Cochleanthes flabelliformis (Sw.) R.E.Schult. & Garay

  • Authority

    Ackerman, James D. 1995. An orchid flora of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 73: 1-203.

  • Family

    Orchidaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Cochleanthes flabelliformis (Sw.) R.E.Schult. & Garay

  • Description

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    Species Description - Plants epiphytic or lithophytic, glabrous herbs. Roots numerous, velamentous, 2-3 mm diam. Stems inconspicuous, concealed by leaf sheaths. Leaves several to numerous, thin, loosely arranged fanlike, oblanceolate, acute, to 30 cm long, 5 cm wide, blades of lower leaves much reduced or absent. Inflorescences 1-3, lateral, scapes 5-7 cm long, single-flowered. Flowers resupinate, large, fleshy, odorless (in ours). Pedicellate ovary stout, ribbed, 2-3 cm long. Sepals and petals pale green. Dorsal sepal arched over column, elliptic-lanceolate, acute, 3-3.5 cm long, 1-1.4 cm wide; lateral sepals spreading, obliquely oblong-lanceolate, acute-acuminate, fused at base and partially attached to the column foot, 3.5-4 cm long, 1.3-1.7 cm wide. Petals arched forward, entire, oblong, obtuse, 2.9-3.2 cm long, 1-1.4 cm wide. Lip cream with intense purple veins basally, purple apically, attached to and articulated with the column foot, margin crispate, basally cordate, nearly orbicular, retuse, ca. 3 cm long; disc with a low, transverse callus with radiating ridges. Column ca. 1.3 cm long; column foot 4-5 mm long. Fruits pale green, fusiform, prominently 6-ribbed, ca. 6 cm long.

  • Discussion

    1. Cochleanthes flabelliformis (Swartz) Schultes & Garay, Bot. Mus. Leafl. 18: 324. 1959. Epidendrum flabelliforme Swartz, Nov. Gen. Sp. PL Prodr. 123. 1788. Zygopetalum flabelliforme Reichenbach f., Walp. Ann. Bot. 4: 652. 1863. Warscewiczella flabelliformis (Swartz) Cogniaux in Urban, Symb. Ant. 4: 182. 1903. Type. Swartz s.n., from Jamaica (BM, UPS). FlG- 8- Phenology & Pollination. Flowering occurs from August to November. In the mainland tropics, Cochleanthes flabelliformis is probably pollinated by male euglossine bees when they visit the flowers to collect the floral fragrance. Populations in Puerto Rico, however, lack a fragrance and the flowers are self-pollinating. Nearly all plants that flower set fruit, a phenomenon that also occurs in Jamaica (Fowlie, 1961). The flowers do not open as fully as those from the mainland, and the attractive labellum quickly falls off.

  • Distribution

    General Distribution. Brazil, Greater Antilles, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Trinidad, and Venezuela.

    Brazil South America| Honduras Central America| Mexico North America| Nicaragua Central America| Trinidad and Tobago South America| Venezuela South America| Puerto Rico South America|