Sobralia

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Sobralia dichotoma


Plant Characteristics
Habit   orchid

Lifespan: ⌛ perennial
Cultivation
Scientific Names

Orchidaceae >

Sobralia >


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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. 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 25-30 ft. (10 m) 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.


Read about Sobralia in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture 

Sobralia (for Fr. Mart. Sobral, a Spanish botanist). Orchidaceae. Extremely handsome terrestrial orchids with a very distinct habit, some of them comparing well with cattleyas and laelias in bloom.

Leaves with sheathing bases, plicate-venose: fls. membranaceous, few, in short, terminal racemes, or solitary; sepals and petals spreading; labellum convolute around the column, terminal portion large, undulate, often fimbriate, smooth or with longitudinal ridges; column slender; pollinia 8.—About 30 or more species, inhabiting the mountains of Mex. and Trop. Amer. The following account comprises the species that appear to be in the American trade, but others are to be found in the collections of fanciers. The plants have slender reed-like sts. clothed with lvs. throughout their entire length. The sts. are tufted, forming bushy plants varying in height according to the species. The fls. are among the largest of the orchids, those of S. macrantha attaining a diam. of 9 in. across the sepals. They are, however, very transient, fading a few days after opening.

Sobralias are charming orchids, and when room can be given to large plants they well repay the space and care they require. Many of them, to be sure, are very fugacious in their blooming, some lasting only a day, but nearly all of them make up for this by a succession of flowers which is more or less rapid. In size the individual blossoms vary from that of an ordinary Cattleya labiata to one scarcely 1 1/2 inches across, and the plants themselves present as great variety, ranging from such as S. fragrans, which grows less than a foot high, to that giant of the tribe, S. Cattleya, which will reach a height of nearly 10 feet. They also give as much variety in their coloring, ranging from a shade of lavender which is almost a blue through different shades of purple to the rich claret-color of S. Lowii, and from yellow to the purest white. Where space for large and bushy plants can be afforded, some of the sobralias will prove most charming plants, having the double advantage of presenting in a well-grown plant not only beautiful blossoms but a subject which is thoroughly attractive as a foliage plant. They also have the added advantage of being, in most instances, of rather easy culture. Given a suitable soil and a liberal supply of water they are almost sure to grow and bloom, although they will do better if they are given their time for rest, when less water is allowed without permitting the material about the roots ever to become quite dry.

S. Amesia- S. Wilsonii x S. xantholeuca. G.C. III. 40:suppl. Aug. 25.—S. Amesiana-S. Wilsonii x S. xantholeuca. G. 31:581.— S. blanda, Kranzl. Fls. 6 in. across, white, except throat and middle portion of disk of lip, which are golden yellow. Hab. (?).—S. Charlesworthii, Hort. Fls. rich rose-purple, with broad purple band around lip and bright yellow crest. Colombia.—S. Cliftoniae, a dwarf, white-fld. species, said to come from Ecuador. G.M. 53: 325. J.H. III. 53:75; 63:3 (both as S. Holfordii).—S. Colmanii -S. xantholeuca x S. Veitchii.—S. Elizabethae - S. Liliastrum.— S. Lanthoinei-S. Ruckeri.—S. Liliastrum, Lindl. Fls. large, white, yellow-veined. Guiana, Brazil.—S. Lucasiana, Hort. Fls. large; sepals and petals white; lip soft rose-purple, throat yellow. Trop. Amer.—S. luminosa- S. Holfordii x S. Wilsonii.—S. Malmquistiana, Schlecht. Fls. pale rose, with orange-yellow blotch on lip. Colombia. O. 1911:59, desc.—S. murabilis- S. Veitchii x S. macrantha Kienastiana.—S. Ruckeri, Lind. & Reichb. f. Sepals and petals pale rose-purple; lip with a white base, marked with a yellow band, the front of lip dark rose-purple. Colombia. G.C. III. 30:67. J.H. III. 48:531. — S. schoenbrunnensis- S. xantholeuca var. superba x S. macrantha. — S. sessilis, Lindl. Sheaths and under surface of lvs. black-pubescent: lvs. sessile, oblong-lanceolate: fls. sessile, rose, the lip darker. Guiana. B.R. 27:17. J.F. 1:104. — S. Siebertiana- S. macrantha Kienastiana x S. Hodgkinsonii.-.S. valida, Rolfe. Fls. about 2 in. long, fragrant, whitish yellow, with deeper yellow band on lip, becoming deep orange in front. Panama. -S. Veitchii, Hort. -S. macrantha x S. xantholeuca. Sepals oblong, somewhat undulate, white, lightly tinted rose-lilac; petals oval-oblong, undulate, white, tinted rose; lip ample, the limb strongly tinted with lilac-violet, the throat orange, the margin strongly undulate-crisped. J.H. III. 63: 171. C.O. Hyb. 1.— S. Wiganiae -S. macrantha x S. xantholeuca. G.M. 45:441.— S. Wilsonii, Rolfe. Fls. large, white, shaded with rose and spotted with purple. CH


The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.


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

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Species

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

A few more commonly cited specieswp:

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