Stanhopea costaricensis

Common Name - The Costa Rican Stanhopea

One of the most warmth loving representatives of the whole genus. Its appearance is very much in accordence with the generic ''paradigm '' except the flowers are very beautiful and large -up to 4.8 in/12 cm in diameter . In addition to that ,there are up to six of them opening simultaneously on the 10 in /25 cm long downward -pointing spike . Their coloring is unconventional : brown -and -red -spots or circles stand out aganist a yellow backdrop on all the tepals . Two dark spots accentuate the middle part of the flower . Even though Stanhopea costaricensis orchid is easy to cultivate ,it is still rare in collections . The flowering season opens in the spring and early summer . Stanhopea costaricensis was discovered in Costa Rica ,as the species name suggests ,but also in Panama and Nicaragua .