Psychopsis versteegiana

Common Name - Versteeg's Psychopsis [Dutch Orchid Collector - Surinam]

This genus of beautiful butterfly- flowered orchids includes a tottal of 5 species that are very alike .Psychopsis versteegiana differs from the others ,for instance ,by some details in the morphology of its flower coloumn , the smaller size of its flowers and , in contrast ,its larger body proportions. Its unifoliate pseudobulbs measure 1.6 -2.8 in/4-7 cm, while its leaves reach lengths of 12 in/30 cm . After the first generation of flowers fade away ,the flower spike continues to branch out and reaches a final length of up to 3.6 ft/110 cm . The Psychopsis versteegiana plant comes from cooler humid forests and is therefore ,unlike the aforementioned species ,a little more sensitive to higher temperatures. As the flower spikes keeps growing ,the plant blooms virtually the whole year round. The plan's habitat areas have not been exctly determined ,as in many localities ,the plant has been extinct for a long time . The latest findings of Psychopsis versteegiana have been reported in recent years from Surinam ,Bolivia and possibly Ecuador.

Synonyms

*Oncidium versteegianum Pulle 1909