This document provides information on several genera in the Oncidiinae subtribe, including Aspasia, Cochlioda, Symphyglossum, and Trichocentrum. It describes the natural habitats and distributions, morphological characteristics, cultural requirements and hybridization of various species within these genera. While the taxonomy has undergone revisions, these genera contain epiphytic orchid species that generally grow in tropical and subtropical Americas, with colors ranging from yellow to red, and some that are bird-pollinated.

1. ONCIDIINAE
(The Oncidium Alliance)
These plants grow naturally in the tropical and sub-
tropical Americas and the Caribbean, mainly as
epiphytes. There are a confusing number of genera
and hundreds of species. Some sections interbreed
freely in cultivation and there are a large number of
intergeneric names. The taxonomists have recently
had a field day with this sub-tribe and many plants we
know as odonto- glossums and oncidiums have been
reclassified and given new names.

2. Aspasia (Aps)
• The genus Aspasia of the orchid family (Orchidaceae) includes EIGHT
plant species.
• The species of the genus Aspasia have a wide distribution from
Guatemala across the north of South America to Brazil, Colombia
and Ecuador.
• They grow there as epiphytes in humid rainforests of the lowlands.
Statistics:
The Plant List includes 17 scientific plant names of species rank for
the genus Aspasia. Of these 7 are accepted species names.

3. Aspasia epidendroides Lindl. (1834) Central
America to Colombia.

4. • Common Name The Epidendrum-Like Aspasia
• Flower Size 1 1/2" long [3.75 cm]
• Found as a large sized, hot to warm growing epiphyte at
elevations below 1000 meters in Guatemala, Honduras,
Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, and northern South
America overhanging rivers in moist forests.
• A fragrant, winter to fall bloomer that is often used in
hybridizing and makes the new genera Miltassia when
crossed with Miltonia. It needs crowded pot conditions and
hot to warm temperatures to flower best.
• Synonyms Aspasia barclayi Rolfe, Bull. 1892 ; Aspasia
fragrans Kl. 1853; Odontoglossum aspasia Rchb.f 1861
HYBRID EXAMPLES BELOW:

5. Aspasia lunata Lindl. (1836) Brazil.

6. • This species remains small and compact. It blooms
more and more sparsely on short stems with brightly
colored flowers.
• Care: In winter bright to sunny, slightly shaded in
summer, also possible in the garden.
• Temp.: 16 – 22 degress C.
• Origin: Guatamala to Brazil

7. HYBRID EXAMPLES USING ASPASIA LUNATA:

8. Aspasia omissa Christenson (2004) Colombia.
Common Name The Missed Aspasia
Exclusively from Colombia is Aspasia omissa, that is a species recently
described whose full range is not yet determined.

9. Aspasia principissa Rchb.f. (1852) Central
America to Colombia and Brazil.
HYBRID EXAMPLES BELOW:

10. • Common Name The Elegant Aspasia
• Flower Size 3" [7.5 cm]
• Found as a medium sized, hot growing epiphyte in Costa Rica, Panama and
Colombia in lowland tropical rainforests at elevations of sea level to 500 meters.
• An axillary of 10" [25 cm] long, few [4 to 6] flowered inflorescence arising on a
mature pseudobulb with nicely fragrant, successively opening flowers.
• 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. This species is in flower for various months if given
proper culture. This species is often found in conjunction with ants and may
benefit by their being present.
• Synonyms Aspasia biberiana Rchb. f. 1854; Aspasia epidendroides var.
principissa (Rchb. f.) P.H. Allen 1949; Aspasia rousseauae Schltr. 1922;
Odontoglossum biberianum (Rchb. f.) Rchb. f. 1864; Odontoglossum principissa
(Rchb. f.) Rchb. f. 1864

11. Aspasia psittacina (Rchb.f.) Rchb.f. (1878) Ecuador.

12. • Common Name The Parrot-Colored Aspasia
• Flower Size 2" high x 1 3/5” wide [5 cm]
• Found in Ecuador and Peru at elevations of 30 to 520 meters in
seasonally dry forests with frequent nocturnal fog as a hot growing,
caespitose (cluster) epiphyte.
• has 3 to 8, fragrant [clove] flowers that open in succession over a
long period.
• After flowering a short 1 to 2 month rest is beneficial, Likes cramped
quarters in a small pot. This species can keiki off of old bloom spikes
so do not cut them off until they are brown if you want babies.
• Synonyms Odontoglossum psittacinum Rchb. 1877
• Could not find any Hybrids.

