''Restrepia falkenbergii'', commonly called the Falkenberg's restrepia, is an

epiphytic An epiphyte is a plant or plant-like organism that grows on the surface of another plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphyt ...

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. Orchids are cosmopolitan plants that are found in almost every habitat on Eart ...

, found at altitudes between 1,000 and 2,000 m in Colombia. This large orchid lacks

pseudobulb In botany, a pseudobulb is a storage organ found in many epiphytic and terrestrial sympodial orchids. It is derived from a thickening of the part of a stem between leaf nodes and may be composed of just one internode or several, termed ''heter ...

s. The erect, thick, leathery leaf is elliptic-ovate in shape. The aerial

root In vascular plants, the roots are the plant organ, organs of a plant that are modified to provide anchorage for the plant and take in water and nutrients into the plant body, which allows plants to grow taller and faster. They are most often bel ...

s seem like fine hairs. The flowers develop one at a time at the base of the leaf. They are borne on a slender peduncle, originating from the base of the back of the leaf. The long dorsal

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 Etymology The term ''sepalum'' ...

is erect and ends in a somewhat thicker club-shaped tip. They have fused lateral sepals (synsepals) with a length of about 2.5 cm. These are quite colorful : overall yellow, with orange, tan and red at the back, overlaid with contrasting reddish-purple stripes. The long, lateral

petal Petals are modified leaves that form an inner whorl surrounding the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often brightly coloured or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''corol ...

s equally end in a thickened club-shaped tip. The long and smooth

lip The lips are a horizontal pair of soft appendages attached to the jaws and are the most visible part of the mouth of many animals, including humans. Mammal lips are soft, movable and serve to facilitate the ingestion of food (e.g. sucklin ...

is pandurate and widest its apex. It shows the same variations in color and markings.

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q7316274 falkenbergii Epiphytic orchids Orchids of Colombia