Sobralia
Sobralia is a genus of orchids native to Mexico, Central and South America. The plants are more commonly terrestrial, but are also found growing epiphytically, in wet forests from sea level to about 8,800 ft. The genus was named for Dr. Francisco Sobral, a Spanish botanist. The genus is abbreviated Sob in trade journals.
Their reed-like stems range in height from about 1 ft to 44 ft. . They have typically heavily veined, bilobed, plicate, apical leaves all along the stem. The inflorescences on the apex of the stem carry one or two successive ephemeral flowers with large sepals and petals. The short duration of the flower is caused by a self-digesting enzyme. The lip is entire or lobed and clasps the column at its base. This columns carries eight soft pollinia. These flowers range in color from pure white to yellow, green, pink, purple, red, brown, and even a blue violet.
Taxonomy
The following species are recognized:Sobralia aerata GaraySobralia allenii L.O.WilliamsSobralia altissima D.E.Benn. & ChristensonSobralia amabilis L.O.WilliamsSobralia anceps Schltr.Sobralia andreae DresslerSobralia antioquiensis Schltr.Sobralia aspera Dressler & PupulinSobralia atropubescens Ames & C.Schweinf. Sobralia augusta Hoehne. Sobralia aurantiaca Linden & Rchb.f. Sobralia biflora Ruiz & Pav.Sobralia bimaculata Garay Sobralia blancoi Dressler & PupulinSobralia bletiae Rchb.f.Sobralia boliviensis Schltr. Sobralia buchtienii Schltr. Sobralia calliantha D.E.Benn. & ChristensonSobralia callosa L.O.WilliamsSobralia caloglossa Schltr.Sobralia candida Rchb.f.Sobralia carazoi Lank. & AmesSobralia cardosoi Campacci & J.B.F.SilvaSobralia cataractarum HoehneSobralia cattleya Rchb.f. Sobralia chatoensis A.H.Heller & A.D.Hawkes Sobralia chrysantha Lindl. Sobralia chrysoleuca Rchb.f.Sobralia chrysostoma DresslerSobralia ciliata C.Schweinf. ex FoldatsSobralia citrea DresslerSobralia crispissima DresslerSobralia crocea Rchb.f.Sobralia decora BatemanSobralia densifoliata Schltr.Sobralia dichotoma Ruiz & Pav.Sobralia dissimilis Dressler Sobralia dorbignyana Rchb.f.Sobralia doremiliae Dressler Sobralia ecuadorana DodsonSobralia exigua DresslerSobralia exilis Schltr. Sobralia fimbriata Poepp. & Endl.Sobralia fragilis Dressler & BogarínSobralia fragrans Lindl.Sobralia fruticetorum Schltr.Sobralia fuzukiae Dressler & BogarínSobralia galeottiana A.Rich.Sobralia gentryi Dodson Sobralia gloriana Dressler Sobralia gloriosa Rchb.f. Sobralia granitica G.A.Romero & CarnevaliSobralia hagsateri Dodson Sobralia hawkesii A.H.Heller Sobralia helleri A.D.HawkesSobralia herzogii Schltr.Sobralia hirta D.E.Benn. & ChristensonSobralia hirtzii DodsonSobralia hoppii Schltr.Sobralia imavieirae Campacci & J.B.F.SilvaSobralia infundibuligera Garay & Dunst.Sobralia kermesina Garay Sobralia kerryae Dressler Sobralia klotzscheana Rchb.f. Sobralia kruskayae DresslerSobralia labiata Warsz. & Rchb.f.Sobralia lancea Garay Sobralia leucoxantha Rchb.f.Sobralia liliastrum Lindl. Sobralia lindleyana Rchb.f. Sobralia lowii Rolfe Sobralia luerorum Dodson Sobralia luteola Rolfe Sobralia macdougallii Soto Arenas Pérez-García & SalazarSobralia macra Schltr.Sobralia macrantha Lindl.Sobralia macrophylla Rchb.f.Sobralia madisonii Dodson Sobralia maduroi Dressler Sobralia malmiana Pabst Sobralia malmquistiana Schltr.Sobralia margaritae PabstSobralia mariannae DresslerSobralia mucronata Ames & C.Schweinf.Sobralia mutisii P.Ortiz Sobralia neudeckeri Dodson Sobralia nutans Dressler Sobralia odorata Schltr. Sobralia oliva-estevae Carnevali & I.Ramírez Sobralia oroana Dodson Sobralia paludosa Linden Sobralia paradisiaca Rchb.f. Sobralia pardalina GaraySobralia parviflora L.O.Williams Sobralia persimilis GaraySobralia pfavii Schltr. Sobralia piedadiae Dodson Sobralia portillae Christenson Sobralia powellii Schltr.Sobralia pulcherrima Garay Sobralia pumila RolfeSobralia purpurea DresslerSobralia purpurella Dressler & BogarínSobralia quinata DresslerSobralia rarae-avis DresslerSobralia recta DresslerSobralia rhizophorae Cornejo & DodsonSobralia rigidissima Linden ex Rchb.f. Sobralia roezlii Rchb.f.Sobralia rogersiana ChristensonSobralia rolfeana Schltr. Sobralia rondonii Hoehne Sobralia rosea Poepp. & Endl.Sobralia roseoalba Rchb.f. Sobralia ruckeri Linden & Rchb.f. Sobralia ruparupaensis D.E.Benn. & ChristensonSobralia rupicola Kraenzl.Sobralia sancti-josephi Kraenzl.Sobralia sanctorum Dressler & BogarínSobralia sanfelicis Dressler Sobralia schultzei Schltr. Sobralia scopulorum Rchb.f.Sobralia semperflorens Kraenzl. Sobralia setigera Poepp. & Endl. Sobralia sobralioides GaraySobralia sororcula DresslerSobralia sotoana Dressler & BogarínSobralia speciosa C.Schweinf. Sobralia splendida Schltr. Sobralia stenophylla Lindl.Sobralia stevensonii Dodson Sobralia tamboana DodsonSobralia theobromina DresslerSobralia tricolor DresslerSobralia turkeliae ChristensonSobralia undatocarinata C.Schweinf. Sobralia uribei P.Ortiz Sobralia valida Rolfe Sobralia violacea Linden ex Lindl. Sobralia virginalis Peeters & Cogn.Sobralia warszewiczii Rchb.f. Sobralia weberbaueriana Kraenzl. Sobralia wilsoniana Rolfe Sobralia withneri D.E.Benn. & ChristensonSobralia xantholeuca B.S.Williams Sobralia yauaperyensis Barb. Rodr.
Hybrids
Sobralia × intermedia P.H.AllenSobralia ''× veitchii'' hort.