Bifrenaria harrisoniae[Hooker]Rchb.f 1855 Photos by © Eric Hunt and His Orchid Website
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
to 
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 on each. This beautiful species has broadly ovoid-pyriform, angled, deeply sulcate pseudobulbs 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. buchananiana Rchb.f 1879; Bifrenaria harrisoniae var. citrina (B.S.Williams) Stein 1892; Bifrenaria harrisoniae var. eburnea (S.Moore) Stein 1892; Bifrenaria harrisoniae var. flavopurpurea Hoehne 1950; Bifrenaria harrisoniae var. grandiflora (Paxton) Cogn. 1902; Bifrenaria harrisoniae var. insularis Hoehne 1950; Bifrenaria harrisoniae var. minor Hoehne 1950; Bifrenaria harrisoniae var. pubigera Rchb.f 1879; Bifrenaria harrisoniae var. purpurascens Veitch 1893; 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 ; Xenia Orchidaceae Rchb.f 1854 drawing fide as Maxilalria harrrisoniae; *Bonplandia Rchb.f 1855; Bonplandia Rchb.f 1856 as Maxillaria spathacea; Flora Brasilica Vol XII VII 115-147 Hoehne 1953; AOS Bulletin Vol 26 No 2 1957; AOS Bulletin Vol 27 No 1 1958 drawing; AOS Bulletin Vol 31 No 1 1962 photo; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1967; Orchidaceae Brasilense Pabst & Dungs 1970; Illustrated Encyclopedia of Orchdis Pridgeon 1982; Manual of Cultivated Orchids Bechtel, Cribb & Laurent 1982; Orchids of Brazil McQueen 1993; Orchids of the High Mountain Atlantic Rainforest in SE Brazil Warren & Miller 1994; Manual of Orchids Stewart 1995; Orchid Australia Vol 11 No 6 1999 photo; Icones Orchidacearum Brasilienses I Plate 007 Castro & Campacci 2000; Botanica's Orchids Laurel Glen 2002; Coletanea de Orquideas Brasileiras 2 Encyclias Campacci 2003; AOS Bulletin Vol 73 No 1 2004 drawing; Flora's Orchids Nash & La Croix 2005; Orchid Digest Vol 71 No 1 2007 photo; Miniature Orchids Frownie 2007; Australian Orchid Review Vol 73 No 2 2008 photo; AOS Bulletin Vol 77 No 8 2008; AOS Bulletin Vol 10 2008 photo
Bifrenaria harrisoniae[Hooker]Rchb.f 1855 var alba
Synonyms Lycaste harrisoniae var alba Hort. 1886; Maxillaria harrisoniae var alba 1841
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Flora Brasilica Vol XII VII 115-147 Hoehne 1953
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