Myrmecophila albopurpurea [Strachan ex Fawcett]Nir 2000
Photos by © Jay Pfahl
Photos by © Eric Hunt
Photo courtesy of Mark Nir and Orchidaceae Antillannae
Common Name The White and Purple Myrmecophilia
Flower Size
Found only on Grand Cayman Island as a small to medium sized, hot growing epiphyte or lithophyte with elongate, 2 to 4 noded, cylindrical-fusiform pseudobulbs carrying 2 to 3, thick, rigid, leathery, elliptic-oblong, acute leaves and blooms in the spring on a long to 3' [90 cm] long, slender, peduncle terminating in a laxly several to many flowered panicle or racemose inflorescence.
Mr Nir [2000] states that the type specimen used by Withner for this species was from Cayman Brac where the species does not occur and so it was actually M thomsoniana.
Synonyms Schomburgkia albopurpurea [Strachan ex Fawcett]Withner 1993; Schomburgkia thomsoniana var albopurpurea Strachan ex Fawcett 1894; Schomburgkia thomsoniana var atropurpurea Hkr.f 1902
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
Bull. Bot. Dept., Jamaica 1: 74 Strachan ex Fawcett 1894 as S thomsoniana var. albopurpurea
Bot. Mag. 128: t. 7815 Hooker 1902 as S thomsoniana var. atropurpurea
Symbolae Antillanae Vol VI: 712 Orchidaceae Urban 1909 as Schomburgkia thompsonianus var albopurpurea;
AOS Bulletin Vol 32 No 1 1963 as S brysiana var albopurpureum;
Cattleyas and Their Relatives Withner Vol 3 1990 as Schomburgkia albopurpurea photo fide;
Orchidaceae Antillinae Nir 2000;
Rudolf Schlechter Die Orchideen Band 1C lieferung 42 - 43 pg 2626 - 2762 Brieger 2001 as Schomburgkia albopurpurea;
AOS Bulletin Vol 85 #9 2016 photo fide;
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