Object Details
Description
When this large orchid first hit the European orchid scene in the late 1800s, it was so coveted that thousands were taken from its native Guatemalan cloud forests and exported. Almost all of these plants died for various reasons. By the 1930s, when L. skinneri var. alba (now L. virginalis) was first designated as the national flower of Guatemala, it was considered rare. Despite prohibition on the collection of L. virginalis starting in the 1940s, poaching continued, leading to the Guatemalan government banning the export of all orchids until the ‘90s. This beautiful orchid remains in danger, but protection efforts persist.
Bloom Time (Northern Hemisphere)
Year round; peaks in February and March
Ethnobotanical Uses
National flower of Guatemala.
Pollination Syndrome
Bee (Euglossa), collects fragrance
Provenance
From a cultivated plant not of known wild origin
Accession Number
2018-1177A
Restrictions & Rights
CC0
Life Form
Epiphytic
Bloom Characteristics
Inflorescence is 6-12" (15-30 cm) long with a single, waxy, long lasting flower. Flower is 4-6" (10-15 cm) across, but can be small as 2" (5 cm) across or as large as 7" (17.8 cm).
Foliage Characteristics
Deciduous
Fragrance
Fragrant
Plant Size
12-20" x 12-20" (30-51 x 30-46 cm)
Range
Mexico (Chiapas) to Honduras
Habitat
Cool cloud forests in the forks of trees; 3950-6600ft (1200-2000m)
See more items in
Smithsonian Gardens Orchid Collection
Common Name
Monja Blanca
White Nun Orchid
Saq Hix
Group
[vascular plants]
Class
Equisetopsida
Subclass
Magnoliidae
Superorder
Lilianae
Order
Asparagales
Family
Orchidaceae
Subfamily
Epidendroideae
Genus
Lycaste
Species
virginalis
Data Source
Smithsonian Gardens
Topic
Orchids
Living Collections
Link to Original Record
Record ID
ofeo-sg_2018-1177A
