Brassia gireoudiana Rchb. f. & Warsz. 1854

Flower closeup

Inflorescence

Photos by © Jay Pfahl

FragrancePart sunWarm LATESpringTo Fall

Common Name Gireoud's Brassia [German Gardener 1800's]

Flower Size To more than 12" [to more than 30 cm]

Found in Costa Rica and Panama in semi-deciduous to evergreen premontane forests as a medium sized, warm growing epiphyte at elevations of 500 to 1000 meters with elliptic-ovoid, laterally compressed pseudobulbs subtended by 2 or more foliaceous bracts with 2, rarely 1, petiolate, subcoriaceous, carinate beneath, elliptic-ovate leaves and blooms in the late spring and fall on a basal, from the sheath, 18" [45 cm] long, arching, many [1 to 15] flowered inflorescence arising on a newly arising pseudobulb with long-lasting, fragrant musky scented flowers.

Synonyms Brassia verrucosa subsp. gireoudiana (Rchb.f. & Warsz.) Dressler & N.H.Williams 2003; Oncidium gireoudianum (Rchb. f. & Warsz.) Rchb. f. 1863

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Lankester's Epidendra Website CR ; *Allg. Gartenzeitung 22(35): 273. 1854; Xenia Orchidaceae Rchb.f 1854 drawing; Ann. Bot. Syst. 6: 768. 1863 as Oncidium gireodianum; Die Orchideen Schlechter 1915; Repert. Sp. Nov. Regni. Veg. Beih. 17: 80. Panama Schlechter 1922; Repert. Sp. Nov. Regni. Veg. Beih. 19: 255. Costa Rica Schlechter 1923; The Orchids of Panama L.O. Williams & P Allen 1946; Encylopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965; AOS Bulletin Vol 36 #8 1967 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 39 No 1 1970 photo; Icones Planetarum Tropicarum Dodson 1980; Orquideologia Vol 15 #1 Luer & Escobar 1981; Illustrated Encyclopedia of Orchids Pridgeon 1982; ; AOS Bulletin Vol 54 # 8 1985 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 55 No 11 1986 photo fide; The Manual of Cultivated Orchids Bechtel, Cribb, Laurent 1992 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 62 No 5 1993 photo good; Field Guide to the Orchids of Costa Rica and Panama Dressler 1993; Icones Planetarum Tropicarum Plate 1509 Mora & Atwood 1993 drawing ok; Manual of Orchids Stewart 1995; Fieldiana Biology, Flora Costa Ricensis Family # 39 Orchidaceae, subtribes Maxillariinae and Oncidiinae Atwood & Mora 1999 drawing fide; Rudolf Schlechter Die Orchideen Band 1C lieferung 33 - 36 2057 - 2308 Brieger 1997; Botanica's Orchids Laurel Glenn 2002; Manual De Plantas de Costa Rica Vol III Hamel, Grayum, Herrera and Zamora 2003; AOS Bulletin Vol 74 No 3 2005 photo fide; Flora's Orchids Nash & La Croix 2005; Vanishing Beauty, Native Costa Rican Orchids Vol 1 2005 photo fide; Orchid Species Culture: Oncidium, Bakers 2006; AOS Bulletin Vol 80 #6 2011 pollinia only photo fide; Orchids, A Colombian Treasure Vol 1 Ortiz & Uribe 2014 drawing/ photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 80 #2 2016; AOS Bulletin Vol 86 #5 2017 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 87 #1 2018 photo fide; Orchid Genera and Species in Guatemala Archila, Szlachchetko, Chiron, Lipinska, Mystkowska and Bertolini 2018

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