Schomburgkia superbiens (Lindl.) Rolfe 1917 SUBGENUS Schomburgkia Photo by © Arturo Carillo
Flower Closeup Photo courtesy of Joseph Dougherty
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Common Name The Gorgeous Schomburgkia or in Guatemala - La Vara De Senor San Jose [the Wand of St. Joseph] in Mexico - Flor de la Candelaria or Tanal
Flower Size to 5" [to 12.5 cm]
Found in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua in open or damp forests on trees or the rocks below them in mountains of the Sierra Madre de Chiapas at altitudes of 800 to 2000 meters where it is a large sized, hot to cool growing epiphyte with 1 to 3 leaves, of open or rain forests, where it forms dense, 6 foot wide colonies with elongated, oblong-fusiform, slightly compressed, furrowed pseudobulbs carrying 1 to 3, apical, oblong or oblong-lanceolate, obtuse or acute, conduplicate towards the base, very leathery leaves that have an erect to arching, simple, to 4' [120 cm] long, apical, stout, many flowered, racemose inflorescence arising on a amture pseudobulb and has large, lanceolate, acuminate bracts with fragrant, showy, large, long-lasting flowers occuring in the late fall and early winter.
Synonyms Amalia superbiens (Lindl.) Heynh, 1846; Bletia superbiens (Lindl.) Rchb. f. 1862; Cattleya superbiens (Lindl.) Beer 1854; *Laelia superbiens Lindl. 1840
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
The Orchids of Mexico and Guatemala Bateman 1843 as Laelia superbiensdrawing fide; Xenia Orchidaceae vol 2 Rchb.f 1862 as Bletia superbiens; Symbolae Antillanae Vol VI Orchidaceae Urban 1909 as Laelia superbiens; AOS Bulletin Vol 26 No 5 1957 Drawing as Laelia superbiens; AOS Bulletin Vol 30 No 9 1961 as Laelia superbiens; AOS Bulletin Vol 32 No 1 1963; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965 as laelia superbiens; AOS Bulletin VOl 38 No 6 1969 photo; Orchid Digest Vol 42 No 1 1978 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 48 No 7 1979 photo as Laelia superbiens; Icones Planetarum Tropicarum Plate 1159 Hamer 1984 drawing fide; Cattleyas and Their Relatives Withner Vol 3 1990 photo fide; Icones Orchidacearum 5 - 6 Orchids of Mexico Part 2 - 3 Plate 599 Hagsater & Soto 2002 as Laelia superbiens drawing fide; Flora's Orchids Nash and La Croix 2005;
Schomburgkia superbiens (Lindl.) Rolfe 1917 var alba
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; AOS Bulletin Vol 38 No 6 1969 photo; AOS Bulletin Vol 77 No 12 2008 photo as L superbiens
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