Prosthechea brachychila (Lindl.) W.E. Higgins 1997

Photo by © Jay Pfahl

Another Flower

Photo courtesy of Patricia Harding

Drawing

Drawing by Dunsterville & Garay

and

Common Name or Meaning The Short-Lipped Prosthechea

Flower Size 2" [5 cm]

Found in Cundinamarca and Quindio departments of Colombia, and Lara state of Venezuela in dense forests at elevations of 2000 to 2700 meters as a medium sized, cold growing epiphyte with a tough, woody rhizome without sheaths giving rise to lightly compressed, fusiform pseudobulbs with the lower half enveloped by sheaths and carrying 2 to 3, apical leaves that blooms in the spring and summer on a terminal, to 10" [25 cm] long, racemose to 10 flowered inflorescence with triangular, acute, much shorter than the pedicel floral bracts all arising on a mature pseudobulb carrying very fragrant, non resupinate flowers.

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The photograph by Jay Pfahl is a plant in situ in the Valle de Cocora Quindio, Colombia at elevations of 2200 to 2800 meters on tree trunks along rushing stream in 5/08. I also saw it on tree trunks at elevations around 2500 to 2800 meters in Cundinamarca Colombia near Pacho in 5/08.

Synonyms Anacheilium brachychilum [Lindl.] Withner & Harding 2004; Encyclia brachychila (Lindl.) Carnevali & I. Ramírez 1986; *Epidendrum brachychilum Lindl. 1846;

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

Orchid. Linden.: 9 Lindley 1846 as Epidendrum brachychilum;

Bonplandia Rchb.f 1854 as Epidendrum brachychilum;

Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 6: 68 Schlechter 1919 as Epidendrum brachychilum;

Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 7: 244 Schlechter 1920 as Epidendrum brachychilum;

Venezuelan Orchids Vol 3 Dunsterville & Garay 1965 as Epidendrum brachychilum drawing ok;

Orchids Of Venezuela an Illustrated Field Guide Vol 1 Dunsterville and Garay 1979 as Epidendrum brachychilum drawing ok; Ernstia 36: 9 Carnevali & Ramirez 1986 as Encyclia brachychila;

*Phytologia 82: 376 W E Higgins 1997 publ. 1998;

Orchids of Venezuela [An illustrated field guide] Vol. 3 Ramiro and Carnevali 2000 as Prosthechea brachychilum drawing ok;

Orquideas Nativas del Tachira Cesar Fernandez 2003 as Prosthechea brachychila photo fide;

*The Cattleyas and Their Relatives Vol 6:52 Withner & Harding 2004 photo fide;

AOS Bulletin Vol 77 No 9 2008 photo fide;

Materials to the Orchid Flora of Colombia Vol IV:388 Szlatchetko & Kolanowska 2023 drawing fide

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