Panarica mulasii (Soto Arenas & L.Cerv.) Withner & P.A.Harding 2004

Drawing by © Hagsater, Soto Arenas & Cerv.

NOCTURNAL Fragrance Full shade Cool Cold LATER Summer

Common Name Mulas' Panarica [Alberto Mulás del Pozo (1931-2001 ). Ing. Mulás was a very enthusiast orchid grower and president of the Asociación Mexicana de Orquideología during 1994-1996]

Flower Size .64" to 1.08" [1.6 to 2.6 cm]

Found in Guerrero, Jalisco and Mexico states of Mexico and Guatemala in montane rainforests, cloud scrub forests and Barranca forests at elevations of 1800 to 2200 meters as a small to just medium sized, cool to cold growing epiphyte or lithophyte with ovoid, laterally compressed, smooth pseudobulbs carrying 1 to 2, narrowly oblong-elliptic, rounded and oblique and slightly retuse apically, basally conduplicate leaves that blooms in the later summer on a terminal, arising through a conduplicate, tubular, subacute spathe, peduncle laterally compressed, 3.6 to 6.4" [9 to 16 cm] long, rachis 2.2 to 5.6" [5.5 to 14 cm] long, racemose, 4.8 to 11.2" [12 to 28 cm] long, 4 to 8 flowered inflorescence with triangular, acute-acuminate bracts and triangular, acute to acuminate, mucronate floral bracts and carrying intensely fragrant flowers.

Differs from P brassavolae by the shorter rhizome, only 1 to 2 leaves per pseudobulb and these are ovoid and smaller as well as the inflorescence arises on last years pseduobulb and only carries 4 to 8 flowers with the perianth segments forming a sphere-shape and are pale-greenish white, the lip blade is triangular, with a truncate base and a long-acuminate apex. The flowers have a fragrance reminiscent of honeysuckle and orange blossoms.

Synonyms *Prosthechea mulasii Soto Arenas & L.Cerv. 2002 publ. 2003; Pseudencyclia mulasii (Soto Arenas & L.Cerv.) V.P.Castro & Chiron 2003

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

Icones Orchidacearum 5-6 Plate 651 Hagsater & Soto 2002 as Prosthechea mulasii drawing fide;

*The Cattleyas and Their Relatives, the Debateable Epidendrum Withner and Harding 2004;

Orchid Genera and Species in Guatemala Archila, Szlachchetko, Chiron, Lipinska, Mystkowska and Bertolini 2018 as Pseudencyclia mulasii

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------