13. Aspasia silvana F.Barros (1989) Brazil.

14. • Common Name The Forest Growing Aspasia
• Flower Size 3 1/4" [8 cm]
• Found in the Atlantic forest of Bahia, Espirito Santo and Rio de
Janiero states, in mountainous rain or cloud forests at elevations of
200 and up to 700 meters, in shaded and humid places as a small to
just medium sized, hot to warm growing epiphyte.
• Has ovoid, laterally compressed, stiptate, smooth pseudobulbs.
• Has a single flowered inflorescence that arises from the axillary leaf
sheaths and a very showy wide spread flower
• This species grows best with high air humidity, but it doesn't
tolerate damp roots, they will rot if kept too wet.
This plant is similar to Aps. lunata but is 3 times larger.

15. Aspasia variegata Lindl. (1836) North South
America to Brazil.

16. • Common Name The Variegated Aspasia
• Flower Size 1 3/4" [4.5 cm]
• Found in Brazil, Venezuela and Colombia in moist forests at
elevations of 200 meters as a small sized, hot growing epiphyte with
a creeping, slender, bracteate rhizome.
• Has few to several flowered, to 10" [25 cm] long, racemose
inflorescence that gives rise to a few, successively opening, fragrant
flowers.
• This terrestrial orchid grows in hot temperatures with high humidity
and moderate shade.
• Synonyms Aspasia interrupta Hoffmanns. 1844; Aspasia liturata Link
ex Rchb.f. 1855; Odontoglossum variegatum (Lindl.) Rchb.f. 1864
• No hybrids found

17. Cochlioda -Cda• Its name is derived from the Greek word “kochlioides” for “spiral”. The type species
is Cda. densiflora Lindl. The Genus is abbreviated Cda in horticulture.
• The genus is named its shell shaped lip callus
• The genus consists of about six epiphytic plants inhabiting montane cloud forests in
Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru at altitudes between 1700 m and 3300 m.
• The small plants impress with their medium length, rarely branched inflorescences
bearing numerous flowers whose brilliant colors range from yellow and orange to lilac,
red and purple. The flower shape varies from full and round to rather open with
narrow segments.
Statistics:
• The Plant List includes 15 scientific plant names of species rank for the
genus Cochlioda. Of these 9 are accepted species names.
• Natural Hybrids: Cochlioda x floryi (C. noezliana x C. rosea)

18. Cochlioda noezliana, in combination
with Odontoglossum, is important as the source of
red coloration in the production
of Odontioda hybrids

19. • Common Name or Meaning Noezl's Cochlioda [Swiss Orchid Collector
1800's]
• Flower Size 1 to 1 4/5" [2.5 to 4.5 cm]
• This small to medium sized, cold growing, epiphytic and sometimes
lithophitic species has a short rhizome and ovoid, laterally compressed,
rugose pseudobulbs.
• found in cloud forests in Peru and northern Bolivia at elevations of 2000
to 3500 meters and is a shade loving orchid that blooms in the fall and
winter.
• Synonyms Cochlioda densiflora Lindl. 1853; Cochlioda densiflora f. aurea
Roeth & O.Gruss 2003; Cochlioda floryi Rolfe 1911; Cochlioda notzliana
Rolfe 1892; Cochlioda noezliana var. superba L.Linden 1898;
Mesospinidium densiflorum (Lindl.) Rchb.f. 1872; *Odontoglossum
noezlianum Mast. ex L. Linden 1890; Oncidium noezlianum [Mast.] Chase
& NH Wms. 2008

20. Hybrid examples using Cochlioda noezliana
And many more…

21. Cochlioda rosea

22. • Common Name The Rose Colored Cochlioda
• Flower Size 1.5" [3.75 cm]
• Found in southeastern Ecuador and Peru in extremely wet, montane
forests at elevations of 1500 to 2200 meters as a miniature to small
sized, warm to cold growing epiphyte.
• carrying succesive flowers.
• Synonyms Mesospinidium roseum ( Lindl. ) Rchb.f. 1844;
Odontoglossum roseum Lindl. 1844; Oncidium roseum Beer 1854;
Oncidium roseoides Chse & NH Wms. 2008;

