Aspasia (plant)

''Aspasia'', abbreviated as Asp. in the horticultural trade, is a genus of 7 species of orchids occurring from southern Mexico to southern Brazil. The genus is closely related to ''Miltonia'' and ''Brassia''. ''Aspasia'' species have few medium size flowers of exquisite colors which are occasionally cultivated or used to produce artificial hybrids.

Distribution

''Aspasia'' exist in four different areas of Central and South America. Some species are exclusively epiphytic on thick stems of the trees a low height, others live on branches where they get more light and a few occasionally appear as lithophytes.

Two species inhabit primarily Central America the most common is '' Aspasia epidendroides'', that ranges from Mexico to Colombia from sea level to 1,100 meters of altitude but much more common up to 400 meters; and the other is '' Aspasia principissa'', which exists from Colombia to Costa Rica, from sea level to 600 of altitude but often up to 150 meters. Exclusively from Colombia is '' Aspasia omissa'', that is a species recently described whose full range is not yet determined. '' Aspasia psittacina'', endemic in Ecuador, can be found from sea level to 750 of altitude but is much more common up to 300 meters. ''Aspasia variegata'' is common in all Amazonian region,Freitas Luz, Francisco J. (2001). Orquídeas na Amazônia. Instituto Brasileiro de Cultura, Ed. On Line. from 200 to 1300 meters in Bolivia.

The last area occupied is the Brazilian southeast and south, reaching Bolivia and Paraguay, from 200 to 750 meters, by '' Aspasia lunata''; and '' Aspasia silvana'' exclusively at Brazilian Serra do Mar mountains, from Rio de Janeiro to Bahia. These two, as ''Miltonia'' do, form large colonies, however, being not particularly common species, they are just occasionally found, mostly on areas of transition between shady forest and open areas both in rain forests and cloud montane forests.Miller, David; Richard Warren; Izabel Moura Miller & Helmut Seehawer (2006). ''Aspasia lunata'' in Serra dos Órgãos sua história e suas orquídeas, 326-7. Rio de Janeiro.

''Aspasia lunata'' is primarily epiphyte on thick stems but often is found living over rock grooves covered by fallen leaves and humid forests where they never are exposed to straight sunlight. ''Aspasia variegata'' is found in open forests both in dry and flooded lands, then often on branches of the trees hanging over the waters.

Description

''Aspasia'' is a genus of comparatively robust plants intermediate of ''Brassia'' and ''Miltonia'', to which it is morphologically closer although can be distinguished because its flowers show the labellum partially fused to the column up to the middle then abruptly folded down in a square angle.Hoehne, Frederico C. (1940). ''Introduction'' in Flora Brasílica, Vol 12-1: 37. Secretaria de Agricultura de São Paulo. They are characterized for often showing am elongated rhizome, with thicker roots than ''Miltonia'', with more elliptical or elongated and highly laterally flattened pseudobulbs, protected by some foliar sheaths shorter than the leaves, and one or two apical leaves. These are articulated, basally conduplicate, ligulate sometimes with acute apex, thin and narrow, very malleable, light green colored. The inflorescence is erect or arching, shorter than the leaves and bares one to nine flowers sometimes showy, which open in quick sequence holding at least three of four opened at the same time. The inflorescence shoots among the foliar sheaths on the pseudobulbs bases.

The flowers vary according to the species. The petals from more elliptical to more acute, in some species wider than the sepals, in others narrower or similar in size and shape, from flat to concave. The labellum is fused to the inferior half of the column, seeming to emerge from there and thereafter becoming much wider; the blade varies from slightly to clearly three lobed, flat or reflected, fleshier on the center where they have calli or salient veins. The column is elongated, with or without small inferior auricles and presents a large apical anther with two hard yellow pollinia, stipe and viscidium.

Their flowers last for about ten days, however, as not all open at the same time it is common to have a plant blooming during a whole month. Pollination has not been observed and seems to be uncommon for few plants bearing fruits have been seen in nature, however, their floral morphology indicates the possibility of Euglossini bees pollinators. When ''Aspasia'' species are used to produce artificial hybrids, the characteristic that seems to predominate is the low number of resulting flowers by inflorescence, prevailing even over the so floriferous