Brassia caudata

(Linnaeus) Lindley

Bot. Reg. 10: plate 832. 1824.

Illustrated
Basionym: Epidendrum caudatum Linnaeus Syst. Nat. ed. 10, 2: 1246. 1759
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 26. Treatment on page 646.

Plants epiphytic, with prominent pseudobulbs, base covered by sheathing bracts, to 50 cm (exclusive of inflorescence). Leaves 1–2 with 1–3 foliaceous bracts; blade 12–40 × 2–8 cm, leathery. Inflorescences to 50 cm; bracts 0.5–1.3 cm. Flowers yellow to yellow-orange or yellow-green with red-brown spots on all perianth parts; sepals 30–200 × 3–6 mm, apex acuminate-setaceous; petals shorter than sepals, 14–37 × 3–5 mm, apex acuminate; lip yellow to yellow-green with several large red-brown spots near lip callus, ovate-lanceolate, 14–27 × 8–14 mm, apex abruptly acuminate; callus of 2 pubescent lamellae, each with distal tooth; column yellow, 2 mm. Capsules 1–15 cm.


Phenology: Flowering winter–summer (Jan–Aug).
Habitat: Epiphytic in hammocks
Elevation: 0[–1000] m

Distribution

V26 1328-distribution-map.jpg

Fla., Mexico, West Indies, Central America, n South America.

Discussion

This widespread species is extremely variable in the dimensions of the sepals and petals. Plants in collections from Florida are generally smaller than those from other parts of the range.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.