Sudamerlycaste fragrans

[stitz]

Yes, it is fragrant -- a typical, sweet, floral smell. Very strong and very pleasant. Typically for this genus, the flower is not open in a flat presentation. Unfortunately, the fringe of the lip is slightly browned presumably from an environmental issue . The flower is slightly cupped. It is large with the dorsal sepal being 3 inches long. NEXT time, I hope to see many more flowers.

At one time, the genus was commonly known as Ida as proposed by Oakeley. Due to registration "issues", the genus is now recognized as Sudamerlycaste as originally published by Archila. This species is not yet commonly grown in private collections.

--Stitz--