Brassavola retusa Lindley 1847 Photo by © Jay Pfahl

Common Name The Retuse Brassavola

Found in Zulia Venezuela and Peru as a medium sized, hot to warm growing epiphyte with a slender, gradually enlarging upward stem enveloped by imbricating, papery sheaths and carrying a single, apical, linear-terete, slightly bowed, obtuse leaf that blooms in the fall on a terminal, 1 to 2 flowered inflorescence arising on a mature pseudobulb.

Synonyms Bletia retusa [Lindley] Rchb.f 1861;

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Xenia Orchidaceae vol 2 Rchb.f 1862 as Bletia retusa; Flora de Venezuela Foldats Volumen XV Part 3 1970; Fieldiana Biology, Vol 33, 1st Supple. to the Orchids of Peru Schweinfurth 1970; Orchidaceae Brasilense Pabst & Dungs 1975; Die Orchideen 3 Auflage Bd 1 Sonderabdruck aus Schlechter Lieferung 10 576 - 632 Brieger, Maatsch and Senghas 1977; The Cattleyas and Their Relatives Vol V Withner 1998; Orchid Digest vol 71 #4 Oct, Nov, Dec 2007drawing fide; Orchid Species of Peru Zelenko Bermudez 2009 photo fide

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