23. Cochlioda vulcanica

24. • Common Name or Meaning The Volcano Cochlioda
• Flower Size 1 3/4" [4 cm]
• Found at elevations of 1400 to 3000 meters in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru as a
cool to cold growing.
• This superlative compact Oncidium relative has clustering 2" flattened bulbs
with attractive 5" dark green leaves, multiple simple or branched spikes from 8"
to 16", carrying many crystalline hot pink 2" flowers with a prominent three-
lobed white pink-tipped lip
• A bifoliate lithophyte. This species is pollinated by hummingbirds and is
indegenious to Ecuador.
• Synonyms Cochlioda vulcanica var. splendens Froebel ex Cogn. 1898;
*Mesospinidium vulcanicum Rchb. f. 1872; Oncidium vulcanicum [Rchb.f] Chase
& NH Wms. 2008

25. Cochlioda mixtura
Common Name The Mixed Cochlioda . Flower Size 1.2" [3 cm]
Found in Bolivia near Cochabamba at elevations of 2000 to 2100 meters as a small sized, cold growing epiphyte.
Synonyms Oncidium mixturum (Dalström & Sönnemark) M.W.Chase & N.H.Williams 2008

26. This species belongs to what is here referred to as the
Cochlioda clade.
This species has an impressive synonymy list and has jumped
back and forth between genera Cochlioda, Mesospinidium
Rchb.f. and Symphyglossum Schltr. through time, to finally
land in Odontoglossum based on molecular evidence (before
being lumped into Oncidium under the name "Oncidium
strictum" (from the synonym Cochlioda stricta Cogn.

27. Cochlioda beyrodtiana
Plants bloom in the spring with two to four 3 cm wide flowers.
Plants are found growing in the forest of Peru at elevations around 2100 to
2500 meters. Indegenious to Bolivia
Grow plants in cool temperatures in moderate light.
Common name: Beyrodt's Cochioda
Synonyms
1.Oncidium beyrodtioides Chase & NH Wms. 2008

28. Cochlioda chasei
• This appears to be a confused concept based on a drawing
of Odontoglossum tigroides and a “lost” Cochlioda
specimen. According to Bennett (pers. comm.) no dried
specimen was ever made. According to Chase (pers.
comm.), no living material was ever introduced to
horticulture by him. According to Christenson (pers.
comm.), the type specimen was actually deposited at MOL,
Lima, but no such dried or alcohol preserved specimen
exists there either (Trujillo pers. comm., and pers. obs.). See
Dalström (2001) for further discussion.

29. GENERAL REMARKS
• The general difference between Cochlioda and
Odontoglossum is traditionally based on the bright rose to
orange oral colors of Cochlioda, that suggest bird
pollination (although no actual evidence of bird pollination
has been documented, or seen by the author), as opposed
to sparsely documented bee pollination for Odontoglossum
(van der Pijl & Dodson 1966).
• Another and more distinct morphological difference is the
divided stigma of Cochlioda, which consists of a single
stigma variably divided into two lobes by the “in-bent”
rostellum. The stigma of all known Odontoglossum species
is more or less uniformly rounded.

30. SYMPHYGLOSSUM
There are 6 synonyms to the Genus Symphyglossum:
• Symphyglossum bowmanii
• Symphyglossum distans
• Symphyglossum ecuadorense
• Symphyglossum sanguineum
• Symphyglossum strictum
• Symphyglossum umbrosum

31. Symphyglossum sanguineum
(sometimes also known as Oncidium strictum)
Example of a hybrid made using sanguineum below:

