Sobralia dissimilis

Dressler 1995

Native to Costa Rica

Edited 16 April 2007
© Nina Rach

Sobralia dissimilis photo from Maduro

Originally published by Dressler in: Novon 5(2): 142, fig. 1995, based on plants collected by J.T. Atwood, 26 June 1989, #89-243. Holotype at MO; Isotypes at CR, SEL, and FLAS (image below, right).

Plant collected near the TV Towers in the Monteverde Reserve at 1750 m elev. "Epiphytic. Rare, only one seen. Flowers sulfur yellow; lip smokey-lavender bordered with yellow; the six lateral keels darker; the five central undulate and white. Aroma similar to that of baby powder."

Photo at left courtesy of Andres Maduro, and Bill Goldner at Woodstream Orchids.

Sobralia dissimilis herbarium sheet from FLAS This species has also been called Sobralia undatocarinata aurea, and was sold under the name Sobralia bella by Woodstream Orchids, Maryland. Bill Goldner writes: "Outstanding! One of the best of the Sobralias. Very rare in cultivation. Tall species with showy light yellow flowers with purple painted lips, which last for up to 9 days!! Grow cool-intermediate, with moderately bright-bright light, evenly moist."

Printed References:

Robert L. Dressler 1993. Field Guide to the Orchids of Costa Rica and Panama. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 374p. [p.322].

Robert L. Dressler 1995. "New orchid species from Costa Rica," in: Novon: a Journal for Botanical Nomenclature 5(2): 142, fig., St. Louis, MO. [Two new sobralia species, with line-drawings: S. dissimilis, S. doremiliae; new spelling: S. carazoi - was S. corazoi]

The following five novelties are described: Encyclia ortizii Dressler, from the Reserva Forestal de San Ramón; Malaxis monsviridis Dressler, from Monteverde, and M. talamancana Dressler, from ca. 2000-3000 m in the Talamancas; and Sobralia dissimilis Dressler, from Monteverde, and S. doremiliae Dressler, known from several mid-elevation localities in Costa Rica and western Panama. The spelling of Sobralia carazoi (originally "corazoi") is clarified. Line-drawings are included for each new species.

Online References:

International Plant Names Index [IPNI], www.ipni.org

William A. Haber (2001) "Plants of Monteverde: Orchidaceae" in: Monteverde Natural History

Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida Herbarium (FLAS) Collection Catalog, FLAS 179092 -- Isotype collected in the Monteverde Reserve, Puntarenas, Costa Rica by J.T. Atwood, 89-243. Two images available online: herbarium sheet and inflorescense.

Marie Selby Gardens, SEL herbarium, set of high-resolution photos of herbarium isotype sheets: full image 1; full image 2; full image 3

Entry in the Flora Mesoamericana database at Missouri Botanical Garden

The Cutting Edge, Vol. II, No. 3, July 1995 "Germane Literature"

Comments? Questions? Send e-mail: sobralia@autrevie.com.