Cochleanthes discolor [Lindley]R.E.Schultes 1954

Plant and Flowers PhotoS courtesy of Jay Pfahl

to to

Common Name or Meaning The Different Colored Cochleanthes

Flower Size 3" [7.5 cm]

A miniature to small sized, warm to cool growing epiphyte with a fan of leaves without psudobulbs that loves humidity and good air movement, is found in Costa Rica, Cuba, Honduras, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador in premontane and lower montane forests on larger branches and trunks of trees at elevations of 700 to 1850 meters. They appreciate shade and do best in a basket with some sphagnum mixed with wood chips. They lack psuedobulbs and have a short stem that can branch at the base to form small tufts, and give rise to a fan of overlapping, articulate, lanceolate, flexible, pointed pale green leaves with an erect, basal, 5" [12.5 cm] long, inflorescence arising on a newly forming growth and shorter than the leaves and subtended by a basal sheath with a single, waxy, long lasting, fragrant flower that appears from spring through the fall.

Synonyms Chondrorhyncha discolor [Lindley]P.H.Allen 1949; *Warrea discolor Lindley 1849; Warscewiczella discolor [Lindley] Rchb.f 1852; Zygopetalum discolor [Lindley] Rchb.f 1861

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Venezuelan Orchids Illustrated Vol 6 Dunsterville & Garay 1976; Flora de Venezuela Foldats Volumen XV Part 4 1970; Icones Planetarum Tropicarum Plate 1414 Atwood 1992