!Leptotes bicolor Lindley 1833 Photo courtesy of Jay Pfahl

Inflorescence Photo courtesy of Joseph Dougherty

Var alba Photo by © Lourens Grobler

to LATE and EARLY

Common Name Bicolored Leptotes

Flower Size 1 1/2 to 2" [3.5 to 5 cm]

A beautiful, miniature, cool to hot growing epiphyte from Brazil and Paraguay in subtropical rainforest and coastal mountains at elevations of 500 to 900 meters with terete pencil-like psuedobulbs covered basally by several membraneous sheaths and has a single, apical, erect or spreading, subcylindric, acute, deeply grooved dorsally, shiney, dark green leaf, and large, 1 to 3, successively opening, fragrant flowers on a 3/4" [2 cm] long, inflorescence shorter than and arising from the base of the leaves, occuring in the late winter or early spring and grows very well attached to tree fern with bright light and humid conditions. The seed pods are used for flavoring in Brazil in ice cream and sherbert.

Synonyms Bletia bicolor Rchb.f ?; Leptotes glaucophylla Hoffmannsegg 1843; Leptotes serrulata Lindl. 1838; Tetramicra bicolor [Lindley] Benth. 1883; Tetramicra serrulata Nichols 1887

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Icones Orchidacearum Brasilienses II Castro 2006

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