icones Orchidacearum Brasilienses I Castro & Campacci 1991; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1982; Flora Brasilica Hoehne 1953; Orchidaceae Brasilense Pabst & Dungs 1970; Orchids of Brazil McQueen 1993; Manual of Orchids Stewart 1993; Botanica's Orchids Laurel Glenn 2001; Illustrated Encyclopedia of Orchids Pridgeon 1982; Orquideas Da Chapada Diamantina Brito & Cribb 2005

Bifrenaria tyrianthina var. magnicalcarata Hoehne 1953 Photo courtesy of Patricia Harding

A variety of the previous species