Oncidium leucomelas (Rchb. f.) Dressler & N.H. Williams 2003 SECTION Stellata Photo by Jesus Cid

Common Name The Black White Oncidium [refers to the color of the type not the varieties]

Flower Size 2.5" [6.25 cm]

Found in Chiapas Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Costa Rica in montane rainforests, pine/oak-Liquidambar and secondary forests at elevations of 1250 to 1800 meters as a medium sized, cool growing epiphyte with ovate to oblong-ovate, compressed, sulcate pseudobulbs enveloped basally by a few leaf-bearing sheaths and carrying 2 apical, lanceolate to narrowly elliptic, subcoriaceous, obtuse, conduplicate towards the base leaf that blooms in the spring on a basal, through the leaf sheath, racemose to paniculate, green with purple spots, erect-arcuate, 9.6" to 11.2" [24 to 28 cm] long, lax, successively few, 6 to 20 flowered inflorescence with triangular, scarious, acute floral bracts

This species is said to be a synonym of Oncidium laeve. I leave them separate because a visual of the photos shows several differences if the photos are ID'ed correctly, anyone?

Synonyms Miltonia leucomelas (Rchb.f.) Rolfe 1904; Miltonioides leucomelas (Rchb.f.) Bockemühl & Senghas 1988; *Odontoglossum leucomelas Rchb.f. 1864;

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Xenia Orchidaceae vol 2 Rchb.f 1874 as Odontoglossum leucomelas drawing; Repert. Sp. Nov. Regni. Veg. Beih. 19: 66. Costa Rica Schlechter 1923 as Miltonia stenoglossa; Icones Planetarum Tropicarum plate 1048 Dodson 1985 as Miltonioides stenoglossa drawing fide; Icones Planetarum Tropicarum plate 1048a Dodson 1985 as Miltonioides pauciflora drawing fide; Rudolf Schlechter Die Orchideen Band 1C lieferung 33 - 36 2057 - 2308 Brieger 1997 as Miltonioides leucomelas drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 5 - 6 Orchids of Mexico Part 2 - 3 Plate 632 Hagsater & Soto 2002 as Oncidium stenoglossum drawing ok

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