32. • Common Name The Blood Red Symphyglossum
• Flower Size more than 1" [more than 2.5 cm]. Presumed to be pollinated by
Hummingbirds
• A small to medium sized, cold to warm growing, epiphytic species from Ecuador and
northwestern Peru in wet forests at altitudes of 1200 to 2500 meters. Indegenious to
Columbia.
• This species has crosses made with it but registered under the name Cochlioda
sanguinea.
• Synonyms Cochlioda stricta Cogn 1897; Cochlioda sanguinea [Rchb.f]Benth. 1883;
Mesospinidium cochliodum Rchb.f ?; Mesospinidium sanguineum Rchb. f. 1919;
Odontoglossum sanguineum (Rchb.f.) Dalström 2001; Oncidium strictum Chase &
Wms. 2008; Symphoglossum ecuadorense Dodson & Garay ?; Symphoglossum
sanguineum (Benth. & Hook. f.) Schltr. 1919
• Cochlioda stricta, Cochlioda sanguinea, Mesospinidium cochliodum, Mesospinidium sanguineum,
Odontoglossum sanguineum, Oncidium strictum, Symphoglossum ecuadorense, is a species of the
genus Symphyglossum. This species was described by Rudolf Schlechter in 1919.

33. HYBRID EXAMPLES:
Seed Offspring
Ctd. Montessina's Surprise Onc. strictum × Ctd. Imperial Red
Onc. Andrew Hey Onc. strictum × Onc. cabagrae
Onc. Beatrice Ramirez Onc. strictum × Onc. sotoanum
Onc. Heatonensis Onc. strictum × Onc. cirrhosum
Onc. Maculatissima Onc. strictum × Onc. Amoenum
Onc. Montessina's Pink
Glow
Onc. strictum × Onc. Ingmar
Onc. Penelope (1913) Onc. strictum × Onc. harryanum
Onc. Prince Vultan Onc. strictum × Onc. nobile
Onc. Wickhamensis Onc. strictum × Onc. alexandrae
Oip. Pink Pearl Onc. strictum × Mps. Saint Andre

34. Trichocentrum – Trt.
These epiphytic plants are easily recognized by the mule-ear
shape of their leaves. This shape gives them their popular
name “mule-ear orchids”. The small to tiny pseudobulbs
produce one coriaceous, fleshy leaf.
These plants need a definite rest period of 2 to 3 months.
These plants inhabit the tropical to subtropical Americas. The
largest number of species occurs in Central America.
Statistics
• The Plant List includes 101 scientific plant names of species
rank for the genus Trichocentrum. Of these only 72 are
accepted species names.

35. Trichocentrum lanceanum

36. • Common Name Lance's Lophiaris [English Orchid Enthusiast 1800's]
• Flower Size 2 1/2" [6.2 cm]
• A member of section Plurituberculata.
• Found in Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, the Guianias and Trinidad at elevations
of 300 to 500 meters as a medium sized, hot to cool growing plant lacking or
with minute pseudobulbs carrying a single apical, coriaceous, oblong-
lanceolate, green spotted purple, mule ear leaves that blooms in the summer
and fall with fragrant, waxy, long-lasting, variable colored flowers on a basal, 1
1/2' [45 cm] long, few to many [10 to 12] flowered, stout panicle with grey-
brown, basal sheaths.
• Synonyms Lophiaris fragrans Raf. 1838; Oncidium lanceanum Lindley 1842;
Oncidium lanceanum f. aureum Christenson 1991; Trichocentrum lanceanum
(Lindl.) M.W.Chase & N.H.Williams 2001
•

37. Trichocentrum pulchrum

38. • Common Name The Beautiful Trichocentrum
• Flower Size 1 1/2" [4 cm]
• Found from Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Brazil as a dwarf epiphyte of wet
montane forests at elevations of 1000 to 1600 meters with fleshy, rigid, leaves where it
blooms in the summer and fall on a short, pendant or horizontal scape to 1 4/5" [4.5 cm]
long , single, occasionally 2 flowered and shorter than the leaves.
• This species is part of the T pulchrum group which includes T longicalcaratum, T
obcordilabium, T viridulum and T loyalicum but differs in the spur 1.5 times as long as the
blade of the lip, keels of the lip are divergent at the apex and the column wings are 3mm
long.
• Synonyms Lophiaris maculata f. flavovirens (P.M.Br.) P.M.Br. 2000; Oncidium undulatum f.
flavovirens P.M.Br. 1995; Orchis punctata Ruiz & Pav. ex Pupulin 1795; Trichocentrum
maculatum Lindl. 1846; Trichocentrum maculatum f. flavovirens (P.M.Br.) P.M.Br. 2001;
Trichocentrum speciosum Schlim ex Pupulin 1995; Trichocentrum verruciferum Schltr. 1920
• Hybrid – Clowesetum rosea-pulchrum
• Seed Parent × Pollen Parent - Cl. rosea× Ctsm. pulchrum

