Sobralia

This article is about the genus. For the city in Minas Gerais, see Sobrália.

Sobralia
Sobralia macrantha
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Epidendroideae
Tribe: Sobralieae
Genus: Sobralia
Ruiz & Pav.
Type species
Sobralia biflora
Species

See text

Synonyms[1]
  • Cyathoglottis Poepp. & Endl.
  • Fregea Rchb.f.
  • Lindsayella Ames & C.Schweinf.

Sobralia is a genus of orchids native to Mexico, Central and South America.[1][2] The plants are more commonly terrestrial, but are also found growing epiphytically, in wet forests from sea level to about 8,800 ft. The genus was named for Dr. Francisco Sobral, a Spanish botanist. The genus is abbreviated Sob in trade journals.

Their reed-like stems range in height from about 1 ft (33 cm) (such as in Sobralia galeottiana) to 44 ft. (13.4 m) (in Sobralia altissima).[3] They have typically heavily veined, bilobed, plicate, apical leaves all along the stem. The inflorescences on the apex of the stem carry one or two successive ephemeral flowers with large sepals and petals. The short duration of the flower is caused by a self-digesting enzyme. The lip is entire or lobed and clasps the column at its base. This columns carries eight soft pollinia. These flowers range in color from pure white to yellow, green, pink, purple, red, brown, and even a blue violet.[4]

  1. ^ a b Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
  2. ^ Pridgeon, A.M., Cribb, P.J., Chase, M.C. & Rasmussen, F.N. (2006). Epidendroideae (Part One). Genera Orchidacearum 4: 601 ff. Oxford University Press, New York, Oxford.
  3. ^ Rach, Nina. "Sobralia altissima D.E. Bennett & E.A. Christenson 1999". sobralia.autrevie.com. Retrieved 2018-07-28.
  4. ^ Ortiz, V. P. 2004. - Las especies Colombianas de Sobralia Ruiz & Pav., seccion Sobralia. The Colombian species of Sobralia Ruiz & Pav., section Sobralia. Orquideologia 23(1): 49-65