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Catalog Data

Life Form:
Epiphytic
Bloom Characteristics:
Arching to pendent inflorescence is up to 16" long with 4-10 flowers. Flowers are 4" across. Male flowers are waxy and white with a varing amount of purple shading or spots. Female flowers have white sepals and petals that are pale to deep yellow with the lip above. Flowers last only a few days.
Fragrance:
Fragrant
Range:
Trinidad to Ecuador
Habitat:
Hot, moist lowlands; 120-150m
Description:
This large orchid has flowers that are pale, bloom very flat, fragrant, and are male or female depending on light conditions. It was the national flower of Venezuela until 1921, and was on the country’s 500 bolivar note until the late 1990s.
Bloom Time (Northern Hemisphere):
Year round; peaks in August to November
Pollination Syndrome:
Bee (Eulaema bombiformis, Eulaema cingulata, Eulaema meriana, Eulaema nigrita, Eulaema peruviana, Eulaema seabrai)
Provenance:
From a cultivated plant not of known wild origin
Topic:
Orchids  Search this
Living Collections  Search this
Common Name:
Flor de Nacar
Mother of Pearl Flower
The Felt-Capped Catasetum
Group:
[vascular plants]
Class:
Equisetopsida
Subclass:
Magnoliidae
Superorder:
Lilianae
Order:
Asparagales
Family:
Orchidaceae
Subfamily:
Epidendroideae
Genus:
Catasetum
Species:
pileatum
Accession Number:
2018-0740A
Restrictions & Rights:
CC0
See more items in:
Smithsonian Gardens Orchid Collection
Data Source:
Smithsonian Gardens
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ax7f121315f-de6c-45cf-a282-ac896b6cb28f
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:ofeo-sg_2018-0740A