39. Trt. stacyi

40. • Common Name Stacy's Oncidium [American Orchid Enthusisast]
• Flower Size 1 1/4" [3 cm]
• Found in Bolivia and Peru in tropical rainforest high in the canopy at
elevations around 450 meters as a medium sized, hot growing
epiphyte with ovoid-cylindric pseudobulbs.
• Has terete leaves with floral bracts arising from a mature
pseudobulb with many [14 to 20] showy flowers.
• Synonyms Cohniella stacyi (Garay) Christenson 1999; Lophiaris wittii
[Oppenheim] Braeme 1993; Oncidium wittii Oppenheim 1916;
Stilifolium stacyi (Garay) Lückel 1998; Trichocentrum stacyi (Garay)
M.W.Chase & N.H.Williams 2001

41. Trichocentrum caloceras
Common Name The Beautiful Horned Trichocentrum [refers to the lateral sepals obliquely spreading petals]
Flower Size 1 1/4" [3 cm]
Found from Costa Rica and Panama as a miniature sized, hot to warm and pendant growing epiphytic species
in wet montane forests at elevations of 500 to 1300 meters with an almost inconspicuous, rounded pseudobulb
carrys a single, apical, oblong to oblong-elliptic, spotted with reddish purple, obtuse, abruptly narrowed below
into the short, narrow, conduplicate base leaf that blooms in the spring and early summer on a basal, pendant,
1.2 to 1.4" [3 to 3.5 cm] long, terete, fractiflex, 5 to 6 flowered inflorescence arising on a newly matured
pseudobulb

42. Trichocentrum microchilum
Common Name The Small-Lipped Lophiaris
Flower Size to 1" [to 2.5 cm]
This is a Mexican and Guatemalan, species occuring at elevations up to 2300 meters as a small sized,
warm to cool terrestrial or lithophyte with small, ovoid or spherical, strongly compressed pseudobulbs.
This orchid grows as a ground or rock, and is found in hollows filled with organic remains on the rocks and
solidified lava, at heights of 600-2300 m...

43. Trichocentrum splendidum

44. • Common Name The Splendid Oncidium
• Flower Size 3" [7.5 cm]
• Found in Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua at elevations around
825 to 850 meters as a medium sized, mule eared with obvious
pseudobulbs, warm to hot growing lithophyte on rocky hillsides.
• The infloresence 4' [120 cm] long, many flowered panicle with large,
longlasting flowers.
• Synonyms Lophiaris splendida
• Hybrid – Oncidium Splendidum (1907)
• Seed Parent × Pollen Parent – Onc. Ardentissimum x Onc. nobile

45. Trichocentrum tigrinum

46. • Common Name The Tiger-Like Trichocentrum
• Flower Size 1.6 to 2 1/4" [4 to 6 cm]
• A warm to hot growing, miniature sized, caespitose epiphyte, from Ecuador and
northern Peru in seasonally dry forests on the western slopes of the Andes at
elevations of sea level to 700 meters, carrying fragrant flowers.
• It also likes to have bright light if not some direct sun.
• Synonyms Trichocentrum tigrinum var. splendens Linden & Barb. Rodr. 1885
• The foliage is interesting to look at when it’s out-of-bloom with its little purple
dotting.
•
Hybrid – Catasetum tigrinum-aripuanense, Oncidium unguitigrinum,
Paphiopedilum tigrinum-Pinocchio
• Seed Parent × Pollen Parent - Ctsm. tigrinum× Ctsm. aripuanense ,Onc.
tigrinum× Onc. Unguiculatum, Paph. tigrinum× Paph. Pinocchio

47. Brassia – Brs.
The genus was named after William Brass, a British
botanist and illustrator, who collected plants in
Africa under the supervision of Sir Joseph Banks.

