Maxillaria venusta L. Linden & Rchb. f. 1854 Photo courtesy of Patricia Harding

Common Name The Charming Maxillaria

Flower Size 2.8" [7 cm]

Found in Colombia and Ecuador at elevations around 1350 to 2750 meters as a medium to large sized, warm to cold growing epiphyte with clustered, ovoid, compressed pseudobulbs laterally enveloped below by a few distichous, imbricate, leaf-less sheaths and carrying above a single, apical, subcoriaceous to coriaceous, linear-lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, attenuate below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the winter on a few, basal, erect to ascending, 5.2 to 12" [13 to 30 cm] long, single flowered inflorescence arising on a newly forming growth and is enveloped completely by membraneous, close to distant, acute to shortly acuminate, bracts and similar floral bracts and carrying waxy, long-lasting, fragrant flowers.

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; *Bonplandia Rchb.f 1854; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965; Venezuelan Orchids Vol 4 Dunsterville & Garay 1966 drawing fide; Flora de Venezuela Foldats Volumen XV Part 4 1970 drawing ok; Orchids of Venezuela An Illustrated Field Guide Vol 2 Dunsterville & Garay 1979 drawing ok; Orchids of Venezuela [An illustrated field guide] Vol. 2 Ramiro and Carnevali 2000 as M tiaraensis ? drawing ok;

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