Macradenia brassavolae Rchb.f 1852

Flower closeup Photo courtesy of Jay Pfahl

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Common Name or Meaning The Brassavola-Like Macradenia

Flower Size 1" [2.5 cm]

A small sized, hot to warm growing epiphytic species found on trees in low wet forests at or near sea level to 300 meters from Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela with clustered, pyriform-cylindric, slightly compressed, sulcate pseudobulbs carrying a single apical, narrowly oblong-oblanceolate, subacute, coriaceous leaf that blooms in the spring with a pendant, to 12" [30 cm] long, racemose, many flowered inflorescence arising from a mature pseudobulb with sweetly fragrant flowers. This species needs to be mounted on treefern or cork and kept moderately shaded with high humidity with more water while in growth and a little less as the psuedobulb matures.

Synonyms Macradenia brassavolae var. albiflora Senghas & Seeger 1996; Macradenia modesta [Rolfe]Rolfe 1896; Serrastylis modesta Rolfe 1894

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Venezuelan Orchids Vol 5 Dunsterville & Garay 1966; Flora de Venezuela Foldats Volumen XV Part 5 1970; Icones Planetarum Tropicarum plate 136 Dodson 1980; Icones Planetarum Tropicarum plate 1032 Dodson 1984; Native Colombian Orchids Vol 2 COS 1991; Orchid Species Culture: Oncidium/Odontoglossum Alliance Bakers 2006; Orquideas de la Serrania del Baudo Misas Urreta 2006;