Flasks of Bletia purpurea 'MC6510' -spontaneous

For Species:		Spring, Summer, Autumn: days average 87°F, nights 76°F; best fit is Warm 90-70°F (Source: Baker's Web OSC)
For Species:		Winter: days average 74°F, nights 60°F; best fit is Cool-Intermediate 75-58°F (Source: Baker's Web OSC)

About the name...

Etymology of	Bletia	Named for Luis Blet; Spanish apothecary and naturalist during the 18th century. (Source: Mayr & Schmucker 1998)
Etymology of	purpurea	From Latin "purpureus" purple. (Source: Mayr & Schmucker 1998)
Pronunciation of	Bletia	BLET-ee-ah (Source: Hawkes 1978)
Pronunciation of	purpurea	pur-PUR-ee-ah (Source: Hawkes 1978)

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Flask Information
Availability:	There were problems with this item and we weren't able to make any viable flasks.
You should:	Consider placing a "Notify Retries" Request, and if an identical pollination (the same parents) is done again, we'll let you know.
You might also want to:	View the seed assay for this item. View items of the same species. View items of the same genus.

The origin/habitat information below is supplied courtesy of Charles and Margaret Baker

The following information is based on the name of the plant provided by the donor, and assumes that the name is correct. If the plant has been misidentified, then the following information may not be correct.
This text is copyrighted by the Bakers and may not be reproduced without permission.

ORIGIN/HABITAT: Widespread from southern Florida through the West Indies, southern Mexico, Central America, and extreme northern South America in Colombia, Venezuela, and Guyana. Dodson and Dodson (1980), however, also reported the occurrence of this species on the western slopes of the Andes throughout Ecuador at 350-4900 ft. (100-1500 m). In this region, plants grow on steep hillsides which dry severely during the dry season. In the West Indies, plants have been reported from the Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, and the Leeward and Windward Islands to Trinidad and Tobago. Ackerman (1995), however, indicated that the reports of this species in Puerto Rico was probably the result of a misidentification of Bletia patula Hooker and that in the West Indies, Bletia purpurea occurs only west of Puerto Rico. In Florida, plants may grow in full sun in pineland with their pseudobulbs wedged into rocky crevices and the foliage extending above the surface mat of pine needles. In swampy forests, however, they may be found in shade growing on stumps, logs, and the bases of cypress trees just above the high water level. In the swamp habitat, their pseudobulbs are buried deep in the accumulated humus, frequently with just the top of the bulb exposed. The plants in Florida normally retain their leaves for the entire year; but by the time the flowers appear in late winter or early spring, the leaves are fairly well weathered. In Mexico, plants grow in humid, grassy places among rocks on bluffs and in grassy openings in deciduous forest from near sea level to 4900 ft. (1500 m) in the states of Jalisco, Michoacan, Guerrero, México, Morelos, Oaxaca, Veracruz, San Luis Potosi, Tamaulipas, Tabasco, and Chiapas. In western Mexico, plants have been reported near Puerto Vallarta, Tomatlán, Autlán, and Colima. In Guatemala, plants have been reported from near Cobán as well as from many other locations at elevations up to 6550 ft. (2000 m). They grow as terrestrials or on rocks in dry woods and fields, also on the base of tree trunks, on logs and stumps in swamps. In Costa Rica, plants are found in the mountains as well as in the Pacific and Caribbean lowlands from near sea level to about 3950 ft. (1200 m). Plants seem to favor locations with a marked dry season but often are found next to rivers. In Panama, plants are common in the lowlands of the dry Pacific slope up to about 3000 ft. (910 m). They frequently are seen on the nearly vertical walls of river canyons and in rocky places and bloom during the dry season, usually after the leaves have fallen. In Venezuela, plants are reported at elevations of 2600-7550 ft. (800-2300 m).
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