About the Brazilian Wild Orchid Flower

Laeliinae

• The Laeliinae genus was first identified and recorded in 1935 from plants collected in the Corcovado Hill region of Brail. Laelinnae is categorized as a Neotropical subtribe with 40 orchid genera and over 1,500 species, according to the Brazilian Orchids website. Characteristics recorded in 1976 identify Laeliinae as having 8 pollinia or stamens, tied in groups of two and having an flowers as long as 20 to 30 inches and more.

Cattleya

• Cattleya are commonly exported to the United States and throughout the world for at-home growing. Cattleya labiata, with its large white flowers and hints of yellow, were first collected and studied 1818 and named after Sir William Cattley, a distinguished British horticulturist. Cattleya is highly regarded for its wide range of color variations. Flowers in the wild grow as epiphytes on tall tropical trees where they can receive light, and on rocks in windy areas. Flowers from the Ceara region are usually small, round and dark in color, while those from the Pernambuco and Alagoas regions are typically larger and lighter in color. Identified species, native to Brazil include Cattlye trianae, C.mossiae and C lueddemaniana. Cattleya flowers in the wild produce more oval or irregular shapes, versus cultivated species, which tend to be more round in shape. Cattleya labiata were found growing in the mountainous areas of the northeaster region of Brazil.

Pseudolaelia

• Pseudolaelia grow natively in the Brazilian states of Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais and Espirito Santo. There are 12 identified species within the genus. Pseudolaelia corcorvadensis is only found in Rio de Janeiro and Pseudolaelia vellozicola is only found in Bahia. In Minas Gerais, there are eight known species of Pseudolaelia.

Oncidium

• Oncidium orchids are credited to having been discovered by Olof Swartz in 1800. He identified the small callus of the orchids that he found near the base of the lip, and derived the name for the species based on the Greek word "onkos" which means having swelling. The O. orthostates Ridl. Species is native to the frontier areas, north of the Amazon region. Additional wild Oncidium orchids from Brazilian were identified by famous biologist Carlos Eduardo and include the round-leafed O.divaricatum, the O.harrisonianum with its tough leaves, and the O. robustissimum with its soft leaves.

Discoveries in the 20th and 21st Centuries

• From 1967 to as recently as 2005, several new orchid species, native to Brazil have been identified and recorded. Many of the latest wild orchids identified and recorded are from the Pseudolaelia genus. The continuation of identifications give biologists, horticulture experts and orchid aficionados open to wonder and anticipate additional discoveries and identification of orchid species growing in the wilds of Brazil.