!Panarica prismatocarpa [Rchb.f] Withner & Harding 2004

TYPE for the genus Photo by © Lourens Grobler

Inflorescence Photo courtesy of Allen Black

Plant and Flowers Photo courtesy of Joseph Dougherty

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Common Name The Prism-Shaped Seedpod Panarica

Flower Size 2" [5 cm]

Found in Mexico and Central America in lower montane cloud forests on larger tree branches, this large-sized species has elongate, conic pseudobulbs partially enveloped basally by a few scarious sheaths and carrying 2 to 3 apical, oblong-elliptic, basally conduplicate and clasping leaves and provides bright, long lasting, fragrant flowers in the spring, summer and fall on an apical, erect, to 15" [37.5 cm] long, densly to loosely, few to many [6 to 35] flowered raceme subtended by a papery basal sheath and arising on a newly matured pseudobulb with longlasting waxy, fragrant flowers. Very striking! Grows as a warm to cool epiphytic orchid with moderate light and is found at altitudes of 1200 to 2500 meters.

Similar to P neglecta but differs in the epiphytic habit, shorter pseudobulbs, a dense inflorescence, no apcailly swelling to the ovary, larger fragrant flowers and glabrous sepals on the dorsal side.

Synonyms Encyclia prismatocarpa (Rchb. f.) Dressler 1961; Epidendrum maculatum hort.; *Epidendrum prismatocarpum Rchb. f. 1852; Epidendrum uro-Skinneri hort.; Prosthechea prismatocarpa (Rchb. f.) W.E. Higgins 1997; Pseudencyclia prismatocarpa (Rchb.f.) V.P.Castro & Chiron 2003

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Lankester's Epidendra Website CR ; Bot. Zeitung (Berlin) 10: 729. 1852 as E prismatocarpum; Xenia Orchidaceae vol 2 Rchb.f 1863 as Epidendrum prismatocarpum drawing fide; Repert. Sp. Nov. Regni. Veg. Beih. 17: 38. Panama Schlechter 1922 as Epidendrum prismatocarpum; AOS Bulletin Vol 26 No 5 1957 Drawing as Epidendrum prismatocarpum; AOS Bulletin Vol 31 No 3 1962 photo as Epidendrum prismatocarpum; AOS Bulletin Vol 398 No 5 1969 photo; Orquideologia Vol 12 No 3/4 1977/8 photo; AOS Bulletin Vol 49 No 3 1980 photo; Icones Planetarum Tropicarum Plate 1427 Atwood 1992 drawing fide; *The Cattleyas and Their Relatives, the Debateable Epidendrum Withner and Harding 2004 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 74 No 2 2005 photo as Encyclia prismatocarpa; AOS Bulletin Vol 74 No 5 2005 photo as Encyclia prismatocarpa; AOS Bulletin Vol 75 No 6 2006 photo; Orchids of Costa Rica Vol 1 Morales 2009 as Prosthechea prismatocarpa photo fide;

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