Brassavola nodosa [L.]Lindley 1831 Subgen Brassavola Sec Cuneilabia Photo courtesy of Allen Black

To MOSTLY and

Common Name Lady of the Night or Knobby Brassavola

Flower Size 3 1/2" [8.75 cm]

This hardy, medium sized, hot growing epiphyte or lithophyte has cylindrical, short stems enveloped by scarious sheaths with a single, sub-terete, sulcate,acute-apiculate leaf. I collected this plant in Honda, Colombia in July of 1995 and mounted it on wood, given moderate shade and high humidity and it's first bloom opened 6/7/97. It has a nice, citrus fragrance at night and the flowers are close to 4" across and occur in the spring and summer but are possible at any time on a 8" [20 cm] long, bracteate inflorescence that arises on a newly maturing psuedobulb that carries a single, long, sub-terete leaf that carries up to 6 flowers. They are found from Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Caymans, Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire, Puerto Rico?, French Guaian, Surinam, Guyana, Venzuela, Colombia and Brazil from sea level to about 500 meters as epiphytes or lithophytes and can be quite salt tolerant. I have found them growing on the roots of mangroves in Cozumel, Mexico at sea level.

Synonyms Bletia nodosa Rchb.f 1861; Bletia rhopalorrhachis (Rchb.f.) Rchb.f. 1862; Brassavola gillettei Jones 1967; Cymbidium nodosum Sw. 1799; *Epidendrum nodosum L. 1753

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Venezuelan Orchids Illustrated Vol 1 Dunsterville & Garay 1959; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1987; Manual of Orchids Stewart 1995; The Cattleyas and Their Relatives Vol V Withner 1998; Orchids of Malaya Holtum 1953; Orchidaceae Antillanae Nir 2000; Orchids of Venezuela ; An Illustrated Field Guide Dunsterville & Gary 1979; Botanica's Orchids Laurel Glenn 2002; Icones Planetarum Tropicarum Hamer 1982; Icones Planetarum Tropicarum Dodson 1980; Icones Planetarum Tropicarum Mora & Atwood 1993; An Introduction to the OrchidsOf Mexico Wiard 1987; Icones Orchidacearum I Hagsater & Salazar 1990; Orchids of Guatemala & Belize Ames & Correwll 1985; Simon & Schuster's Guide to Orchids Fanfani& Rossi 1988; Field Guide to the Orchids of Costa rica and Panama Dressler 1993; Orchids of Panama Williams 1985; Native Colombian Orhids COS Vol 1 1991; Illustrated Encyclopedia of Orchids Pridgeon 1982; Flora's Orchids Nash & La Croix 2005; Manual of Cultivated Orchids Bechtel, Cribb & Laurent 1982; Vanishing Beauty; Native Costa Rican Orchids Vol 1 Pupulin 2005 ; Vanishing Beauty; Native Costa Rican Orchids Vol 1 Pupulin 2005 as B grandiflora; Orquideas de la Serrania del Baudo Misas Urreta 2006 as B grandiflora

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