Maxillaria foetida D.E.Benn. & Christenson 2009
sect. Polyphyllae Christenson 2013
Photo by © Luis Jaimes
Lip Comparison Drawing between M nigrolabia left and M foetida right
Drawings by © Padre Pedro Ortiz V.
EARLY
Common Name The Foul Smelling Maxillaria
Flower Size 1.2" [3 cm]
Found in Colombia and Peru at elevations around 1245 meters as a medium sized, cool growing epiphyte with a fan shaped growth without pseudobulbs carrying 6 or more, linear-lanceolate, acute, strongly conduplicate base leaves that blooms in the spring on axillary, peduncle 4 to 6" [10 to 15 cm] long, single flowered inflorescence with lanceolate, acute, less than 1/2 the length of the ovary and carrying foul smelling, creamy white colored, spotted with dark purple flowers.
Similar to M nigrolabia, but M foetida differs in the lobed, obovate lip with a blunt, abruptly acute apex uniformly flecked with dark purple, while M nigrolabia has a wedge shaped base tapering into a triangular, sharply acute apex and is bicolored with the apical third intensely marked with blackish purple. See the comparison drawing above.
CAUTION!!!! The photo above is suspect, Christenson states that the lip is evenly flecked with dark purple and this one....
Synonyms Inti chartacifolia var. foetida (D.E.Benn. & Christenson) Baumbach 2013; Inti foetida (D.E.Benn. & Christenson) M.A.Blanco 2013
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Native Colombian Orchids, vol. 3:319 1991 as M sp # 3982 photo not = M nigrolabia; Icon. Orchid. Peruv. pI. 97. Bennett & Dodson 1993 as M charttacifolia drawing fide; *Richardiana 9: 54 Bennett & Christenson 2009 drawing fide; Orchid Digest Vol 75 #2 2011 drawing fide; LANKESTERIANA 14(1) 2014;
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