Aspasia variegata

Aspasia variegata was found in Venezuela and Colombia at elevations of 200 meters with a creeping, slender, bracteate rhizome and laterally flattened, ellipsoid to oblong, glossy light green pseudobulbs that become sulcate with age subtended by 2 to 3 leaf bearing sheaths carrying one or two, apical, glabrous, subcoriaceous, lanceolate to ligulate, acute, basally conduplicate and articulate leaves, blooming on an ascending, few to several flowered, to 10" [25 cm] long, racemose inflorescence that gives rise to a few, successively opening, fragrant flowers occuring in the spring and summer and grows hot to warm, with high humidity and moderate shade.

This species has , in contrast to the previous species, slightly bigger pseudoblubs and smaller belt-shaped (up to 6 in /15 cm long) leaves. The flowers are showy ,up to 2 in / 15 cm in size, with a ruffled three-lobe lip adorned with purple, and with two yellow spots in the center. The tepals are greenish, with brown lengthwise dashed lining. The plants ecological needs are almost identical with those of A. lunata,except that is perhaps a little more thermophilic. It should be grown epiphytically on a piece of bark or twig of an appropriate size.It blooms in early spring and , Guiana and Trinidad. After flowering a short 1 to 2 month rest is beneficial, resume watering and fertilizer with the onset of new growth and flowers best if given very cramped quarters in a small pot. it was discovered in northern Brazil.