Stanhopea peruviana

Originally published in Botanical Magazine 1912, by Rolfe.
Often confused with Stanhopea pozoi.

This is a very nice species with attractive flowers that are closely spaced (but not crowded) on relatively short to medium length inflorescences. It has a wonderful rich, spicy chocolate scent. Sepals and petals are yellow-gold, with or without spots. The lip is predominantly white to cream, and has two large, dark eye spots on the hypochile. The horns arising from the mesochile are short, sturdy, and curved. The epichile is wide, heart-shaped, and longer than the column. The column has wide, rounded wings and can be speckled.

Grows in warm to intermediate conditions; can form large, specimen plants!

Photos at left by Nina M. Rach; plant blooms May-June in Houston.

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Sterile tubes of seedlings were available in 2005 from Down Under Orchids (http://www.duno.com.au/other_catlog.htm). Parent plant came from a collection in Santa Barbara.

Plants were/are? available from Warrnambool Orchids in Australia;
also from The House of Phalaenopsis, which liquidated the Barney Greer collection.

Printed References:

Barney Greer (1998) "Imposter from Peru? No, the real, Stanhopea peruviana!," in: Australian Orchid Review 62(6): 4-5.

Barney Greer (Sept. 1998) The Astonishing Stanhopeas (the upside-down orchids). Sydney: Australian Orchid Foundation. 92 color pages, including 55 known species and five natural hybrids. [S. peruviana on p. 46.]

Rudolf Jenny (1996) 'The Gongorinae, 7. Stanhopea, part 16th: Stanhopea peruviana,' in: Caesiana no. 7: 23-30.

Rudolf Jenny (2004) "The Genus Stanhopea, Part II," in: Caesiana no. 22: 291 pp., 363 illustrations. [sample page illustrated at right]

Robert Allen Rolfe (1912) 'Stanhopea peruviana,' in: Botanical Magazine [Bot. Mag.] 138: pl. 8417.

José Roque and Blanca León (December 2006) "Orchidaceae endemicas del Perú," in: Rev. Peru. Biol., 13(2): 759s-878s. Link: http://sisbib.unmsm.edu.pe/BVRevistas/biologia/v13n2/pdf/a145.pdf. [Stanhopea deltoidea, greeri, haseloviana, manriquei, marizaiana, moliana, naurayi, nigripes, peruviana]

Charles Schweinfurth (1960) "Orchidaceae, Orchids of Peru," in: Fieldiana, Botany 30(3): 533--786 [Lueddemannia; Lycomormium; Sievekingia; Peristeria; Houlletia; Polycycnis; Gongora; Stanhopea pp 606-612: Stanhopea anfracta (as wardii), connata, graveolens, Haseloviana, Moliana, peruviana (as wardii), Randii, tricornis, Wardii]

Charles Schweinfurth (1961) Orchids of Peru. Chicago Natural History Museum; pg. 611.

Stanhopea peruviana 'Barrick' CBR/AOS
[Initially awarded as S. pozoi; in Salem, Oregon, March 8, 2003]

Pseudobulbs 4 cm wide by 3 cm high, uniformly grooved; leaves 14 cm wide by 23 cm long with 9 cm petiole; five flowers on one pendent raceme; base color light butterscotch; sepals cupped; petals reflexed with two burgundy spots at base; lip completely contoured, grading from mostly solid burgundy at hypochile to light spotting at epichile; substance membranous except lip; texture matte; notable for relatively small size with slight fragrance.
Exhibited by Judy and Brad Barrick, Oregon.
Plant identified by Eric Christenson.