Rhyncholaelia digbyana

Common Name - Digby's Beaked Laelia [English Orchid Enthusiast 1800's]

This species is used to be classified as a member of the genus Brassavola ,with which it shares only one trait -elongated neck-like ovaries . The appearance of its green parts is reminiscent much more of Cattleya of Laelia orchids. Rhyncholaelia digbyana has only slightly thickned, elongated pseudobulbs bearing a single,impressively thickened leaf . The flowers are relatively large (up to 4.8 in/12 cm across) and very decorative with their cream -white lip fimbriated all along its edge . The rare variety , Rhyncholaelia fimbripetala ,has partly fimbriated edges even on its other petals and is valued especially highly. Although the heading informs us that the species is not easy to cultivate ,it is not infact hard to maintain in culture -but bringing the plants to bloom is any cultivator's graduation exam;for in the Temperate Zone ,this orchid suffers from the lack of light in the winter and therefore blooms only very rarely (between May and August). The species is one of the parents of the most hybrids with Cattleyas (Brassocattleya). Rhyncholaelia digbyana is native to Mexico ,Honduras and Guatemala .

Synonyms

Bletia digbiyana [Lindley]Rchb.f 1861; *Brassavola digbyana Lindley 1846; Brassavola digbyana var fimbripetala [Ames] H.G. Jones 1962; Cattleya digbyana hort. ex Gentil ; Laelia digbyana [Lindley]Benth. 1880; Laelia digbyana var fimbripetala Ames 1932; Rhyncholaelia digbyanan f. fimbripetala [Ames] Hawkes 1964