Brassia is a genus of orchids that come from Central American and tropical South America. Among the countries where they are found include Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and Venezuela. It got its name after the British botanist William Brass. Brassia is closely related to the Oncidium.
The noted characteristic of Brassia are its elongated sepals and petals. As a result, it is often called Spider Orchid, although the term "Spider Orchid" is also the popular name for another genus of orchid, the Arachnis.
Like the Oncidium, Brassia has large, flattened pseudobulbs, and long leaves. The flowers are carried on long, arching inflorescences. These may be as long as 30 cm or even more. The usual colour for Brassia flowers are yellow, green and brown.
Brassia gireoudiana
Author: brionv (cc-by-sa-2.0)
References
- Orchids of Asia, by Teoh Eng Soon
- The Macdonald Encyclopedia of Orchids
- Orchid Growing in the Tropics, by the Orchid Society of South East Asia
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