Rhyncholaelia digbyana
Object Details
- Description
- This medium to large sized orchid is very fragrant at night to attract its moth pollinator, but also sensitive. It is said that if a light is turned on at night, the plant will temporarily stop producing scent. It is also slow to recover from repotting and other disturbances. The entire plant is covered in a powdery bloom.
- Bloom Time (Northern Hemisphere)
- February to July; peaks from May to July
- Pollination Syndrome
- Moth
- Provenance
- From a cultivated plant not of known wild origin
- Range
- SE Mexico to Honduras
- Habitat
- Humid lowlands; 33-3280ft (10-1000m)
- Topic
- Orchids
- Living Collections
- See more items in
- Smithsonian Gardens Orchid Collection
- Data Source
- Smithsonian Gardens
- Accession Number
- 2014-0897A
- Restrictions & Rights
- CC0
- Common Name
- Digby's Beaked Laelia
- Queen of the Night
- Group
- [vascular plants]
- Class
- Equisetopsida
- Subclass
- Magnoliidae
- Superorder
- Lilianae
- Order
- Asparagales
- Family
- Orchidaceae
- Subfamily
- Epidendroideae
- Genus
- Rhyncholaelia
- Species
- digbyana
- Life Form
- Epiphytic
- Bloom Characteristics
- Erect inflorescence is 3" (7.5 cm) long with a single large, white to green, hairy-looking flower. Each flower is 7" (18 cm) across.
- Fragrance
- Lemon to lily of the valley
- Plant Size
- 10-18" x 3-4" (25-46 x 8-10 cm)
- Metadata Usage
- CC0
- Record ID
- ofeo-sg_2014-0897A
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