Help identifying Peru orchid

[JungleWriter]

Hello,

I photographed this orchid (terrestrial) in the Peruvian Amazon. Location was near Iquitos. It may have been cultivated. I'd appreciate any help to identify the species.

[rfenwick]

I have almost the same pic from the same area of Peru! The general name is bamboo orchid (due to its growth habit, apparently). Scientific name is Bletia or Arundina graminifolia. Native to SE Asia, but also locally common through parts of Central and South America as an escaped import.

[JungleWriter]

Cool. Your ID looks to be spot on. Thank you!

[rfenwick]

Happy to help. Any other orchid pics from the area?

[JungleWriter]

I have some on my website (see link), but I don't remember where all of them were photographed. I think the Gongora and Oncidium were taken near Iquitos at a jungle lodge Photos of Amazon tropical rainforest orchids

[Connie Star]

My husbands in Peru at the moment. What do you know about orchids along the Tahuayo River?

[JungleWriter]

Hi Connie, sorry I missed your post earlier. The Tahuayo River is in lowland Amazonia, where orchids are very common as epiphytes, but not easily seen as most are high in the canopy. More than 100 species are described from this region, but this is relatively poor in species compared with the Andean cloudforests to the west of the Tahuayo. If your husband has access to the canopy, he is sure to see many species. Common Amazonian genera include Cattleya, Laelia, Odontoglossum, Miltonia, Cymbidium, Oncidium, Epidendrum and
Maxillaria.