A tough one. Maxillaria species (PERU)

[David Morris]

This is a species of Maxillaria that I bought from Orchidaceae after they had acquired it from Species West. It is from Peru and that is all I know.

[bodaciousbonsai]

Hello that is deffiantly a schunkeana. I have one thats how I know.
Clay

[Mahon]

It has the same coloration as a Max. schunkeana, yet the flower's general morphology is a little off... I was orinally thinking a dark Max. variabilis, but again, the flower form was off...

Pretty interesting flower though!

-Pat

[David Morris]

What is your source for the name shunkeana? I don't find it any where. Not even in W3Tropicos . That usually means it is a unpublished name (although they have been in error before). Until I can find it I cannot rule it out. As for variabilis I have included 2 pictures of 2 different color forms of variabilis. the size of the plant is wrong for that as well as the morphology of both plant and flower and flower size. The flower in the picture of the unknown is about 2" tall. The plant is about 10" (including pseudobulb) and caespitose in growth habit

[Mahon]

David,

Maxillaria schunkeana (need that 'c' ) is a species hailing from Espírito Santo, Brazil. It has very dark purple flowers, considered near black. Here is the publication data:

Maxillaria schunkeana Campacci & R.A.Kautsky
Orquidário, 7(4): 136 (1993).

I considered Max. variabilis, yet is is native to Mexico, not Peru, so that is not the species either...

Will keep looking though...

-Pat

[Phantasm]

Here are some pictures of Max. schunkeana:

http://images.google.com/images?hl=e...=Search+Images

It's tough to tell if your plant is the same or not, but the shape doesn't look quite right.

[Tony]

I sent the link for this thread to Lane Peck over on ST, he lived in Peru for many years and is very knowledgeable about Peruvian orchids. I'll post an update if he recognizes it.

[cb977]

Originally Posted by Tony

I sent the link for this thread to Lane Peck over on ST, he lived in Peru for many years and is very knowledgeable about Peruvian orchids. I'll post an update if he recognizes it.

Now, that's what I call member participitation!
Way to go, Tony

[Gongora]

This is an interesting orchid. it is out of the same group of Maxillaria’s that include Max.punctostriata, Max.meleagris & Max.cullculata. These usually have a reddish back ground with darker spots & strips in varying patterns also a very fleshy lip which tends to be tongue like in appearance and much darker than the rest of the flower. There are also overlapping ancipitous bracts on the spike that are always evident on this group. The inflorescence arise from the base of the new growth usually to a height of about 3 or 4 inches. The leaves tend to be long and strap like and the bulbs compressed and tightly packed together Max. schunkeana is a far smaller growing orchid morphologically than any of this group. And variabilis is different yet again. As to the name of this one I have no Idea unless it is an extremely dark form of Max. cullculata possible but I think not likely.And finally would I like to get my hands on one of these ABOLUTLEY

[Tony]

Here is what Lance had to say:

Originally Posted by gonewild

I looked at the photos. It is very similar to a couple different species I have seen growing at elevations around 1000 meters. It looks like it might be a ground epiphyte. I bet there are several hundred Maxillaria species in Peru that are still undescribed and this could be one of them. Just because it was labeled in Peru does not mean it was correct. Peruvians are notorious at assuming a name is correct if it is even close to correct.

This also could be a hybrid, can you ask what the label says? And try to find out if the plant was imported directly from Peru or grown from seed here.

The near black color definitely sets it apart from the norm but there is a lot of color variation in some of the wild species. There is a grower near here that has a black species labeled M.variabilia. I will look tomorrow and see if there are any flowers to photograph for comparison.

regards,
Lance