!Artorima erubescens (Lindl.) Dressler & G.E. Pollard 1971 Photo by © Eric Hunt and his Flicker Orchid Photostream

Another Flower Photo courtesy of Weyman Bussey

Another Clone Photo courtesy of Eric Hunt

to EARLY

Common Name The Blushing Artorima

Flower Size 1 1/2" [3.5 cm]

Found in the evergreen cloudforests of Oaxaca and Guerrero, Mexico on the highest peaks at high elevations of 2400 to 3100 meters as a cool to cold growing epiphyte with a thick rhizome and widely space conical-ovoid psuedobulbs carrying 3 to 6 elliptic to oblong-lanceolate, acute-obtuse leaves with an 8" to 4' long [20 to 120 cm], terminal panicle with a loose, few to many [6 to 100], fragrant, showy flowers that blooms in the winter through early spring. It is reportedly very difficult to grow probably because in situ it blooms when there is nocturnal freezing temperatures and this is difficult to reproduce within the greenhouse. Best grown mounted on tree fern kept cold and given plenty of humidity, water and fertilizer. This orchid has become rare due to logging in the area.

Synonyms Encyclia erubescens Schlechter 1914; *Epidendrum erubescens Lindl. 1840

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; AOS Bulletin Vol 27 No 1 1958 photo as Epidendrum erubescens; AOS Bulletin Vol 28 No 5 1959 as Epidendrum erubescens; AOS Bulletin Vol 30 No 9 1961 as Epidendrum erubescens; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965 as Epidendrum erubescens; The Genus Encyclia in Mexico Dressler & Pollard 1974; Icones Orchidacearum I Soto Arenas 1990; Cattleyas and Their Relatives Vol 5 1998