Bletia purpurea

(Lamarck) de Candolle

Mém. Soc. Phys. Genève 9: 97, 100. 1841.

Common names: Pine-pink purple bletia sharp-petaled bletia
Illustrated
Basionym: Limodorum purpureum Lamarck in J. Lamarck et al., Encycl. 3: 515. 1791
Synonyms: Bletia acutipetala Hooker Bletia havanensis Lindley Bletia verecunda (Salisbury) R. Brown Cymbidium verecundum (Salisbury) Swartz Gyas verecunda (Salisbury) Salisbury Limodorum trifidum Michaux Limodorum verecundum Salisbury Thiebautia nervosa Colla
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 26. Treatment on page 602. Mentioned on page 601.

Plants to 180 cm. Roots numerous, 1–1.5 mm diam. Stems: pseudobulbs ovoid, 2–4 cm diam. Leaves: blade linear to narrowly elliptic-lanceolate, 20–100 × 1–5 cm, apex acuminate. Inflorescences 25–170 cm; floral bracts ovate-triangular to ovate-lanceolate, 2–9 mm, apex acute to acuminate. Flowers 3–80, mostly pink, rosy purple, or deep purple, rarely almost white; sepals spreading; dorsal sepal oblong-elliptic to ovate-lanceolate, 15–26 × 5–9 mm, apex subobtuse to acute; lateral sepals obliquely ovate-oblong to elliptic-oblong, 12–20 × 5–8 mm, apex acute to acuminate; petals erect, forming hood over column, oblong-ovate to elliptic or oblong-lanceolate, 12–21 × 7–11 mm, apex obtuse to acute; lip adnate to column foot, purple-veined with dark margin especially distally, cordate to ovate, 3-lobed, 10–18 × 8–14 mm, middle lobe recurved, suborbiculate, truncate to deeply emarginate, margins undulate-crenulate, lateral lobes incurved, base rounded, apex triangular-obtuse; disc lamellae yellow, 5–7; column white or greenish, clavate, 8–12 mm; column foot present; pedicellate ovary slender, 9–18 mm. Capsules erect to suberect, 2–4.5 cm × 8–10 mm. 2n = 60 (as B. verecunda from Mexico).


Phenology: Flowering Dec–May, sporadically all year.
Habitat: Pinelands and hammocks, in humus over limestone, or in swamps on logs, stumps, or base of cypress trees above high water level
Elevation: 0–20 m

Distribution

V26 1229-distribution-map.jpg

Fla., Mexico, West Indies, Central America, South America.

Discussion

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Bletia purpurea"
James D. Ackerman +
(Lamarck) de Candolle +
Limodorum purpureum +
Pine-pink +, purple bletia +  and sharp-petaled bletia +
Fla. +, Mexico +, West Indies +, Central America +  and South America. +
0–20 m +
Pinelands and hammocks, in humus over limestone, or in swamps on logs, stumps, or base of cypress trees above high water level +
Flowering Dec–May, sporadically all year. +
Mém. Soc. Phys. Genève +
Illustrated +
Bletia acutipetala +, Bletia havanensis +, Bletia verecunda +, Cymbidium verecundum +, Gyas verecunda +, Limodorum trifidum +, Limodorum verecundum +  and Thiebautia nervosa +
Bletia purpurea +
species +