Elleanthus caravata (Aubl.) Rchb. f. 1878 Photo by © Eric Hunt and His Orchid Website

Plant and Flower

Flower Closeup Photos By Clarence J Gillig

LATE EARLY

Common Name

Flower Size .6" [1.5 cm]

Found in The Windward Islands, French Guiana, Surinam, Guyana, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia in mossy primary wet forests at elevations around 200 to 1600 meters as a medium to large sized, hot to warm growing epiphyte with reed like, hairy stems carrying several, plicate and heavily pleated, hairy beneath, linear-lanceolate, basally clasping leaves and blooms in the late spring through early fall on an apical, corymb or several flowers that open successively over a few days. .

Synonyms Cymbidium hirsutum Willd. 1805; Elleanthus lepidus (Rchb. f.) Rchb. f. 1881; Epidendrum hirsutum (Willd.) Poir. 1810; Evelyna caravata (Aubl.) Lindl. 1861; Evelyna lepida Rchb. f. 1859; *Serapias caravata Aubl. 1775; Sobralia caravata (Aubl.) Lindl. 1833;

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Symbolae Antillanae Vol VI Orchidaceae Urban 1909; Venezuelan Orchids Vol 5 Dunsterville & Garay 1966; Flora de Venezuela Foldats Volumen XV Part 1 1969; AOS Bulletin Vol 48 No 7 1979 photo; Native Ecuadorian Orchids Vol 2 Dodson 2002; Orchids of Bolivia Vol 2 Laelinae Vasquez and Ibisch 2004

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