Tolumnia velutina (Lindl. ex Paxton) Braem 1986 Photo courtesy of Eric Hunt, plant grown by Dan Newman of Hanging Gardens

Flower CloseupPhoto courtesy of Dale and Deni Borders

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Common Name The Velvety Tolumnia

Found in Cuba and Hispanola as a miniature sized, hot to warm growing epiphytic fan shaped species that blooms on an erect, wiry, racemose to paniculate inflorescence with a few flowers.

MAny sources cite this species as a synonym of T variegata but I have left them separate for now.

Synonyms Oncidium variegatum f. purpureum (Moir) Withner 1980; Oncidium variegatum var velutinum Greiseb. 1866; *Oncidium velutinum Lindl. ex Paxton 1851; Oncidium velutinum var. purpureum Moir 1972

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Symbolae Antillanae Vol VI Orchidaceae Urban 1909 as Oncidium velutinum; Atlas des Orchidees Cultivees Constantin 1920 as Oncidium velutinum drawing good; Das Pflanzanreich Regni Vegetabilis Conspectus Odontoglossum/Oncidium Kranzlin 1922 as Oncidium velutinum drawing good; Flore Descriptive des Antilles Francaises H. Stehle 1939; Orchid Digest Vol 44 No 3 1980 as Oncidium velutinum & O variegatum subsp velutinum; AOS Bulletin Vol 64 No 2 1995; Rudolf Schlechter Die Orchideen Band 1C lieferung 33 - 36 2057 - 2308 Brieger 1997; Orchid Digest Vol 73 #2 2009 photo fide

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