Oncidium sphacelatum Lindl. 1841 SECTION Oblongata Photo courtesy of Jay Pfahl

En Situ in Mexico Photo courtesy of Weyman Bussey

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Common Name The Burnt Spot Oncidium

Flower Size to 1" [to 2.5 cm]

This is a giant sized, hot to warm growing epiphyte and occasional lithophyte with compressed, oblong pseudobulbs carrying 2 to 3, linear-ligulate, suberect, rigid, acute leaves found in tropical and mountain rain forests occuring in Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Venezuela where it is found below 1000 meters and blooms in the spring with a basal, to 6' [180 cm] long, lateral to pendulous, short branched, purple mottled panicle arising from the leaf bearing sheaths of a mature pseudobulb that has triangular bracts and many showy, weakly fragrant flowers.

Synonyms Oncidium massangei C. Morr. 1977; Oncidium sphacelatum var. majus Lindl 1841; Oncidium sphacelatum var. minus Lindl 1841; Oncidium stenostalix Rchb.f ex Kraenzel. 1922

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Bonplandia Rchb.f 1856; AOS Bulletin Vol 29 No 11 1960 photo; AOS Bulletin Vol 30 No 9 1961; Venezuelan Orchids Vol 4 Dunsterville & Garay 1966; Flora de Venezuela Foldats Volumen XV Part 5 1970; AOS Bulletin Vol 48 No 5 1979; Orchid Digest Vol 44 No 2 1980 photo; AOS Bulletin Vol 52 No 10 1983 photo; Icones Planetarum Tropicarum plate 1060 Dodson 1984; AOS Bulletin Vol 56 No 9 1987 photo; Icones Orchidacearum I Plate 78 Hagsater & Salazar 1990; AOS Bulletin Vol 69 No 5 2000 photo; AOS Bulletin Vol 71 No 4 2002 photo; The Pictoral Encyclopedia of Oncidium Zelenko 2002; Flora of the Venezuelan Guayana Vol 7 Steyermark, Berry, Yatskievych and Holst 2003; AOS Bulletin Vol 75 No 9 2006 photo; Orchid Species Culture: Oncidium, Bakers 2006; Oncidium Vol 3 Koniger 2007 photo/drawing fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 77 No 3 2008 photo; AOS Bulletin Vol 77 No 10 2008 photo;

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