!Altensteinia fimbriata Kunth 1816 Photo by © Rafael Robles

Inflorescence Photo by © Eric Hunt and His Orchid Website

More Mature Inflorescence in situ Peru Photo courtesy of Jay Pfahl.

LATE to EARLY

Common Name or Meaning The Fringed Altenseinia

Flower Size 3/4" to 1" [2 to 2.5 cm]

This robust, terrestrial plant is photographed in situ in Pisac, Peru and also occurs in Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador and Bolivia at an elevation of 1800 to 3300+ meters on grassy or rocky slopes in wet montane forests or cloud forests and on steep, brush covered slopes of broken granite rock, where it was blooming in May but can be found in bloom in the late spring and early summer. It has cauline, lanceolate, clasping, acuminate, spirally arranged, yellow green leaves and blooms on a terminal, erect, 15" [37.5 cm] long, spicate [looks like a bottle brush] raceme with numerous basal bracts.

Synonyms Altensteinia sceptrum Rchb. f. 1854

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Bonplandia Rchb.f 1855 as A sceptrum; Beitrage Zur Orchideenkunde Von Colombia 27:21 Schlechter 1924 as A sceptrum; Encylopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965 Genus only; Venezuelan Orchids Illustrated Vol 6 Dunsterville & Garay 1976; Orchids of Venezuela [An illustrated field guide] Vol. 1 Dunsterville and Garay 1979 drawing fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 49 No 2 1980 photo; Flora Of Ecuador # 76 225[2] Dodson & Luer 2005; Native Ecuadorian Orchids Vol 1 Dodson 1993 photos fide; ; Native Colombian Orchid Vol 5 COS 1994 photo fide; Icones Orchidacearum Peruviarum Plate 402 Bennet & Christeson 1998 drawing ok; Orquedias Nativas de Tachira Fernandez 2003 photo fide; Orchid Species of Peru Zelenko Bermudez 2009 photo fide

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