''Rhyncholaelia digbyana'' is a species of

orchid 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 floweri ...

occurring from

Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. The republic of Honduras is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Oce ...

Belize Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wa ...

Guatemala Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by Hon ...

Mexico Mexico (Spanish language, Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a List of sovereign states, country in the southern portion of North America. It is borders of Mexico, bordered to the north by the United States; to the so ...

and

Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...

. ''Rl. digbyana'' can be distinguished from the other species of ''Rhyncholaelia'' ('' Rl. glauca'') by the frilled labellum. The orchid has been discovered by

José Antonio Molina Rosito :''There are many people named Antonio Molina. See Molina for a partial list.'' José Antonio Molina Rositto (born February 28, 1926 in Tegucigalpa, died 23 September 2012), usually known as Antonio Molina, was a Honduran botanist and Professor ...

, a Honduran, Catracho botanist and

Professor emeritus ''Emeritus'' (; female: ''emerita'') is an adjective used to designate a retired chair, professor, pastor, bishop, pope, director, president, prime minister, rabbi, emperor, or other person who has been "permitted to retain as an honorary title ...

at the

Zamorano Pan-American School of Agriculture The Zamorano Pan-American Agricultural School ( es, link=no, Escuela Agrícola Panamericana Zamorano), generally known as ''El Zamorano'' or ''Zamorano'', is a private, coeducational university located in the valley of the Yeguare river, Hond ...

. ''Rhyncholaelia digbyana'' was declared the national flower of Honduras (Flor Nacional de Honduras) on 1969 November 26.

References

Rhyncholaelia digbyana at the Internet Orchid Species Photo Encyclopedia

External links

digbyana Orchids of Central America Orchids of Belize Orchids of Costa Rica Orchids of Guatemala Orchids of Honduras Orchids of Mexico {{Laeliinae-stub