SITF Blog

Brassavola-cucullatta-2023-08-22 *SITF confirms that this plant is Brassavola cucullata (Aug 2023).
The main points in considering the differences between Brassavola cucullata and Brassavola appendiculata are that B. appendiculata is only found in Central America from Mexico to Nicaragua and not in the Caribbean. B. cucullata is found in South America from Colombia to Venezuela and in the Caribbean. Brassavola cucullata has eight pollinia and B. appendiculata has twelve pollinia. This plant was collected in the Caribbean (Trinidad) and has eight pollinia. It is a good example of a true B. cucullata.

Posted on Aug 22, 2023

Description is as follows: "Three ribbony flowers and five buds on four up to 3.5-cm inflorescences; sepals and petals long, ribbon-like, sharply acuminate, ivory, midrib very pale olive-green, faint...

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Paphiopedilum-leucochilum-2023-08-20 *Determined by SITF not to be Paphiopedilum leucochilum, but an unknown hybrid (Aug 2023).
Excess spotting on the lip and the pouch shape would indicate this plant is not P. leucochilum. The more or less pointed pouch would indicate probably P. bellatulum or P. concolor in the background and the staminode form would also indicate probably P. concolor. This plant likely has P. leucochilum, P. godefroyae, and maybe P. concolor or P. bellatulum in the background.

Posted on Aug 20, 2023

As stated in the final line of the description, multiple judges questioned the identity of the species.

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Cattleya-cardimii-2023-08-20 *SITF has determined this plant to be Cattleya bradei, not Cattleya cardimii (Aug 2023).
Withner describes C. cardimii with a photo (as Laelia cardimii) in his series "The Cattleyas and their Relatives Vol. 2-The Laelias". It carries three pale yellow flowers on a relatively tall, thin inflorescence with nearly 12 cm to the first flower. Cattleya bradei carries two to four flowers on much shorter inflorescences than C. cardimii on smaller plants like the plant in this submission. This is an excellent match to photos in the IOSPE, OW, orchidroots and the Withner book.

Posted on Aug 20, 2023

Description is as follows: "Three flowers and three buds on two 3-cm inflorescences emerging from the apex of 2-cm pseudobulbs, ovoid, erect, rigid; leaf fusiform, succulent, coriaceous; sepals and p...

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Vanda-liouvillei-2023-08-20 *SITF confirms this that this plant is Vanda liouvillei (Aug 2023).
This species is very unique with a distinct midlobe shape that when viewed from the front, looks like a snake's tongue and it has a very long nectary. These key characteristics are unmatched in the Genus. Orchidroots.com has 23 images all closely matching this plant. The 2021 book by Motes, "The Natural Genus Vanda" describes V. liouvillei and its confusion with V. brunnea; this plant exactly matches Motes description of V. liouvillei.

Posted on Aug 20, 2023

Description is as follows: "Six flowers and four buds on one 25-cm inflorescence; sepals and petals lanceolate, chartreuse, overlaid mahogany, tessellated, margins undulated; lip forked, chartreuse, ...

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Prosthechea-campos-portoi-Irene CBR-2023-08-13 * SITF has determined this plant to be Prosthechea kautskyi, not campos-portoi (Aug 2023).
Based on the description in Harding and Withner, 2004, "The Cattleyas and their Relatives-The Debatable Epidendrums", P. campos-portoi (as Anacheilium campos-portoi) is a unifoliate and P. kautskyi (as Anacheilium kautskyi) is bifoliate. This plant, as shown in the photos, is definitely bifoliate and according to the description is not P. campos-portoi, but is P. kautskyi. The number of basal maroon stripes in the lip also match P. kautskyi better than P. campos-portoi. Flower size is large for P. kautskyi.

Posted on Aug 13, 2023

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