Prosthechea chacaoensis vs fragrans
 

Is there a way to make a distinction between these two species before blooming? I've got what was labeled as a fragrans, but I'm suspecting its a chacaoensis. The new and old bulbs have 2 leaves, and the leaves are a lighter green than images I've seen of fragrans.

Comparing peoples pictures side by side, its hard to tell even from the flowers. As far as I can tell, the sepals are more narrow and elongated on the fragrans. The chacaoensis blooms also seem to be smaller and more compact, with them forming clusters at the end of a spike, while the fragrans flowers are more spaced out.

From what I've seen on here and other forums, 2 leaves per bulb is a dead giveaway that the plant is not fragrans. But I just wanted to ask in case someone has information that proves otherwise. Thanks :)

https://i.imgur.com/hVjJ52C.jpg

ah itzi, I'm really glad I am not the only one who has considered that question but like you I have no idea.
From what I gathered trying to identify them based on the flower is hard, what should be easier is differentiating them by smell. One should live up to its name and the other one not.

I look up species on the Internet Orchid Species Photo Encyclopedia (IOSPE). IOSPE shows these as being in genus Anacheilium. It says fragrans has one coriaceous (stiff) leaf and chacoense has 2-3 subcoriaceous (less stiff) leaves.

after spending half an hour comparing flowers I have decided that fragrans should have 1 leaf coming out of the pseudobulb and the plant grows like a prostechea garciana.

Very different growth habit to an Ionophlebium which I think a lot of people mistakenly have instead of a fragrans.

The prostechea ionophlebium has much more elongated pseudobulbs and resembles an adaglossum summit for example.

Then the encyclia chacoensis seems to be a bit more rare but I think the flower looks a little difffernt.

These are the flowers I think are correct but it could be they are all mixed up!

fragrans:Encyclia fragrans, again | Orchids Forum

ionophlebium: IOSPE PHOTOS

chacoense: ENCYCLIA CHACOENSIS - Azienda Agricola Nardotto e Capello

Wow, lots of discussion already! I also spent a while comparing flowers and found another look-alike under the name Prosthechea aemula (1). I think I think the biggest between fragrans and chacoensis is the size, population, and arrangement of the blooms. Fragrans flowers "stretch out" more and seem to be more chaotic, overlapping each-other and having varying orientations (2). Looking at chacoensis, its flowers tend to be more compact and neat, bunching up closely at the end of the spike (3).

If I look for fragrans on google images and only consider the ones with a 2-3 larger flowers to be fragrans, all of those do only have on leaf per bulb. So I dont think my species is fragrans. What it actually is I probably wont know until it blooms.

The page I bought my plant from had an photo (4) on its page which looks really similar to fragrans, but the growth habits of my plant suggest otherwise. I think the flowers in that pic resemble aemula more than chacaoensis or ionophlebium. So thats another possibility..

1. Prosthechea aemula: Prosthechea aemula
2. Prosthechea fragrans: https://www.orchidroots.com/static/u..._000165829.jpg
3. Prosthetchea chacaoensis: https://www.orchidroots.com/static/u..._000165812.jpg
4. "My" plant: https://cdn3.volusion.com/hyokq.tvfo...che=1634042564

from what I gather Prosthechea aemula is teh Prosthechea Fragrans. They certainly look identical

ok it seems they are different after all
IOSPE PHOTOS

that just makes it even more confusing lol

PS that picture is not a chacoensis you linked! I noticed this too, people would just label their plant something but that doesn't mean it necesarily is that plant so using a mislabelled plant is also very confusing

---------- Post added at 11:30 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:08 PM ----------

I dug out my "fragrans" whatever it really is

https://cdn-images.imagevenue.com/23...ME149TDE_o.JPG

ill screw you all up and add that radiata is also a dead ringer with no flowers

My so called 'fragrans'.

Wow, yours looks way different than mine O.o
Not just by having one leaf but the bulbs are different too, and the texture/shape of the leaf. Im anxious to get answers honestly, mine cant bloom fast enough!!

if I had to guess none of us have a fragrans :biggrin:

I'd say plums looks like a radiata,
mine like the ionophlebium (Anacheilium ionophlebium | Orchids Forum)
and itzi yours could very well be a chacoensis.

I don't think any of them look the same though

Just FYI - mine came from Ecuagenera. Full name on tag is Prosthechea fragrans Villaseca. The pic is from the day I got it in early August and it seems to be doing pretty well.

Based on Carl Withner's book, there are subtle differences in the shape of the upward pointed lip (Anacheilium, which the group gets its name), lip patterning, as well as the column shape, leaf and p-bulb morphology. Though, it mentions that many species are variable, making it even more difficult to differentiate.

Minor differences to the hobbyist!