Orchid in the Andes of Venezuela

[Johnvdw]

Dear all,

During my hollidays in Venezuela, a few years ago I photographed a really nice orchid. Because it looks different than most other orchids I am trying to find out the identity of this plant. My search is so far without result. I went through the internet orchid species online encyclopedia (over 8600 species) but I did not find a plant that resembled the one on my photograph.
I have asked a botanist at the largest botanical garden in the country and he told me it is probably a member of the Prost(h)echea genus. However my search within the Prothechea genus did not show a plant resembling the one on the photgraph (I found out that flowers within in a single genus can look quite different, and I did not find any data on some mebers of the genus).

Shortly: this epiphytic orchid was growing in the Venezuelan Andes at an altitude between 2000 and 3000 meters (probably somewhat at the higher end of this range), it was flowering in May.



So I hope there are members on this forum that can (help me to) identify this nice orchid for me?

John

[epiphyte78]

The picture is really small but if I had to guess I'd say it was Rhynchostele bictoniensis.

[bonsai1504]

the picture shows up as an x on my computer.

[cb977]

Hi John Welcome to Orchidboard

The best way to post a photo is to insert it into the post from your gallery here or add it as a thumbnail:

Resizing Images...originally posted 6/13/06 by Marty

Gallery Photos

Thumbnail pics in posts

The resizing part is important to do prior to uploading your photo.

If you need any other help, let us know

[Johnvdw]

I have adapted the picture and the quality should be better now.

@ Suzanne B: thanks for the directions.
@ epiphyte78: I don't think it is a Rhynchostele bictoniensis, because the flowers of the orchid on the photo are non-resipunate, that is not the case with Rhynchostele,it is not known from Venezuela and flowers in autumn.

John

[David Morris]

My thoughts after noticing that it is quite clearly a Anacheilum, Prostechea, Encyclia (depending on which Taxonimist you prefer) is that it is most likely Anacheilum lindenii as is in Withner/Harding's Book on the Genus. I will now go and see if it is in Jay Pfahls we site. Very nice plant regardless

[Johnvdw]

David, thanks for your reaction. I agree that it is a not fully opened flower (I did not notice before) from the Anacheilium or Prostechea genus (Encyclia is growing below 1000 meters for what I found).
I have found a photograph of A. lindenii on the internet (as Prosthechea lindenii) but especially the lip looks very different.
I ran down the species list from Withner/Harding's Book, but the right one does not seem to be included. The only species that has a reddish lip with a light colored margin (and sepals with a light colored margin is (as far as I could find) A. spondiadum, but it has sepals with the same color as the lip. I also ran down a list of over 100 species of Prostechea without results (there are 2 or 3 species I could not find any info about).

John

[Royal]

Originally Posted by David Morris

My thoughts after noticing that it is quite clearly a Anacheilum, Prostechea, Encyclia (depending on which Taxonimist you prefer) is that it is most likely Anacheilum lindenii as is in Withner/Harding's Book on the Genus. I will now go and see if it is in Jay Pfahls we site. Very nice plant regardless

My first thought was Anacheilum or Prosthechea. That's all I got, sorry.

[Johnvdw]

I wanted to let you know that the plant has been identified by Jay Pfahl, Eric Christenson and Patricia Harding as Anacheilium lindenii and is now as such included in the IOSPE.

After looking some pictures, drawings and descriptions I am still not convinced (wishfull thinking?) especially because the lip looks different from the A. lindenii pictures (according to Jay Pfahl, the Anacheilium species with such a lip grows in Central Peru....). But because of the age of the flower and the angle it can not be proven to be something different....

John

[Patricia Harding]

my guess is anacheilium lindenii, do you have closer up photos.