Maxillaria sophronitis (Rchb. f.) Garay 1958
sect. Ornithidium [Salisb.] Christenson 2013
Photo by Eric Hunt
Photo by Dale and Deni Borders
Photo courtesy of Andy's Orchids Copyright © 2002 All rights reserved.
to
and EARLY 
Common Name The Sophronitis-Like Maxillaria
Flower Size less than 1" [1.5 cm]
Found in Venezuela and northeastern Colombia in cloud forests at altitudes of 750 to 1700 meters as a dwarf sized, mat forming, cool to warm growing species with a rhizome enveloped by brown sheaths carrying ovoid, compressed, dull brown pseudobulbs subtended by 1 or 2 leaf bearing sheaths and carrying a single, apical, oblong-elliptic, minutely apiculate, coriaceous leaf that blooms in the fall and early winter, dwarfing the plant, on a basal, 1 1/2" [4 cm] long, single flowered inflorescence arising on a mature, prominent, unifoliate pseudobulb as a new growth arises that is subtended by a floral bract.
Best grown on a mount and given constant moisture and bright light.
Synonyms*Ornithidium sophronitis Rchb. f. 1854
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Bonplandia Rchb.f 1854 as Ornithidium sophronitis; Xenia Orchidaceae Rchb.f 1854 as Ornithidium sophronitis drawing fide; Die Orchideen Schlechter 1915 as Ornithidium sophronitis; Venezuelan Orchids Illustrated Vol 1 Dunsterville & Garay 1959 drawing ok; AOS Bulletin Vol 30 No 5 1961; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965; AOS Bulletin Vol 37 # 6 1968 as Ornithidium sophronitis; Flora de Venezuela Volumen XV Part 4 Foldats 1970 drawing ok; Orchids of Venezuela An Illustrated Field Guide Vol 2 Dunsterville & Garay 1979 drawing ok; Orchids Travel By Air A Pictoral Safari Mulder, Mulder-Roelfsema and Schuiteman 1990 photo fide; The Manual Of Cultivated Orchid Species Bechtel, Cribb & Launert 1992; Rudolf Schlechter Die Orchideen Band 1B lieferung 28 1713 - 1776 Brieger 1993; Rudolf Schlechter Die Orchideen Band 1B lieferung 28 1713 - 1776 Brieger 1993 as M ruberrima not photo good; Venezuela, Paraiso de Orquideas Romero 1997 photo fide; Orchids of Venezuela [An illustrated field guide] Vol. 2 Ramiro and Carnevali 2000 drawing ok; AOS Bulletin Vol 72 No 11 2003 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 78 No 2 2009 photo fide as Ornithidium sophronitis; AOS Bulletin Vol 80 #2 2011 photo fide; Mille et Une Mini Orchideees Roguenant 2009 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 84 #4 2015 as Ornithidium sophronitis photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 88 #8 2019 photo fide;
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