Cischweinfia sheehaniae Christenson 2003 Photo by Eric Hunt

Common Name Sheehan's Cischweinfia [An American Orchid Illustrator late 1900's]

Flower Size 1 1/4" [3 cm]

Recently described and found in Colombia as a cool to warm growing epiphyte with ellipsoid strongly compressed, sharply 2-angled pseudobulbs enveloped basally by foliaceous bracts and carrying a single apical, linear-lanceolate, acuminate, conduplicate below into the subpetiolate base leaf that blooms on a short to 2.8" [7 cm] long, arching inflorescence with a fractiflex rachis and ovate, acute, floral bracts carring 3 to 6, cupped, faintly fragrant flowers.

This species is often confused with C pusilla yet C sheehaniae differs in having a tubular lip base unlike the flat lip base of the true C pusilla and having a simple callus of 2 subparellel yellow keels unlike C pusilla that has 11 radiating white keels.

Kew considers this one to be a synonym of C pusilla but I trust Eric Christenson's conjecture that they are different. I await better references.

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; *AOS Bulletin Vol 72 No 2 2003 photo/drawing fide;

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------