Embreea
(pronounced: em-BREE-ah)
Classification
Maxillarieae subtribe Stanhopeinae
Overview
Caespitose epiphytes. Pseudobulbs ovoid, four-angled. Leaves one, petiolate, softly leathery in substance. Inflorescences pendent, one-flowered. Flowers large, showy, pendent. Sepals and petals free, spreading. Lip complex, divided into a hypochile, mesochile, and epichile. Column arching, club-shaped, with conspicuous wings; pollinia 2, on a common stipe and viscidium.
Etymology
Honoring American orchid enthusiast Alvin Embree.
Distribution
A monotypic genus from Colombia and Ecuador. Embreea was previously included in a broadly defined Stanhopea Frost ex W. J. Hooker.
Care and Culture Card
See basic growing conditions and care information below.
Grow plants of Embreea in baskets of medium-grade epiphyte mixture. Provide intermediate temperatures, medium light levels, and regular watering thoughout the year. Like species of Stanhopea, plants of Embreea should only be repotted when necessary and they are usually set back by root disturbance.
Literature
Dodson, C. H. 1980. Embreea, new genus in the Orchidaceae. Phytologia 46(6):389-398. Jenny, R. 1985. The genus Embreea. Orchid Digest 49:65-66.
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