Tetramicra elegans [Hamilton] Cogn. 1910

Another Flower

Flower Closeup

Colum Closeup

Another view of a beautiful flower

And Again

Here's another Photos courtesy of Jay Pfahl

LATEand

Common Name Elegant Tetramicra

Flower Size 1" [2.5 cm]

Found in the Antilles as a miniature to small, hot growing lithophyte and rarely as an epiphyte on rocks in full sun and fairly xerophytic conditions with an elongate rhizome with well spaced tufts of 3 to 4, very terete, slender, acute leaves from which arises an erect, 2' long, thin, terminating in a laxly few to several successively flowered, racemose inflorescence occuring in the late spring and early summer. The flowers of T elegans differ from T canaliculata by having the central yellow line on the lip which t canaliculata does not have. I grow mine in very bright sun [3 to 5 hours of direct sun in summer], and have high on the bench where it gets less water, I fertilize weekly year round. The inflorescence begin to arise in late Febuary to March and flowering begins in Key West in May and continues through late summer.

Synonyms Bletia subaequalis [Eggers] Rchb.f 1886; Brassavola elegans [Hamilton] Hkr. 1831; *Cyrtopodium elegans Hamilton 1825; Epidendrum subaequalis Eggers 1879; Oncidium elegans Beer 1854; Tetramicra subaequalis [Eggers] Rchb.f 1886

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Xenia Orchidaceae vol 2 Rchb.f 1862 as Bletia schomburgkia; Symbolae Antillanae Vol VI Orchidaceae Urban 1909; Cattleyas and Their Relatives Vol 4 Withner 1996 photo fide;

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