Philip Norton [EMAIL PROTECTED] asked for a description of Gongora maculata.
Rudolf Jenny just published a new survey of the genus in Caesiana 20 (2003). This came out this summer. His new checklist of species runs from pp 25-33, and oddly enough, there are more single line entries (35) for Gga. maculata than any other species; they begin on p.29 and continue to p.31!
He accepts the description published in 1833 by John Lindley in Edward's Botanical Register vol. 19, p. 1616 as a legitimate separate species, as well as a number of different varieties, published elsewhere.
Apparently the species is found in Mexico; Central America; Guyana; Trinidad & Tobago, and it's known as the "Jack Spaniard" orchid. Given the name, expect it to be "maculated" (spotted). Here are some references from my webpage, the genus Gongora, http://www.houstonorchidsociety.org/Stanhopea/Gongora.html:
Paul H. Allen 1953. "Pollination in Gongora maculata," in: Ceiba 4(2): 121-125. The late Dr. Allen, a banana expert, spent much time in the tropics collecting and observing orchids. This is an excellent account of a first hand observation by a gifted naturalist. Drawings by Mrs. Dorothy O. Allen, the author's wife. [annotation by Dr. Josephy Arditti]
Oakes Ames and Donovan Stewart Correll (1985) Orchids of Guatemala and Belize. Dover Publications, Inc., New York. 779p. - reprint [Gga. cassidea; maculata; quinquenervis] Line drawing of Gga. maculata on p. 541 by Dorothy O. Allen.
Walter Elias Broadway (1926) Orchid Review 34: 171.
Rudolf Jenny (1987) "Gongorinae, 6. Gongora, Teil XVIII - Gongora maculata und Gongora leucochila," in: Die Orchidee 38:140.
Rudolf Jenny (1993g) Monograph of the genus Gongora Ruiz & Pavón (transl. M. Sommer & C. d'Heureuse). Koeltz Scientific Books, Champaign, IL, U. S. A./Königstein, Germany.
Rudolf Jenny (1996) "The genus Gongora," in: Orchids 65 (11): 1164-1169. [Gga. maculata is mentioned on the list of "Gongora species in cultivation"]
Rudolf Jenny (2003) "Gongora, a status recognized since 1993 and a current checklist," in: Caesiana 20: 1-34. [36 figures; none of Gga. maculata, although it is listed on checklist]
Richard Evans Schultes 1960. Native Orchids of Trindad and Tobago. Pergamon Pres Inc., Oxford. 275p. [Gga. atropurpurea; maculata]
Here is part of the description from Schultes, p.180, accompanied by a line-drawing of plant, inflorescence, and flower on p. 181:
"Inflorescence... laxly many-flowered, up to 80 cm long...Flowers very fragrant, brownish red or reddish with yellow or white spots or bands; pedicels (with ovary) 3-4 cm long. Sepals membranaceous, acuminate; dorsal sepals lanceolate to elliptic-lanceolate, margins revolute, adnate to middle of column, 15-23 cm long, 4-6mm wide; lateral sepals reflexed, obliquely ovate-lanceolate, margins revolute, 20-30mm long, about 15 mm wide. Petals adnate to side of column, linear-lanceolate, acuminate, apically recurved, 7-10 mm long, 1-2 mm wide. Lip subsessile, fleshy, basal claw adnate to foot of column, up to about 25 mm long, 2 lateral, basal, horn-like projections relatively minute, at least never more than half as long as awns.Column erect, arcuate, up to about 20-25 mm long."
Now, what's interesting about the line-drawing in Schultes, is that it was done by Dunsterville, and is published in at least three other places (under different names!):
(1) Dunsterville & Garay (1959) Venezuelan Orchids Illustrated, Vol. 1, pp. 156-157, as Gga. quinquenervis.
(2) Dunsterville & Garay (Sept. 1979) Orchids of Venezuela, An illustrated Field Guide, Vol. 1, p. 330, as Gga. quinquenervis.
(3) Romero & Carnevali (July 2000) Orchids of Venezuela, An Illustrated Field Guide, Second Ed., Vol. 1, p. 349, as Gga. atropurpurea Hook.
No doubt you will find many more references if you subscribe to Jenny's Litbul orchid reference service.
There are at least five AOS awards (CBM, CHM, JC, & 2 CCM's) granted under the name "Gongora maculata," including one to "var. lactea," but there is no guarantee that any of them are taxonomically correct, as positive ID of species was not required until last year.
Nina Rach, Houston
The Stanhopea Pages
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