48. Brassia ( Brs.) & Ada
• DNA studies have shown Brassia and Ada to be closely related.
• These plants grow widely distributed in Florida, Mexico, the Caribbean
area to Surinam, Brazil, and Bolivia
• The World Monocot Checklist contains 34 accepted names (2007)
• Generally, plants of Brassia grow warm to intermediate whereas Ada
should be grown intermediate to cool.
• The reason that the Brassia orchids look like spiders is to attract
female spider wasps which are it’s pollinators. The Brassia’s blooms
mimic the appearance of the spiders that these wasps hunt. When the
female spider wasp goes in for the kill, she is instead covered in
the Brassia flower’s pollen. She then goes on to her next target and the
next Brassia orchid flower is subsequently pollinated.

49. Brassia
• The type species for the genus is Brassia maculata .
• Commonly grown other species are Brs. arcuigera (= Bs. longissima),
Brs. gireoudiana, and Brs. verrucosa.

50. Brassia maculata
• Common Name The Spotted Brassia
• Flower Size 5 to 8" [12.5 cm to 20 cm]
• A large, hot to warm growing epiphyte and occasional lithophyte that is also
commonly found growing in deitrus over rocks at altitudes below 750 meters in
Belize, Honduras, Guatemala, Cuba and Jamaica
• fragrant flowers.
• This orchid does well in baskets or pots with a open mix that provides good
drainage.
• Synonyms Brassia guttata Lindley 1842; Brassia maculata var. guttata (Lindl.)
Lindl. 1854; Brassia wraye Skinner 1843; Oncidium brassia Rchb.f 1863
• HYBRIDS:
• Dact. foliosa x Dact.(syn.) maculata = Dactylorhiza Foliosomaculata 1920
• Dact. Incarnata x Dact. maculta = Dactylorhiza Latifoliomaculata 1920
• Dact. Viridis x Dact. maculata = Hebenari-orchis viridimaculata 1892

51. Brassia arcuigera

52. • Common Name The Arching Brassia
• Flower Size 9" long [22.5 cm]
• This unifoliate, large sized, hot to cool growing, epiphytic, rarely
terrestrial [on embankments] species is found from Nicaragua, Costa
Rica, Panama, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru on both sides of
the Andes in premontane rainforests on moss covered trees at altitudes
of 200 to 1500 meters.
• This species has extremely variable flowers even on the same
inflorescence and is mostly distinguished by the single apical leaf and the
sharp edges on the flattened pseudobulb.
• Synonyms Brassia antherotes Rchb. f. 1879 ; Brassia antherotes var.
longissima (Rchb.f.) Teusch. 1961; Brassia hinksoniana H.G. Jones 1974;
Brassia lawrenceana Lindley var. longissima Rchb.f 1868; Brassia
longissima [Rchb.f]Schlechter Nash 1914; Brassia longissima (Rchb. f.)
Schltr. in part 1914;

53. Brassia gireoudiana - The Gireoud's Brassia. It
is native to Costa Rica and Panama.
Synonyms Brassia verrucosa subsp. gireoudiana (Rchb.f. & Warsz.) Dressler &
N.H.Williams 2003;Oncidium gireoudianum (Rchb. f. & Warsz.) Rchb. f. 1863

54. Brassia verrucosa
It is an epiphytic orchid native to Mexico, Central America (Costa Rica, El Salvador,
Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua), Venezuela, and Brazil. This large species is a warm
to cool growing epiphyte of open humid, evergreen to semi-deciduous cloud forests
on tree trunks and larger branches from altitudes of 900 to 2400m (3000-7900 feet).

55. • Common name: The Warty Brassia
• Family: Orchidaceae
• Synonymous: Brassia verrucosa subsp. gireoudiana
Brassia aristata
Brassia brachiata
Brassia coryandra
Brassia cowanii
Brassia longiloba
Brassia odontoglossoides
Oncidium brachiatum
Oncidium verrucosum
• Brassias have also been interbred with miltoniopsis orcihds to create Miltassias, or
oncidiums to create Brassidiums. Both these intergeneric hybrids are usually easier to
grow than straight Brassias, so you might try therse first. They are often more
colorful, but also more star-shaped--a more tame look than their spidery siblings.

