Lycaste consobrina and the blood sacrifice

[smweaver]

Shortly after I took these pictures this morning, my Lycaste consobrina decided to extract a blood sacrifice from one of my fingers as payment for its blooms this spring. The third photograph shows the wickedly sharp 1.3 cm spines that are produced at the top of each pseudobulb--and to the unwary grower, as I reminded myself for probably the millionth time as I made my way to the bathroom closet to find a bandage, they can make their presence clearly known. But I suppose it's a small sacrifice to make for such nice flowers. This deciduous species, like its close relative Lycaste aromatica, is native to Central America and produces an abundance of yellow blooms each spring after a very dry winter rest. The scent, however, is nicely floral and very much different from aromatica's. An easy and rewarding species to grow if you can give it hot, humid and wet summers, along with cool winters. But beware of those spines!