Sobralia

Sobralia

Sobralia macrantha

Plant Info

Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Liliopsida
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Orchidaceae
Subfamily:	Epidendroideae
Tribe:	Arethuseae
Subtribe:	Sobraliinae
Genus:	Sobralia Ruiz & Pav., 1794

Type Species

Sobralia dichotoma
Ruiz & Pav., 1798

Species

See Species section.

Sobralia is a genus of about 125 orchids (family Orchidaceae) and the only genus of the subtribe Sobraliinae. It is native to Central and South America. 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.

Their reed-like stems range in height from about 1 ft (such as in Sobralia galeottiana) to 25-30 ft. They have typically heavily veined, bilobed, plicate, apical leaves all along the stem. The inflorescenses 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.

Synonymy

The genera Cyathoglottis Poepp. & Endl., Fregea Rchb.f. and Lindsayella Ames & C.Schweinf. are generally included here.

Species

A few more commonly cited species:

Sobralia decora - pink-lavender; from Mexico through Central America;
Sobralia dichotoma - reddish-brown with white and pink lip; from the Andes;
Sobralia fimbriata - white to cream or pale yellow, with fimbriate lip and petals; Andes;
Sobralia macrantha - pink-magenta; from Mexico through Central America;
Sobralia sessilis - pink-lavender; from South America;
Sobralia xantholeuca - yellow; from Chiapas, Mex. and Guatemala;

Others:

