Oncidium croesus Rchb. f. 1857 SECTION Barbata Photo courtesy of Danny Lentz, plant grown by Atlanta Botanical Garden

to and EARLY

Common Name The Rich Blooming Oncidium [refers to Croesus - King of Lydia [500 BC] who was very rich - an illusion to the quantity of flowers]

Flower Size 1 3/4" [4.5 cm]

A Brazilian, small sized, cool to hot growing epiphytic species from the coastal atlantic forests with clustered, ovate to oblong, laterally compressed pseudobulbs partially enveloped by several, imbricating, dry, scarious sheaths and carrying 1 or 2 apical, glossy green, slightly leathery, linear-oblong conduplicate below into the base leaves that blooms on a few axillary, to 6" [15 cm] long, erect, zigzag, inflorescence with 3 to 5, long-lasting, fragrant flowers occuring in the spring and early summer. This species is often considered a variety or synonym of Oncidium longipes with larger flowers and with more dark purple and I will leave iot separate at this time.

Synonyms Alatiglossum croesus ( Rchb.f. ) Baptista 2006; Kleberiella croesus (Rchb.f.) V.P.Castro & Cath. 2006; Oncidium longipes Hkr. non Lindley?; Oncidium longipes var croesus [Rchb.f] Veitch ?

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Australian Orchid Review Vol 66 No 2 2001 photo; Orchid Species Culture: Oncidium, Bakers 2006; Oncidium Vol 1 Koniger 2004; The Pictoral Encyclopedia of Oncidium Zelenko 2002

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------