Rhyncholaelia digbyana [Lindley]Schlechter 1918 Photo courtesy of Jay Pfahl

Anotehr Flower Photo courtesy of Allen Black

Plant in situ Photo courtesy of Weyman Bussey

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Common Name Digby's Beaked Laelia [English Orchid Enthusiast 1800's]

Flower Size to 7" [17 cm]

A warm to cool growing, medium to large sized, epiphytic plant from Yucatan, Campeche and Quintana Roo states of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras and Costa Rica, with 6" [15 cm], elongate, compressed, closely spaced psuedobulbs with a single axillary , elliptic, erect, stiff, fleshy, 8" [20 cm] leaf. The entire plant is glaucous, and the terminal, erect, 3" [7.5 cm] long, inflorescence subtended by a large sheath, bears a single large, lemon scented, flower that appears in the summer. This species does best mounted on wood or tree fern, given plenty of bright light and ample water while growing and a lessening after the bulbs have matured.

Synonyms Bletia digbiyana [Lindley]Rchb.f 1861; *Brassavola digbyana Lindley 1846; Brassavola digbyana var fimbripetala [Ames] H.G. Jones 1962; Cattleya digbyana hort. ex Gentil ; Laelia digbyana [Lindley]Benth. 1880; Laelia digbyana var fimbripetala Ames 1932; Rhyncholaelia digbyanan f. fimbripetala [Ames] Hawkes 1964

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list ; IPNI ; Lankester's Epidendra Website CR ; Edwards's Bot. Reg. 32: t. 53. 1846 as Brassavola digbyana; Xenia Orchidaceae vol 2 Rchb.f 1862 as Bletia digbyana; AOS Bulletin Vol 27 No 9 1958 drawing as Brassavola digbyana; AOS Bulletin Vol 28 No 5 1959 drawing as Brassavola digbyana; AOS Bulletin Vol 33 No 9 1964 photo as Brassalvola digbyana; AOS Bulletin Vol 3 1970 drawing as Brassavola digbyana; ; AOS Bulletin Vol 48 No 4 1979 photo; AOS Bulletin vol 53 no 10 1984 photo; AOS Bulletin Vol55 No 2 1986 photo; AOS Bulletin Vol 56 No 4 1987 photo; AOS Bulletin Vol 57 No 1 1988 drawing; AOS Bulletin Vol 64 No 1 1995 photo; AOS Bulletin Vol 66 No 3 1997 photo AS Brassavola digbyana; Cattleyas and Their Relatives Vol 5 Withner 1998; AOS Bulletin Vol 68 No 5 1999 photo; AOS Bulletin Vol 69 No 4 2000 photo; Australian Orchid Review Vol 68 No 1 2003 photo; AOS Bulletin Vol 74 No 2 2005 photo; AOS Bulletin Vol 74 No 10 2005 photo; AOS Bulletin Vol 75 No 1 2006 photo; AOS Bulletin Vol 75 No 8 2006 photo; AOS Bulletin Vol 76 No 3 2007 photo; Icones Orchidacearum fascile 10 plate 1074 Hagsater & Soto 2008; Orchid Digest Vol 73 #1 2009 drawing; AOS Bulletin vol 78 No 5 2009 photo

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