Cyrtochilum aemulum (Rchb. f. & Warsz.) Kraenzl. 1917 SECTION Eucyrtochilum Kranzlin

Photo by © Angel Andreetta

Common Name The Similar Cyrtochilum [refers to its affinity to C halteratum]

Flower Size 1.6" [4 cm]

Found in southern Colombia and northern Ecuador in cloud forests at elevations around 2300 to 2800 meters as a large to giant sized, cold growing semi-terrestrial on steep road banks or in thick lush vegetation as an epiphyte with a creeping, bracteate rhizome giving rise to widely spaced, narrowly ovoid, laterally slightly compressed pseudobulbs enveloped basally by 6 to 8 distichous, foliacerous sheaths and carrying a single, apical, conduplicate, elliptic to obovate, acuminate, subpetiolate base leaf that blooms in the spring on an erect, then wiry, 4' to 10' [120 to 300 cm] long, paniculate, widely spaced, few flowered branches, each branch 5 to 8 " [12.5 to 20 cm] long, many flowered inflorescence with conspicuous, involute-cucullate floral bracts and carrying stellate to rather floppy flowers.

Synonyms *Oncidium aemulum Rchb.f. & Warsz. 1854

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Bonplandia Rchb.f 1854 as Oncidium aemulum; Bonplandia Rchb.f 1855 as Oncidium aemulum; Das Pflanzenreich Odontoglossum/Oncidium Kranzlin 1922 drawing fide; Lindleyana Vol 16 No 2 2001; Native Ecuadorian Orchids Vol 4 Dodson 2003 as Oncidium aemuelum photo fide; Orchid Species Culture Oncidium/Odontoglossum Alliance Bakers 2006; Orquideologia Vol 25 #2 2008; Flora of Ecuador No 87 225[3] Orchidaceae Dodson & Luer 2010 drawing fide; Orchids, A Colombian Treasure Vol 1 Ortiz & Uribe 2014 drawing/photo fide; Orchids of the Department of Valle de Cauca Colombia Vol 4 Kolanowska and Szlachetko 2016 as Odontoglossum pardinum drawing good;

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