Vanilla calyculata Schltr. 1920 SUBGENUS Xanata SECTION Xanata
photo by Kerry Dressler/Drawing by © R Jimenez
TYPE Drawing by © Schlechter and The Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Jany Renz Herbaria Website
LATER 
MID 
Common Name The Cowled Vanilla [refers to the minute, cup-like structure of the column]
Flower Size 3.6" [9 cm] long
Found in El Salvador, Honduras and Colombia on the pacific slope at elevations of 800 to 1300 meters as a giant sized, warm to cool growing viney terrestrial with a branching, flexuouse, internodes 2.8 to 6.2" [7 to 15.5 cm] long, terete, green stems carrying oblong-lanceoalte, rather narrow, rounded basally, acute apically, coriaceous-fleshy, apparently stiff, the margins slightly revolute, subpetiolate base leaves that blooms in the spring in Central America and in the late summer, fall to mid winter on a 1.68 to 2.4" [4.2 to 6 cm] long overall, rachis, terete, green, successively 2 to 3, 12 to 14 flowered inflorescnece with widely ovate, obtuse, green, concave, progreesively smaller, longer than the ovary floral bracts and carrying bell shaped, pendent, very showy, striongly fragrant flowers.
"The status of V. calyculata remains uncertain and no original material has been located. However, the description suggests that the name must be applied to the specimens listed below. Its calyculate ovary, long emarginate midlobe of the lip, small leaves and the relatively high elevation of its habitat are characteristic. This species is closely related to V. chamissonis from Brazil. Specimens from El Salvador have been misidentified as ,A href="vaniphaeantha.htm"> V. phaeantha (Hamer, 1974)." Soto Arenas & Cribb 2010
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Lankesteriana 9[3]: 285-354 Soto Arenas & Dressler 2010 drawing fide; Lankesteriana 9(3): 355-398 Soto Arenas & Cribb 2010
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