Mormodes aromatica is a species of orchid in the genus Mormodes, family Orchidaceae. It was first described by the English botanist John Lindley in 1841.
Distribution and habitat
The species is native to southern Mexico (the states of Guerrero, Oaxaca, and Chiapas), El Salvador, and Honduras. It grows as an epiphyte in wet tropical biomes at elevations of approximately 1,000 to 1,700 meters above sea level.
Description
Mormodes aromatica is a medium-sized, warm-to-cool-growing epiphytic orchid. It has fusiform (spindle-shaped), lightly compressed pseudobulbs that are enveloped by imbricate, distichous, leaf-bearing sheaths. The plant carries several distichous, plicate (pleated), three-nerved leaves held toward the apex of the pseudobulb.
The inflorescence is basal, erect to horizontal, terete (cylindrical), green, and grows up to 32 cm (12.8 inches) long, bearing up to 15 flowers. The flowers are approximately 5 cm (2 inches) in size and are described as fragrant — a characteristic reflected in the specific epithet aromatica. The plant blooms in late spring and early summer.
Taxonomy
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Clade: Angiosperms
- Order: Asparagales
- Family: Orchidaceae
- Subfamily: Epidendroideae
- Genus: Mormodes
- Species: Mormodes aromatica Lindl. (1841)
The species belongs to section Coryodes within the genus Mormodes. Its common name is "The Aromatic Mormodes." The name is currently accepted by Kew's Plants of the World Online.
Cultivation
A cultivated variety, Mormodes aromatica 'Woodridge', has received an award (registered in 1981). The plant is grown by orchid enthusiasts and is noted for requiring partial sun and intermediate to cool temperatures.