Sobralia allenii L.O.Williams 1942.
Sobralia altissima D.E.Benn. & Christenson 1999.
Sobralia amabilis Rchb.f. L.O.Williams 1946.
Sobralia anceps Schltr. 1924.
Sobralia antioquiensis Schltr. 1920.
Sobralia atropubescens Ames & C.Schweinf. 1930 : Black-haired Sobralia
Sobralia augusta Hoehne. 1944
Sobralia aurantiaca Linden & Rchb.f. 1854
Sobralia biflora Ruiz & Pav. 1798.
Sobralia bimaculata Garay 1975 : 2-Spot Sobralia
Sobralia bletiae Rchb.f. 1852.
Sobralia boliviensis Schltr. 1913.
Sobralia buchtienii Schltr. 1929.
Sobralia calliantha D.E.Benn. & Christenson. 2001
Sobralia caloglossa Schltr. 1929 : Beautiful-lipped Sobralia
Sobralia candida Poepp. & Endl. Rchb.f. 1853 : White Sobralia
Sobralia carazoi Lank. & Ames 1924.
Sobralia cataractarum Hoehne 1910 : Cataract Sobralia
Sobralia cattleya Rchb.f. 1877.
Sobralia chatoensis A.H.Heller & A.D.Hawkes 1966.
Sobralia chrysantha Lindl. 1854.
Sobralia chrysoleuca Rchb.f. 1873.
Sobralia chrysostoma Dressler 2001 : Golden Mouth Sobralia
Sobralia ciliata C.Presl C.Schweinf. ex Foldats 1969 : Fine-haired Sobralia
Sobralia crispissima Dressler 2002.
Sobralia crocea Poepp. & Endl. Rchb.f. 1853 : Saffron-yellow Sobralia
Sobralia decora Bateman 1842 : Beautiful Sobralia
Sobralia densifoliata Schltr. 1920.
Sobralia dichotoma Ruiz & Pav. 1798 : Two-piece Sobralia (type species)
Sobralia dissimilis Dressler 1995.
Sobralia dorbignyana Rchb.f. 1873.
Sobralia doremiliae Dressler 1995.
Sobralia ecuadorana Dodson 1998 : Ecuadorian Sobralia
Sobralia exilis Schltr. 1920.
Sobralia fimbriata Poepp. & Endl. 1836 : Fringed Sobralia
Sobralia fragrans Lindl. 1853 : Fragrant Sobralia
Sobralia fruticetorum Schltr. 1913.
Sobralia galeottiana A.Rich. 1845 : Sitting Sobralia
Sobralia gentryi Dodson 1998.
Sobralia gloriana Dressler 2002.
Sobralia gloriosa Rchb.f. 1873.
Sobralia granitica G.A.Romero & Carnevali 2000.
Sobralia hagsateri Dodson 1998.
Sobralia hawkesii A.H.Heller 1966.
Sobralia helleri A.D.Hawkes 1966.
Sobralia herzogii Schltr. 1913 : Herzog's Sobralia
Sobralia hirta D.E.Benn. & Christenson. 2001
Sobralia hirtzii Dodson 2004 (Ecuador)
Sobralia hoppii Schltr. 1924 : Hopp's Sobralia
Sobralia infundibuligera Garay & Dunst. 1965 : Trumpet Sobralia
Sobralia × intermedia P.H.Allen 1958.
Sobralia kermesina Garay 1956.
Sobralia kerryae Dressler 1998.
Sobralia klotzscheana Rchb.f. 1850 : Klotzsch' Sobralia
Sobralia labiata Warsz. & Rchb.f. 1852.
Sobralia lancea Garay 1958 : Lanceolate Sobralia
Sobralia leucoxantha Rchb.f. 1866 : White-yellow Sobralia
Sobralia liliastrum Lindl. 1833 : Star-lily Sobralia
Sobralia lindleyana Rchb.f. 1852.
Sobralia lowii Rolfe 1890.
Sobralia luerorum Dodson 1998.
Sobralia luteola Rolfe 1898.
Sobralia macdougallii Soto Arenas Pérez-García & Salazar 2002 publ. 2003.
Sobralia macra Schltr. 1923.
Sobralia macrantha Lindl. 1838 : Large-flowered Sobralia
- Sobralia macrantha var. kienastiana Rchb.f. 1888.
- Sobralia macrantha var. macrantha
Sobralia macrophylla Rchb.f. 1852 : Large-leafed Sobralia
Sobralia madisonii Dodson 1980.
Sobralia maduroi Dressler 2004 (Colombia)
Sobralia malmiana Pabst 1979.
Sobralia malmquistiana Schltr. 1911.
Sobralia margaritae Pabst 1977.
Sobralia mariannae Dressler 2002.
Sobralia mucronata Ames & C.Schweinf. 1925.
Sobralia mutisii P.Ortiz 2004.
Sobralia neudeckeri Dodson 1998.
Sobralia nutans Dressler 2002.
Sobralia odorata Schltr. 1924.
Sobralia oliva-estevae Carnevali & I.Ramírez 1990.
Sobralia oroana Dodson 1998.
Sobralia paludosa Linden 1851.
Sobralia paradisiaca Rchb.f. 1850.
Sobralia pardalina Garay 1978.
Sobralia parviflora L.O.Williams 1938.
Sobralia persimilis Garay 1978.
Sobralia pfavii Schltr. 1923.
Sobralia piedadiae Dodson 1998.
Sobralia portillae Christenson 2003.
Sobralia powellii Schltr. 1922 : Powell's Sobralia
Sobralia pulcherrima Garay 1978 : Very Beautiful Sobralia
Sobralia pumila Rolfe 1893 : Dwarf Sobralia
Sobralia purpurea Dressler 2000.
Sobralia quinata Dressler 2003.
Sobralia rigidissima Linden ex Rchb.f. 1854.
Sobralia roezlii Rchb.f. 1873 : Roezl's Sobralia
Sobralia rolfeana Schltr. 1922.
Sobralia rondonii Hoehne 1910.
Sobralia rosea Poepp. & Endl. 1836 : Rose-colored Sobralia
Sobralia roseoalba Rchb.f. 1866.
Sobralia ruckeri Linden & Rchb.f. 1854.
Sobralia ruparupaensis D.E.Benn. & Christenson: 2001.
Sobralia rupicola Kraenzl. 1908.
Sobralia sancti-josephi Kraenzl. 1928.
Sobralia sanfelicis Dressler 2004 (Panama)
Sobralia schultzei Schltr. 1924.
Sobralia scopulorum Rchb.f. 1873.
Sobralia semperflorens Kraenzl. 1915.
Sobralia setigera Poepp. & Endl. 1836.
Sobralia sobralioides Kraenzl. Garay 1978.
Sobralia speciosa C.Schweinf. 1961.
Sobralia splendida Schltr. 1920.
Sobralia stenophylla Lindl. 1854 : Thin-leafed Sobralia
Sobralia stevensonii Dodson 1998.
Sobralia tamboana Dodson 1998.
Sobralia turkeliae Christenson 2002.
Sobralia undatocarinata C.Schweinf. 1938.
Sobralia uribei P.Ortiz 1994.
Sobralia valida Rolfe 1909.
Sobralia violacea Linden ex Lindl. 1846 : Violet Sobralia
Sobralia virginalis Peeters & Cogn. 1899 : Virgin Sobralia
Sobralia warszewiczii Rchb.f. 1852.
Sobralia weberbaueriana Kraenzl. 1905.
Sobralia wilsoniana Rolfe 1890.
Sobralia withneri D.E.Benn. & Christenson: 2001 : Withner's Sobralia
Sobralia xantholeuca B.S.Williams 1885 : Yellow-white Sobralia
Sobralia yauaperyensis Barb. Rodr. 1891 : Yauaperi River Sobralia

Reference

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

External links

The Sobralia Pages