Earina valida Rchb.f. 1876
Plant and FlowersPhotos by Takato NATSU from Japan and his Japan Orchids Page
Common Name The Strong Earina
Flower Size .15" [.45mm]
Found in Fiji, New Caledonia, Samoa and Vanuatu in montane forests at elevations of 300 to 1100 meters as a large to giant sized, hot to warm growing epiphyte with clustered, ovoid speudobulbs enveloped completely by persistent leafless sheaths and carrying distichous, arranged in a fan, lanceolate-linear, unequally bilobed apically, becoming conduplicate towards the base leaves that blooms on a terminal, 25" [62.5 cm] long, racemose, many flowered inflorescence with many, all along the top 1/2, distichously arranged, .4" [1 cm or less] long, 4 flowered branches.
Synonyms Agrostophyllum drakeanum Kraenzl. 1903; Earina brousmichei Kraenzl. 1928; Earina laxior Rchb.f. 1878; Earina plana Rchb.f. 1878; Earina samoensiana F.Muell. & Kraenzl. 1894
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Orchids of Samoa Cribb & Whistler 1996; Orchids of Vanuatu Lewis & Cribb 1989
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