Sobralia rondoni

Native to Brazil (Rondonia & Matto Grosso), and Peru

Edited 22 March 2007
© Nina Rach

Named for "Rondônia," one of the two Brazilian states in which it is found.

Francisco Miranda notes that it comes from a border region of the Amazon, growing in large clumps on rocky outcrops, "frequently up to 2 meters (6 plus ft.) across and more than 1 meter tall. These plants are subject to full sunlight and just their root systems are protected from the sun by decaying matter, basically fallen dry leaves. The big (4" or more across) pristine white flowers have a very big (up to 3") lip with a golden yellow throat. The segments reflex gracefully."
[There is an in-situ photo of the species on Miranda's CD.]

A specimen collected by R. M. Harley (no. 19238) in Bahia, Brazil, on 2 March 1977 and described: "Erect orchid to 2.5m. Leaves coriaceous rather dark green plicate. Stems green mottled brown. Tepals magenta, outer tepals paler on outer surface." The habitat was described as being "with water worn horizontally-bedded sandstone at soil surface, with damp sand, sedge marsh exposed rock & waterfall. Open scrub to closed low woodland in the drier areas."

Photos at left and below by Erica Moron de Abad. This specimen is from Pampa Hermosa, San Ramon, Peru, blooming February 2003. She writes: "Pampa Hermosa (800 to 2,300 meters) is near San Ramon and S. rondoni grows at 2,000 m altitude in rocks with musgo (green sphagnum moss). It is a terrestrial orchid. [It grows in] full sun and high humidity near a waterfall, in high mountains [where] the rainfall is constant."