Macradenia brassavolae Rchb.f 1852 Photos by © Jay Pfahl

Flower closeup Photo courtesy of Jay Pfahl

To

Common Name or Meaning The Brassavola-Like Macradenia

Flower Size 1" [2.5 cm]

A miniature to small sized, hot to warm growing epiphytic species found on trees in low wet forests at or near sea level to 300 meters from Chiapas and southern Quintana Roo statesd of Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela with clustered, pyriform-cylindric, slightly compressed, sulcate pseudobulbs carrying a single apical, narrowly oblong-oblanceolate, subacute, coriaceous leaf that blooms in the spring with a pendant, to 12" [30 cm] long, racemose, many flowered inflorescence arising from a mature pseudobulb with sweetly fragrant flowers. This species needs to be mounted on treefern or cork and kept moderately shaded with high humidity with more water while in growth and a little less as the psuedobulb matures.

Synonyms Macradenia brassavolae var. albiflora Senghas & Seeger 1996; Macradenia modesta [Rolfe]Rolfe 1896; Serrastylis modesta Rolfe 1894

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Lankester's Epidendra Website CR ; Bot. Zeit. (Berlin) 10: 734. 1852. ; AOS Bulletin Vol 27 No 6 1958; AOS Bulletin Vol 35 No 5 1966 photo; Venezuelan Orchids Vol 5 Dunsterville & Garay 1966; AOS Bulletin Vol 39 No 1 1970 photo as M modesta; Flora de Venezuela Foldats Volumen XV Part 5 1970; Icones Planetarum Tropicarum plate 136 Dodson 1980; Icones Planetarum Tropicarum plate 1032 Dodson 1984; Native Colombian Orchids Vol 2 COS 1991; Orchid Species Culture: Oncidium/Odontoglossum Alliance Bakers 2006; Orquideas de la Serrania del Baudo Misas Urreta 2006; Icones Orchidacearum fascile 10 plate 1042 Hagsater & Soto 2008

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