I saw this plant in the orchid house of the Botanical Garden
of Quito, Ecuador. Although this orchid
was not identified with a tag, the flowers are unmistakable. It was
growing on a raised bed in the middle of the green house. It had a single flower. The plant was in excellent condition. It is clear it thrives in a diurnal range of
45F during the night and 77F during the day.
This plant is found in Central America and Mexico at
altitudes between 1200 and 2500 meters in wet pine oak evergreen forest, it is
reported to sometimes grow on rocks.¹
This plant was placed by Withner in the genus Panarica. In the Cattleyas and their relatives: The debatable Epidendrums, it
is named Panarica brassavolae (Reichenbach f.) Withner & Harding.
¹Withner, C. L., Harding, P. A. 2004. Cattleyas and their
relatives: The debatable Epidendrums
