Bletia purpurea (Lam.) Dc.

Pine-pink (en)

Species

Angiosperms > Asparagales > Orchidaceae > Bletia

Characteristics

Erect terrestrial herbs with 1-4 lanceolate, acuminate, ultimately deciduous leaves 30-70 cm. long and 0.6-4.8 cm. wide, which are contracted below into a sheathing petiole arising from a subglobose or flattened corm-like pseudobulb 2.5-3 cm. in diameter. Inflorescence a slender, erect raceme or panicle, the degree of development depending on the strength of the individual plant, the scape pro-duced from the side of the corm and equaling or exceeding the leaves in length, sometimes flowering after the leaves have fallen. Flowers few to many, rosy purple. Sepals free, subequal, spreading, 1.6-1.8 cm. long and .6-.7 cm. wide, the dorsal sepal ovate-lanceolate, acute, the laterals somewhat oblique at the base, ovate, acute. Petals subequal to the sepals, 1.5-1.7 cm. long and .6-.7 cm. broad, obovate, acute. Lip 3-lobed, about equaling the petals in length, the lateral lobes erect and paralleling the column in natural position, the frontal lobe extended, spreading, more or less crisped and reflexed, the apex bilobed, the inner lip with 7 erect, yellow, parallel, longitudinal, fleshy keels, only 5 of which extend to the frontal lobe. Column slender, arcuate, the apex winged, the base auriculate.
More
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).
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support epiphyte
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 1.65 - 1.8
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Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color -
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Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

Light -
Soil humidity -
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Hardiness (USDA) 10-11

Usage

Uses environmental use medicinal
Edible -
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Mode -
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
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Images

Flower

Bletia purpurea flower picture by Elmir López (cc-by-sa)
Bletia purpurea flower picture by SINAC Pérez Greivin (cc-by-sa)

Distribution

Bletia purpurea world distribution map, present in Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia (Plurinational State of), Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Haiti, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, United States of America, and Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:1218040-2
WFO ID wfo-0000345854
COL ID M6RJ
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID 634443
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Limodorum trifidum Limodorum tuberosum Bletia acutipetala Bletia pallida Bletia verecunda Limodorum verecundum Serapias purpurea Bletia havannensis Bletia pottsii Bletia expansa Cymbidium altum Cymbidium verecundum Epidendrum altum Cymbidium trifidum Gyas verecunda Helleborine americana Cymbidium floridum Limodorum purpureum Bletia purpurea var. alba Bletia purpurea var. pittieri Bletia purpurea var. purpurea Bletia purpurea