!Coryanthes speciosa Hooker 1831 Photo courtesy of Jean Trubey

Another Clone Photo courtesy of Patricia Harding

Photo aspect of bucket interior Photo courtesy of Weyman Bussey

Another Color Variation Photo courtesy of Weyman Bussey

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Common Name The Outstanding Coryanthes

Flower Size 5" [12.5 cm]

Found in Trinidada & Tobago, French Guiana, Surinam, Guyana, Venezuela, Peru and Brazil at elevations around 100 meters as a large sized, hot to warm growing epiphyte with tall spindly, rugose psuedobulbs carrying 2, apical, narrowly elliptic leaves which blooms in the summer on a basal, pendant, 1 1/2' [45 cm] long, bracteate, 1 to several flowered, racemose inflorescence arising on a mature pseudobulb and has a waxy, large flower that is quite fragrant, smelling of mint that is held well below the plant.

Synonyms Coryanthes albertinae H. Karst. 1848; Coryanthes barkeri Beer 1854; Coryanthes maculata Hkr.; Coryanthes maculata Lindl. 1835; Coryanthes maculata var. punctata Lindl.; Coryanthes maculata var. vitrina Rolfe 1895; Coryanthes powellii Schltr. 1922; Coryanthes punctata Beer; Coryanthes splendens Barb. Rodr. 1877; Coryanthes speciosa var alba Lindl. 1840; Coryanthes speciosa var exima Cogn 1902; Coryanthes speciosa var. punctata (Beer) G.Gerlach 1993; Coryanthes speciosa var. sumneriana (Lindl.) G.Gerlach 1993; Coryanthes speciosa var vitellina Morren 1846; Coryanthes sumneriana Lindl. 1856; Epidendrum galeatum Vell. 1831; Gongora macrantha Hooker; *Gongora speciosa Hkr. 1827; Meliclis speciosa (Hook.) Raf. 1836

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Flora Brasilica Vol XII VI Hoehne 1942; Flora Brasilica Vol XII VI Hoehne 1942 as C punctata; Flora Brasilica Vol XII VI Hoehne 1942 as albertinae Venezuelan Orchids Vol 3 Dunsterville & Garay 1965; Flora de Venezuela Foldats Volumen XV Part 4 1970; Icones Planetarum Tropicarum plate 1209 Dodson 1985

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