Southland Orchid Show 2013

Two Stanhopea were on exhibit at the show, and the owner Joe Kles of the Riverside/San Bernardino Orchid Society did a great job bringing these species to into bloom again just in time for the show this year.  I am very envious that he was able to get the timing of these to bloom just right since my Stanhopea missed blooming for the show by a week.



Stanhopea graveolens inflorescence

Stanhopea ruckeri flower

In addition to Joe, the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens also exhibited several Stanhopeinae.  It was good to see several species in bloom for the show.

Acineta mirayae
 

Acineta superba almost in bloom....very nice! 
 I can't wait until mine has inflorescences this long.

Stanhopea ruckeri var. alba

This is the form of S. ruckeri that lacks red in the flowers, with no eye spots and no red spots on the petals, sepals, hypochile and column.  The flower is a clean off-white color with green to green blue color infused into the sepals and petals.  The hypochile is a deep yellow color at the base and ivory white on the epichile.  The column is white with a well-defined blue-green infusion of color in the center that is often not captured well in photographs.  Altogether this is a good representative of the crisp and clean color combinations of an alba form of S. ruckeri in sharp contrast to the red spotted form.

S. ruckeri var. alba flowers

S. ruckeri var. alba column with blue-green coloration

 

The fragrance of this flower is very light and almost undetectable.  It favors a slight fresh baked bread scent mixed with lily.   It would seem that this is the form that was given the specific epithet of inodora for its” lack “of fragrance compared with other more fragrant Stanhopea.  This orchid also resembles the plate of S. inodora found in Edward's Botanical Register and published in 1845, from a plant that was imported from Mexico.

Stanhopea ruckeri

This orchid is native to Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua.  It grows in intermediate to warm mountain forests 2,625– 4,593 feet (800-1400 m) in elevation.  This is also one of the easiest species of Stanhopea to grow outdoors here in southern California, and can take early morning sun and dappled shade the rest of the day.  The form pictured here is one of the spotted forms with pale red eye spots on the hypochile and small red spots on the petals and sepals.  There are also small red spots on the epichile and column.  There are some forms of this species that are alba forms and lack red color on the flower.  The fragrance of this Stanhopea is a light cinnamon scent and is consistent with the fragrance study done that includes trans-cinnamaldehyde, cinnamyl-alcohol, and cinnamyl-acetate.  These provide a fragrance that is similar to a candy known as “Hot Tamales”, and the flowers have a similar fragrance to the candy.  There are other forms that have different compounds as the main fragrance components such as phenethyl alcohol which provides a sweet to floral, rose fragrance, or even one like freshly baked bread.  It is interesting to note that the form that I have exhibits a change in the fragrance as the flower ages and smells more like cinnamon French toast, so some phenethyl alcohol must be produced at that time as well.



Stanhopea ruckeri with five inflorescences

The flowers are 4.5 to 5.5 inches (11.4 to 14.0 cm) wide with several flowers (5-10) on an inflorescence.   The inflorescences can be quite long, 9 to 15 inches (22.9 to 38.1 cm) in length.  Because the inflorescences are so long, this species can make a very nice specimen placed in a large basket that enables the inflorescences to grow out and down.  The leaves of this orchid are a deep green, and are 7.9 to 24.0 inches (20 to 61 cm) long and 3.9 to 4.7 inches (10 to 12 cm) wide.  The pseudobulbs are 1.6-2.2 inches (4.0 to 5.6 cm) long and deeply furrowed.  This Stanhopea is also one of the more easily grown species and is readily available in the orchid nursery trade.  Stanhopea  ruckeri  grows rapidly, and is a reliable bloomer every year.  It produces several inflorescences at a time and quickly grows into a specimen plant.  These attributes make this Stanhopea a good candidate to grow for a beginner, and several Stanhopea growers rate this species as the one that we should all have.

Stanhopea ruckeri flower