Myrmecophila tibicinis

Description:

A giant sized, warm to hot growing epiphyte and sometimes lithophyte with several leaves that is found from Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, Costa Rica, Venezuela and Colombia, it has huge, 18" [45 cm], sulcate, conic to cylindric pseudobulbs that are hollow and have a entrance at the base so that in the wild there are always ants living in them. There are 2 to 5 apical, elliptic-ovate leaves that blooms in the spring to 15' [450 cm] long, erect, paniculate spikes with the successively opening, fragrant flowers in a cluster at the apex so thought must be put into space so the spikes don't get broken. . These plants bloom in March or April and can be grown with year round watering although it is better to give less through the winter. These plants must be mounted on a large wood mount as they do not like to be disturbed, and it does not take long for it to cover a branch.

Habitat:

In seasonally dry deciduous forests on trunks and larger branches often in full sun at elevations of 300 to 600 meters

Notes:

It can be confused with M brysiana but differs in having larger magenta flower with a larger column while M brysiana has much smaller yellow flowers with shorter columns. The dried pseudobulbs of this species can be fashioned to make a trumpet to call the children home from their playtime hence the common name.