RHH's photos with the keyword: amparoana

A small orchid species from Costa Rica. The plant is about five inches tall and each of these flowers about half an inch. This is the sixth post in my series of orchid shots on a dark background, all orchids I grow.

One of my favorite orchids has recently come into bloom. Effusiella amparoana belongs to a group of Central and South American orchids known as Pleurothallids. This miniature plant is about six inches tall with narrow upright leaves and six inch nodding spikes of flowers. The flowers, up to 15 per flower spike, are the interesting part of the plant. Each flower is about 3/8-1/2 inch in size and looks like a translucent hairy green toilet bowl with the lid up. The bowl-shaped, joined lower sepals and the upper sepal are lined with white hairs that are revealed when the flower opens. The plant has also been classified as Specklinia amparoana and Pleurothallis amparoana, is native to Costa Rica and Panama, and is named after a Costa Rican orchidist, Dona Amparo de Celedon. orchidsinbloom-ron.blogspot.com/2011/09/effusiella-amparoana-revisited.html

This small orchid hails from Costa Rica and belongs to the large group of Central and South American orchids known as Pleurothallids. It used to be classified as Pleurothallis amparoana, but its name was recently changed. The individual flowers are about one cm in size but are carried on spikes of 10-12 flowers. We refer to it around here as the "Hairy Toilet Bowl Orchid." I have no idea what function the hairs serve, except that they probably have something to do with pollination. orchidsinbloom-ron.blogspot.com/2011/09/effusiella-amparo...

Also known as Pleurothallis amparoana and Stelis pilosa, the species by any name is wonderful. The individual flowers of this species look like little hairy toilet bowls and it blooms profusely twice a year. It is from Costa Rica and Panama. More pictures and information here: orchidsinbloom-ron.blogspot.com/2011/09/effusiella-amparo...