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Phragmipedium caricinum (Lindley & Paxton) Rolfe

• Described: Lindley & Paxton in Paxton's Flower Garden 1: 39 (1850)
• Transferred: Rolfe in Orchid Review, 4: 332 (1896)
• Etymology: Derived from the Latin caric, meaning 'sedge'; named for its narrow leaves.
• Varieties & Forms: none
• Synonyms: none
• Chromosome Count (Atwood 1984):

  2n =	metacentrics	telocentrics	n.f.
  20, 22	18, 20	2	38, 40

• Chromosome Count (Wimber 1983):

  2n =	metacentrics	telocentrics	n.f.
  20	--	--	--

Plant Habit

• Leaves: 30-55 cm long, 0.5-1.5 cm wide for most of the length, up to 3.0 cm wide at base, sedge-like, keeled, above dark green, below lighter green
• Inflorescence: sometimes branched, 3-6 flowered when unbranched, 6-10 flowered when branched, up to 55 cm long, dark red-brown, tomentose
• Bloom: yellow green with brownish-orange, rust-colored nerves, margins whitish
• Plant: rhizome up to 2 cm long

Habitat Data

• Distribution - endemic to Bolivia
  
• Elevation: 500-1500 m
• Peak Flowering in the Wild: May-November
• Ecology: near running water, often below the high-water mark
• Mean Temperature Range: ? °C
• Light: ?
• Medium: clinging to limestone or sandstone rock, sometimes in red clay amongst grasses and mosses along riverbanks
• Water: constantly wet

Notes:

• McCook (1989) states that Phrag. pearcei types 2 & 3 (2n = 21,22) in Karasawa (1980) are really Phrag. caricinum.
• Phrag. caricinum is very similar to Phrag. pearcei, but they, "can be distinguished from each other on the basis of habit, floral color and pubescence, inflorescence type and pubescence, and color pattern of the labellum." (McCook 1989)
• Bateman's 1864 article in Curtis's Botanical Magazine on Cypripedium Caricinum is actually about what is now called Phrag. pearcei.

Sources:

• Atwood, J.T. Jr. "The Relationships of the Slipper Orchids (Subfamily Cypripedioideae, Orchidaceae)." Selbyana 7, no. 2/4 (Aug 1984): 129-247.
• Bateman, J. "Cypripedium Caricinum. Sedge-Like Lady's Slipper." Curtis's Botanical Magazine 90 (1864): Tab. 5466. <view article>
• Karasawa, K. "Karyomorphological Studies in Phragmipedium, Orchidaceae." Bulletin of the Hiroshima Botanical Garden 3 (Dec 1980): 1-49.
• McCook, Lucile M. "Systematics of Phragmipedium (Cypripedioideae; Orchidaceae)," Ph.D. dissertation, Cornell University, 1989.
• Wimber, D.E. "Phragmipedium Cytology - I - Diploidy and Polyploidy in the Hybrids." American Orchid Society Bulletin 52, no. 9 (Sep 1983): 933-39.

Primary Hybrids

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Page Created By: Stephen Manza
Last Updated: 8-17-06
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