Galeandra beyrichii Rchb.f. 1850
Inflorescence Photos courtesy of Jay Pfahl.
Another FlowerPhoto courtesy of Dalton Holland Baptista
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Common Name Beyrich's Galeandra [German Plant Collector in Brazil 1800's]
Flower Size 1 3/4" [4.2 cm]
Found in Costa Rica, Panama, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, French Guyana, Guyana, Surinam, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay at elevations of 70 to 1500 meters as a large sized [4' - 120 cm], hot to warm growing terrestrial orchid with subterranean roots and carrying, erect, articulate to the leaf sheaths, oblong-lanceolate, acute leaves that are not visible while blooming in the summer through late fall on an erect, terminal, stout, laxly several flowered, to 4' [120 cm] tall, racemose, green inflorescence. The flowers have no discenable fragrance. This plant is very rare and appears in old river washes, most often only noticed while in bloom when it has no leaves. It also may have several older green inflorescence with capsules standing with it as well as old brown empty inflorescence from previous years. A beautiful find. The featured plant was photographed oin Villeta Colombia on Arturo Carillo's finca and has flowered at least over 5 years. We have not been able to find it when it is in leaf, but I should be able to obtain photos within this year. A real treat to find!!!
Synonyms Galeandra coxipoensis Hoehne 1912; Galeandra fiebrigii Schltr. 1922; Galeandra viridis Barb.Rodr. 1881;
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Venezuelan Orchids Vol 3 Dunsterville & Garay 1965; Flora de Venezuela Foldats Volumen XV Part 3 1970; The Orchids Of Venezuela: An Illustrated Field Guide Vol 2 Dunsterville & Garay 1979; Native Orchids of Colombia Vol 2 # 206 COS 1991; The Orchids of Puerto Rico and Virgin Isl. Castillo & Ackerman 1992; Orchidaceae Antillanae Nir 2000
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