Xylobium palmifolium (Sw.) Fawc. 1893

Inflorescence Photos by © Werner Blahsl

Drawing Drawing by © Watts

Common Name The Palm-Leaved Xylobium

Flower Size 1.5 cm [4 cm]

Found in Cuba, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago and Guyana as a medium sized, warm growing epiphyte with clustered, narrowly ovoid, compressed pseudobulbs carrying a single, apical, erect, plicate, broadly lanceolate, acuminate, gradually narrowing below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the winter on a lateral, nutant, slender, to 5" [ 12.5 cm] long, laxly few flowered inflorescence with linear to linear-lanceolate, acuminate, longer than the ovary floral bracts and carrying, fragrant, showy flowers.

Synonyms Colax palmifolius (Sw.) Lindl. ex Spreng. 1826; Dendrobium palmifolium (Sw.) Sw. 1799; *Epidendrum palmifolium Sw. 1788; Maxillaria decolor Lindl. 1832; Maxillaria palmifolia (Sw.) Lindl. 1832; Pentulops discolor Raf. 1838; Xylobium decolor (Lindl.) G.Nicholson 1887;

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Symbolae Antillanae Vol VI Orchidaceae Urban 1909; Flora of Jamaica Fawcett & Rendle 1910 drawing ok; Die Orchideen Schlechter 1915; Atlas des Orchidees Cultivees Constantin 1920 drawing fide; Native Orchids of Trinidad Schultes 1960; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965 as Maxillaria palmifolia; Rudolf Schlechter Die Orchideen Band 1B lieferung 30 1841 - 1904 Brieger 1994; Orchidaceae Antillane Nir 2000; AOS Bulletin Vol 85 #3 2016 as Maxillaria palmifolium drawing fide;

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