Stanhopea costaricensis Rchb. f 1860. Photo courtesy of Michel V. and the Assocation Regionale Orchidee 95 Website

to LATE to EARLY

Common Name The Costa Rican Stanhopea

Flower Size 4 to 4 3/4" [10 to 12 cm]

Not checked by Jenny

Found in Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama in shady, tropical, evergreen cloud forests low on tree trunks and lower branches at elevations of 500 to 1500 meters as a medium sized, hot to warm growing epiphyte with pyriform to ovoid, sulcate pseudobulbs subtended by fibrous bracts with a single, coriaceous, plicate, gradually narrows below into the elongate, channeled petiolate base, elliptic-ovate leaf that blooms on a lateral, pendant, 8 to 10 " [20 to 25 cm] long inflorescence arising on a mature pseudobulb, subtended by inflated imbricate bracts and has 3 to 7, fragrant flowers which have the scent of vanilla occuring in the late spring and early summer.

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Repert. Sp. Nov. Regni. Veg. Beih. 19: 50. Costa Rica Schlechter 1923; Repert. Sp. Nov. Regni. Veg. Beih. 19: 227. Costa Rica Schlechter 1923; AOS Bulletin Vol 27 No 9 1958 drawing; AOS Bulletin Vol 47 No 9 1978 photo; AOS Bulletin Vol 53 No 4 1984 photo; Icones Planetarum Tropicarum Plate 1180 Dodson 1984; Schlechteriana Vol 4 No 1/2 1993 drawing/photo; Icones Planetarum Tropicarum Plate 1590 Atwood 1993; AOS Bulletin Vol 63 No 3 1994 photo; AOS Bulletin Vol 66 No 3 1997 photo; AOS Bulletin Vol 72 No5 2003 photo

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