Coryanthes speciosa Hooker 1831 SUBGENUS Coryanthes
Photo by © Jean Trubey
Photo by © Patricia Harding
Photo aspect of bucket interior
Photos by © Weyman Bussey
Common Name The Outstanding Coryanthes
Flower Size 5" [12.5 cm]
Found in Trinidad & Tobago, French Guiana, Surinam, Guyana, Venezuela, Peru and Brazil at elevations around 100 meters as a large sized, hot growing epiphyte with tall spindly, rugose pseudobulbs carrying 2, apical, narrowly elliptic leaves that blooms in the summer on a basal, pendant, 1 1/2' [45 cm] long, bracteate, 1 to several flowered, racemose inflorescence arising on a mature pseudobulb and has a waxy, large flower that is quite fragrant, smelling of mint and is held well below the plant.
This species is often found in conjunction with ants and may benefit from their presence.
Synonyms Coryanthes albertinae H. Karst. 1848; Coryanthes barkeri Beer 1854; Coryanthes maculata Hkr.; Coryanthes maculata Lindl. 1835; Coryanthes maculata var. punctata Lindl. 1852; Coryanthes maculata var. splendens (Barb.Rodr.) Cogn. 1902; Coryanthes maculata var. vitrina Rolfe 1895; Coryanthes powellii Schltr. 1922; Coryanthes punctata Beer; Coryanthes splendens Barb. Rodr. 1877; Coryanthes speciosa f. punctata (Beer) O.Gruss & M.Wolff 2007; Coryanthes speciosa f. sumneriana (Lindl.) O.Gruss & M.Wolff 2007; Coryanthes speciosa var alba Lindl. 1840; Coryanthes speciosa var. espritosantense Ruschi 1975; Coryanthes speciosa var exima Cogn 1902; Coryanthes speciosa var. punctata (Beer) G.Gerlach 1993; Coryanthes speciosa var. sumneriana (Lindl.) G.Gerlach 1993; Coryanthes speciosa var vitellina Morren 1846; Coryanthes sumneriana Lindl. 1856; Epidendrum galeatum Vell. 1831; Gongora macrantha Hooker; *Gongora speciosa Hkr. 1827; Meliclis speciosa (Hook.) Raf. 1836
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; The Orchids of Mexico and Guatemala Bateman 1843 drawing fide; Symbolae Antillanae Vol VI Orchidaceae Urban 1909; Atlas des Orchidees Cultivees Constantin 1920 drawing good; Flora Brasilica Vol XII VI 97 - 114 Hoehne 1942 drawing good; Flora Brasilica Vol XII VI 97 - 114 Hoehne 1942 as C speciosa var alba; Flora Brasilica Vol XII VI 97 - 114 Hoehne 1942 as C speciosa var exima; Flora Brasilica Vol XII VI 97 - 114 Hoehne 1942 as C sumneriana; Flora Brasilica Vol XII VI 97 - 114 Hoehne 1942 as C punctata drawing fide; Iconografia de Orchidaceae Do Brasil Hoehne 1949 drawing fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 26 #9 1957 as Coryanthes speciosa var maculata photo fide; Native Orchids of Trinidad Schultes 1960; AOS Bulletin Vol 31 No 8 1962 photo fide; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965 drawing fide; Venezuelan Orchids Vol 3 Dunsterville & Garay 1965 drawing not = C albertinae; AOS Bulletin Vol 39 #8 1970 as C speciosa var macranthaphoto fide; Flora de Venezuela Volumen XV Part 4 Foldats 1970 drawing good; Flora de Venezuela Volumen XV Part 4 Foldats 1970 as C punctata; Orquideologia Vol 12 3/4 1977/8; Orchidaceae Braziliense Band II Pabst & Dungs 1977 color drawing hmm; Orchidaceae Braziliense Band II Pabst & Dungs 1977 drawing fide; Orchidaceae Braziliense Band II Pabst & Dungs 1977 as C punctata drawing fide; Orchid Digest Vol 42 No 1 1978 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 42 No 1 1978 as C sumneriana photo fide; Orchids of Venezuela, An Illustrated Field Guide Vol 1 Dunsterville & Garay 1979 drawing not = C albertinae; ORQUIDEA (Méx.) 9(2): 1984 drawing/photo fide; Icones Planetarum Tropicarum plate 1209 Dodson 1985 drawing fide; The Orchids of Surinam Werkhoven 1986 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 56 No 9 1987 photo fide; Selbyana Vol 10 Orchids of Central America Hamer 1988 drawing not; Orchids Travel By Air A Pictoral Safari Mulder, Mulder-Roelfsema and Schuiteman 1990 photo fide; Guatemala Y Sus Orquideas Behar & Tinschert 1998 photo fide; Rudolf Schlechter Die Orchideen Band 1C lieferung 37/38 pg 2309 - 2436 Brieger 1999 photo fide; Rudolf Schlechter Die Orchideen Band 1C lieferung 37/38 pg 2309 - 2436 Brieger 1999 as C speciosa var punctata; Rudolf Schlechter Die Orchideen Band 1C lieferung 37/38 pg 2309 - 2436 Brieger 1999 as C speciosa var sumneriana; Rudolf Schlechter Die Orchideen Band 1C lieferung 37/38 pg 2309 - 2436 Brieger 1999 as C speciosa var espiritusantense; Rudolf Schlechter Die Orchideen Band 1C lieferung 44-45 pg 2763 - 2898 Brieger 2001; Orchid Digest Vol 66 #2 2002 drawing fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 73 No 8 2004; Orquideas de Roirama Luz & Franco 2012 photo fide; Orchids of French Guiana Szlatch, Veyret, Mytnik-ejsmant, Sawicka, Rutkowski and Baranow 2012 drawing/photo fide; Orchidees du Bresil As Orquideas da Serra do Castello Vol 4 Chirn & Bolsanello 2014 photo fide; Orchids of Tropical America an introduction and guide Meisel 2014 photo fide; Richardiana Vol 5 Chiron & Marcal 2021 Une Orginisation infragenerique de Coryanthes [Orchidaceae]
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