TYPE Drawing

TYPE Drawing by © Hugo Medina

LATE

Common Name or Meaning Hirtz's Caucacea [German/Ecuadorian Orchid Enthusiast and Discover of Hundreds of new species within Ecuador current]

Flower Size 1 to 1.46" [2.5 to 3.6 cm]

Found in El Oro province of Ecuador in primary cloud forests on trees at elevations around 3260 meters as a small sized, cold growing epiphyte or rarely as a lithophyte with green turning yellowish brown with age, cylindrical-ovoid, obtuse, shiny pseudobulbs eneloped below by 4, foliaceous, lanceolate, acuminate, bsally truncated sheaths and carrying 1 to 2, apcial, intense green, glabrous, leathery, lanceolate, acuminate, basally conduplicate leaves that blooms in the spring and later summer on an erect, basal, peduncle 12" [30 cm] long, rachis 2" [5 cm] long, racemose, enveloped below by 2, lanceolate, acuminate, basally truncate, spathaceous sheaths, to 14 flowered inflorescence carrying fragrant, resupinate flowers

"Similar to Caucaea sanguinolenta but distinguished by the strong fragrance of Inga edulus versus lightly scented, flowers a light pinkish brown versus dark pink, the strongly basally undulate lip versus lightly undulate with undulate basal lobes, pyriform in shape with flat and horizontal basal lobes versus strongly inclined forward, the wide discal waist versus narrowly reduced discal waist, the callus with 3 prominent ridges towards the front versus callus with 7 ridges, two lateral ones that are smaller, the sepals and petals pinkinsh with thick brown spots versus sepals and petals olive green with a yellowish margin, the column with prominent wings towards the front versus a semi straight column with narrow wings and a narrow, cucllate anther cap versus one that is prominent and round. H. Medina & J.Portilla 2023

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

* AOS Bulletin Vol 92: 943 H Medina I Portilla & J.Portilla 2023 photo/drawing fide

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