''Trichoglottis atropurpurea'', the dark purple trichoglottis, is a species of
orchid endemic to the
Philippines.
This hot to warm growing epiphyte was first found growing in mangrove swamps in the islands of
Biliran,
Catanduanes,
Mindanao (
Agusan del Sur and
Davao) and
Polillo. The plant shares the same appearance with ''
T. philippinensis'' except for the rich dark color of the blooms and slight variation of the perianth. This species was first described in 1877 by the German botanist
Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach, an expert on the
orchid family
Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant.
Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering ...
. At that time, thousands of newly discovered orchids were being sent back to Europe, and he was responsible for identifying, describing and classifying many of these new discoveries.
Description
''Trichoglottis atropurpurea'' is a fairly large epiphytic species of orchid, with stems reaching long. Fleshy white roots grow out of the stems which are leafy towards the tip. The leaves, which overlap and semi-clasp the stem are oblong or oblong-ovate and slightly keeled. They are long and wide. The inflorescence grows from the leaf axil and bears one or two fleshy, fragrant flowers, up to in diameter. The five
tepals are some shade of dark reddish-purple, and the hairy, lobed, lip is white with purple streaks and a splash of yellow near the base.
Gallery
File:Trichoglottis atropurpurea7.JPG, ''Trichoglottis atropurpurea''
flower
File:Trichoglottis atropurpurea Orchi 032.jpg, ''Trichoglottis atropurpurea''
habitus
References
External links
{{Taxonbar, from=Q9089855
Endemic orchids of the Philippines
Orchids of the Philippines
Plants described in 1877
atropurpurea