56. Ada
• Etymology: Named for Ada, sister of Artemisia. First
described by John Lindley in 1854. The genus is mostly
epiphytes, but occasionally lithophytic, growing in wet cloud
forests between 1500 and 2800m. Most species are
presumed to be pollinated by hummingbirds.
• Ada orchids are suitable for a cold greenhouse. There are
mainly two species commonly known as Ada aurantiaca
(from New Granada) and Ada lehmannii (from Colombia)
• The Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families now lists
the long-standing genus Ada as a synonym of Brassia
(8/2012).

57. Ada aurantiaca
Synonyms Acropera aurantiaca (Lindl.) B.S.Williams 1896; Ada aurantiaca var. maculata Cogn. 1899; Ada cinnabarina
(Linden ex Lindl.) N.H. Williams ?; Ada lehmannii Rolfe 1891; Brassia aurantiaca (Lindl.) M.W.Chase 2011;
Brassia cinnabarina Linden ex Lindl. 1854; Mesospinidium aurantiacum (Lindl.) Rchb. f. 1864; Mesospinidium
cinnabarinum (Linden ex Lindl.) Rchb. f. 1864; Oncidium cinnabarinum (Linden ex Lindl.) Rchb. f. 1864
A very popular common hybrid from Odontoglossum bictoniense x Ada keiliana is the
Adaglossum Summit Frenchtown AM/AOS. Many collections have this Hybrid.
Common Name or Meaning The Red-Orange
Ada
Flower Size 1" [2.5 cm]
Found in Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador as
a small to medium sized, cold to cool growing
epiphyte that occurs around 2150 to 2300
meters in elevation in wet montane forests

58. Lockhartia - Ihta
Statistics
• The Plant List includes 65 scientific plant names of species rank for
the genus Lockhartia. Of these 28 are accepted species names.
• Lockhartia species represent an exceptional New World genus that
is best known for attractive arching stems covered with overlapping
short angular leaves giving a feather-like appearance. These
Oncidium relatives are easy to grow under intermediate
temperatures and moderate-moderately bright light. They are
forgiving and floriferous, flowering sequentially from the tips of
each stem.
Named in honor of David Lockhart, the first superintendent of the Royal
Botanical Garden in Trinidad.
Its common name comes from the braided arrangement of its leaves.
It is the only genus of alliance Lockhartia.

59. Lockhartia oersterdii
This species is native to Central America from Mexico to Panama,
and Colombia.
Lockhardtia is a strange genus related to Oncidium.

60. Lockhartia micrantha
Common Name The Tiny Flowered Lockhartia
Flower Size less than 1/2" [less than 1.25 cm]
Found from Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama and Colombia
in rain forests as a medium sized, hot to warm growing
epiphyte at elevations of 10 to 1000 meters with a
pendulous stem
Synonyms Lockhartia chiriquiensis Schltr 1913;
Lockhartia lankesteri Ames 1923; Lockhartia
pandurata Pupulin 1998

61. Lockhartia imbricata
Common Name The Double Serrated Lockhartia
Flower Size to about 1/2" [to about 1.25 cm]
Found in Trinidad & Tobago, French Guiana, Surinam, Guyana,
Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and Brazil at elevations of 300
to 1700 meters and is a small sized, cool to hot growing
epiphyte with an elongate stem.
Synonyms *Epidendrum biserrum Rich 1792; Epidendrum
imbricatum Lam. 1831; Fernandezia elegans (Hook.) Lodd.
1827; Fernandezia obtusa Lindl.ex Linden 1882; Lockhartia
elegans Hook. 1827; Lockhartia floribunda Rchb.f.1860;
Lockhartia imbricata (Lam.) Hoehne 1952; Lockhartia obtusa
Regel 1857;Lockhartia obtusifolia Regel 1836; Lockhartia
weigeltii Rchb. & Rchb. f. ex Rchb. f.1852

62. Lockhartia lunifera
Common Name The Half Moon Sepal Lockhartia
Flower Size 3/4" [2 cm]
A Brazilian epiphyte that is a medium to small,
psuedobulbless plant with elongate, 4 to 12"[10 to 30 cm],
mostly pendant stems that are very close together enveloped
completely by numerous, disitchous, imbricating, basally
clasping, conduplicate, triangular leaves.
They bloom in the spring and summer and are very
long lasting.
Synonyms *Fernandezia lunifera Lindley 1831; Fernandezia
robusta Klotzsch ex Rchb.f. 1864