Oncidium croesus Rchb. f. 1857 SECTION Barbata

Photo by © Danny Lentz, plant grown by Atlanta Botanical Garden

to and EARLY

Common Name The Rich Blooming Oncidium [refers to Croesus - King of Lydia [500 BC] who was very rich - an illusion to the quantity of flowers]

Flower Size 1 3/4" [4.5 cm]

Found in Pernambuco and Rio de Janiero states of Brazil at elevations of 400 to 600 meters as a miniature sized, cool to warm growing epiphytic species from the coastal Atlantic forests with clustered, ovate to oblong, laterally compressed pseudobulbs partially enveloped by several, imbricating, dry, scarious sheaths and carrying 1 or 2 apical, glossy green, slightly leathery, linear-oblong, conduplicate below into the base leaves that blooms in the spring and early summer on a few axillary, to 6" [15 cm] long, erect, zigzag inflorescence carrying 3 to 5, long-lasting, fragrant flowers.

This species is often considered a variety or synonym of Oncidium longipes but O croseus has larger flowers and with more dark purple and I will leave it separate at this time.

Some references include O eurycline as a synonym and they are quite close but I have left them separate at this time.

Synonyms Alatiglossum croesus ( Rchb.f. ) Baptista 2006; Gomesa croesus (Rchb.f.) M.W.Chase & N.H.Williams 2009; Kleberiella croesus (Rchb.f.) V.P.Castro & Cath. 2006; Oncidium longipes Hkr. non Lindley?; Oncidium longipes var croesus [Rchb.f] Veitch 1892

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Die Orchideen Schlechter 1915 as O longipes var croesus; Das Pflanzanreich Regni Vegetabilis Conspectus Odontoglossum/Oncidium Kranzlin 1922; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965 O longipes var croesus; Orchidaceae Brasilenses Band 2 Pabst & Dungs 1977 drawing fide; Rudolf Schlechter Die Orchideen Band 1C lieferung 33 - 36 2057 - 2308 Brieger 1997 photo fide; Australian Orchid Review Vol 66 No 2 2001 photo; Orchid Species Culture: Oncidium, Bakers 2006; Oncidium Vol 1 Koniger 2004 drawing/photo fide; The Pictoral Encyclopedia of Oncidium Zelenko 2002; Mille et Une Mini Orchideees Roguenant 2009 photo fide; Orchids of Brazil Vol 1 Oncidinae Baptista, Harding & Neto 2011 as Alatiglossum croesus photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 86 # 3 2017 drawing fide;

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