Chysis tricostata Schlechter 1923
Photo by Eric Hunt
Photo by Daniel Jimenez
Common Name or Meaning The Three Ribbed Chysis [refers to the three keels on the lip]
Flower Size 1 3/4" [4.1 cm]
Found in Nicaragua and Costa Rica in wet cloud forests at elevations around 1360 meters as a medium sized, pendant, cool growing epiphyte with fusiform, elongate pseudobulbs mostly enveloped by tubular sheaths with the apical few being leaf bearing and carrying plicate, basally clasping, elliptic leaves that blooms in the spring on a basal, pendant, racemose, 5 to 10 flowered, 8" [20 cm] long inflorescence arising on a newly forming pseudobulb carrying showy, fragrant flowers
The defining difference between this species and C aurea is that this one has 3 calli on the lip instead of 5 with C aurea.
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Atlas des Orchidees Cultivees Constantin 1920 as C laevis = C tricostata drawing good; drawing fide; *Repert. Sp. Nov. Regni. Veg. Beih. 19: 136. Costa Rica Schlechter 1923; Encyclopedia of Cultivateed Orchids Hawkes 1965 as synonym of C laevis; AOS Bulletin Vol 39 No 1 1970 photo fide; Icones Planetarum Tropicarum Plate 1007 Hamer 1984 drawing fide; Selbyana Vol 10 Orchids of Central America Hamer 1988 drawing fide; Field Guide to the Orchids of Costa Rica and Panama Dressler 1993; Manual of Orchids Stewart 1995 as syn of C laevis; Manual De Plantas de Costa Rica Volumen 3 Hammel, Grayum, Herrera and Zamora 2003; Botanica's Orchids Laurel Glen 2001; Vanishing Beauty, Native Costa Rican Orchids Vol 1 Pupulin 2005 photo good; AOS Bulletin Vol 84 #8 2015 photo fide; Orchid Genera and Species in Guatemala Archila, Szlachchetko, Chiron, Lipinska, Mystkowska and Bertolini 2018
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