Brassavola

Epidendreae subtribe Laelinae. Two intergeneric natural hybrids have been recorded from Brazil: XBrassocattleya miranda L. C. Menezes (Brassavola tuberculata ? Cattleya warneri) and XBrassocattleya rubyi Braga (Brassavola ## ? Cattleya ###). In many case

Caespitose epiphytes. Pseudobulbs cylindric, not thickened. Leaves solitary, terete to subterete, fleshy-leathery. Inflorescences terminal, short, usually subumbellate, the floral bracts insignificant. Flowers one to many, spidery, fragrant at night, white to greenish-white, rarely yellow or orange. Sepals and petals free, spreading, subsimilar, subequal, linear, acuminate. Lip unlobed or three-lobed, usually tubular, without callus. Column very short, toothed at the apex, without wings or foot; pollinia 8 or 12, with strap-shaped caudicles. Fruit with a long beak.

Honoring Antonio Musa Brasavola, Venetian botanist.

A genus of 17 species found throughout the neotropics from Mexico to Bolivia.

Christenson, E. A. 2000. Brassavola acaulis. Orchids 69(5):466-467.

Jones, H. G. 1967. Preliminary contributions towards a revision of the genus Brassavola R. Br. of the Orchidaceae. Bol. Soc. Brot., ser. 2, 41:5-21.

Jones, H. G. 1969. Die Gattung Brassavola in Westindien. Die Orchidee 20(4):181-186.

Jones, H. G. 1970. Studies in Brassavola, I. Phyton 14:31-35.

Jones, H. G. 1971. El género Brassavola en Suramerica. Orquideología 6(3):149-153, 209-218.

Jones, H. G. 1972. Studies in Brassavola, II. Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 41(6):493-496.

Murren, C. J. and A. M. Ellison 1996. Effects of habitat, plant size, and floral display on male and female reproductive success of the Neotropical orchid, Brassavola nodosa. Biotropica 28:30-41.

Schemske, D. W. 1980. Evolution of floral display in the orchid Brassavola nodosa. Evolution 34:489-493.

Schlechter, R. 1919. Die Gattung Brassavola R. Br. Orchis 13:58-62, 71-79.