Cischweinfia sheehaniae Christenson 2003 Photo courtesy of Eric Hunt

Common Name Sheehan's Cischweinfia [An American Orchid Illustrator late 1900's]

Flower Size 1 1/4" [3 cm]

Recently described and coming from Colombia as a cool to warm growing epiphyte with ellipsoid strongly compressed, sharply 2-angled pseudobulbs enveloped basally by foliaceous bracts and carrying a single apical, linear-lanceolate, subprtiolate at the conduplicate base, acuminate leaf and blooms on a short to 2 1/4" [7 cm] long, arching inflorescence with a fractiflex rhachis and ovate, acute, floral bracts carring 3 to 6, cupped, faintly fragrant flowers. This species is often confused with C pusilla yet differ in having a tubular lip base unlike the flat lip base of true C pusilla and having a simple callus of 2 subparellel yellow keels unlike C pusilla that has 11 radiating white keels.

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; *AOS Bulletin Vol 72 No 2 2003 photo;

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