Grasshopper orchid

Description:

Gongora atropurpurea is a large orchid, with large leaves and small flowers that emit a light cinnamon fragrance. It blooms in summer with as many as twenty 6.25 cm flowers that grow an equal distance of 5 cms from each other. Found in Colombia, Venezuela, Trinidad, Guianas, Ecuador, Peru and Northern Brazil at elevations around 50 to 2000 meters in mangrove estuaries in open places close to the ground and wet forests.

Habitat:

Heavily shaded wet medium forest.

Notes:

This plant, that measures 1.5 meters was found encircling a medium sized tree near a road that passed through a wet and humid forest. Another 12 Gongora of smaller size were found in the area just off the road.