IOSPE PHOTOS

Oncidium insigne (Rolfe) Christenson 2002 SECTION Synsepala

Photo by © Eric Hunt

Common Name The Splendid Oncidium

Flower Size 2.1" [5.3 cm]

Found in Sao Paulo state of Brazil as a medium sized, cool to warm growing epiphyte with ovoid, elongate, slightly compressed and rugose, 4" [10 cm] psuedobulbs that have 2 to 3 apical, lanceolate, coriaceous yet flexible, curved 8" [20 cm] leaves. The basal panicle is stiff, usually pendant, branched, lax and 2 to 5' [60 to 150 cm] long and carrying many non-fragrant, variable sized flowers that arise in the fall and winter.

Often given as a synopnym and most likely is of the variable flowered O varicosum but differs in the much larger flower, the callus consisting of three low paralell basal ridges terminating in a single, very large, bilaterally compressed, rhomboid tooth without any ancilliary knobs. The flower is also inflexed at a 90 degree angle relative to the base of the lip forming a shelf-like platform and the lateral sepals are solid brown of the same color as the deep red brown irregular blotch surrounding the crest. They are almost always found in conjunction with O varicosum often on the same tree.

Synonyms Ampliglossum insigne (Rolfe) Campacci 2006; Coppensia varicosa var. insignis (Rolfe) Campacci 2006; Gomesa insignis (Rolfe) M.W.Chase & N.H.Williams 2009; *Oncidium varicosum var. insigne Rolfe 1898; Oncidium varicosum var. moortebeekiense L.Linden 1906

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; AOS Bulletin Vol 63 No 9 1994 as O varicosum var rogersii photo fide; *AOS Bulletin Vol 71 No 10 2002 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 76 #8 2007 as Coppensia varicosa var insigne photo fide; Oncidium Vol 3 2007 photo/drawing fide; Orchids of Brazil Vol 1 Oncidinae Baptista, Harding & Neto 2011 as Coppensia varicosa photo fide

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