Prosthechea bennettii (Christenson) W.E.Higgins 1997 publ. 1998
Photo courtesy of Carlos Hajek and his Peruvian Orchid Page
Drawing by Christenson
Common Name Bennett's Prosthechea
[Peruvian Orchid Enthusiast Current]
Flower Size .4" [1 cm]
Found in Peru in wet montane forests on rocks, or on red clay, loam soil with organic litter at elevations of 2000 to 4150 meters as a medium sized, cool to cold growing terrestrial or lithophytic species with elongate, cylindric, lightly compressed, slender pseudobulb that is basally enveloped by 2 to 3 sheathings that cover more than the lower half and carrying 2 to 3 clasping, narrowly oblong leaves which flowers in the late summer and fall on an apical, erect, 8.8" [22 cm] long, racemose inflorescence, arising on a mature pseudobulb, that is just longer than the leaves and having minute floral bracts.
CAUTION!!! I am not convinced that the photo above is correct. The lip should be trilobed with the middle lobe broadly rounded to subquadrate. The colors are right for the tepals but the lip should be purple with a white margin. The photo does not give much detail of the lip and so......... The drawing above is absolutely correct.
The several small spreading flowers are held opposing each other. This species comes from an area with reduced rainfall and relies on dews to survive.
Synonyms Anacheilium bennettii [Christ] Withner & Harding 2004; *Encyclia bennettii Christenson 1994;
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
Brittonia 46: 29 Christenson 1994 as Encyclia bennetii; Icones Orchidacearum Peruviarum plate 236 Bennett & Christenson 1995 as Encyclia bennetii drawing fide; *Phytologia 82: 376 W E Higgins 1997 publ. 1998; *The Cattleyas and Their Relatives; The Debateable Epidendrum Withner & P A Harding drawing fide/photo not? LANKESTERIANA 14(1) 2014 as Encyclia bennettii
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