Bifrenaria harrisoniae[Hooker]Rchb.f 1855

Plant and Rock habitat - Alto de Ouro Branco elevation 1150 meters

More plant and Habit - Notice how it fills the cracks in the rocks

Photo courtesy of Jay Pfahl

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Common Name Harrison's Bifrenaria [Mrs. Arnold Harrison, English Orchid Enthusaist 1800's]

Flower Size 3" [7.5 cm]

This is a medium sized, coastal Brazilian epiphyte or occasional lithophyte in full sun found at 200 to 700 meters that grows warm and needs a dry winter rest after which, one should resume watering as the new growth appears in the spring and then by early summer it will bloom on a short, basal, racemose, semi-erect, shorter than the leaves, bracteate, inflorescence with up to 2 fragrant flowers arising on the most recent pseudobulb and often two inflorescence a psuedobulb. This beautiful species has braodly ovoid-pyriform, angled, deeply sulcate pseudobulbw carrying a single, apical, elliptic-oblong, suberect, subacute or obtuse, thin-textured, plicate leaf.

Synonyms Bifrenaria harrisoniae var. angustior (Lindl.) Cogn. 1902; Bifrenaria harrisoniae var. citrina (B.S.Williams) Stein 1892; Bifrenaria harrisoniae var. eburnea (S.Moore) Stein 1892; Bifrenaria tyrianthina var. albescens Hoehne 1950; Colax grandiflorus Raf. 1836; Colax harrisoniae Lindley 1826; *Dendrobium harrisoniae Hooker 1825; Lycaste citrina B.S. Wms. 1885; Lycaste harrisoniae D.Don ex Louden 1840; Lycaste harrisoniae [Hooker] B.S. Wms.; Lycaste harrisoniae var citrina Watson 1890; Lycaste harrisoniae var. eburnea S.Moore 1884; Maxillaria barringtoiae Hort 1858; *Maxillaria harrisoniae Lindl. 1826; Maxillaria harrisoniae var. angustior Lindl. 1853; Maxillaria harrisoniae var. eburnea S.Moore 1884; Maxillaria harrisoniae var. grandiflora Paxton 1850; Maxillaria pubigera Kl. 1855; Maxillaria spathacea Lindley 1832; Stanhopea harrisoniae G. Don 1846; Stenocoryne harrisoniae [Hkr.] Kraenzl. 1896

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Icones Orchidacearum Brasilienses I Castro & Campacci; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1982; Flora Brasilica Hoehne 1953; Orchidaceae Brasilense Pabst & Dungs 1970; Orchids of Brazil McQueen 1993; Manual of Orchids Stewart 1995; Botanica's Orchids Laurel Glen 2002; Flora's Orchids Nash & La Croix 2005; Illustrated Encyclopedia of Orchdis Pridgeon 1982Manual of Cultivated Orchids Bechtel, Cribb & Laurent 1982

Bifrenaria harrisoniae[Hooker]Rchb.f 1855 var alba

Synonyms Lycaste harrisoniae var alba Hort. 1886; Maxillaria harrisoniae var alba 1841

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