Gongora quinquenervis
Object Details
- Description
- This large orchid is pollinated exclusively by male Euglossine bees that collect scented oils from the flowers in the morning and afternoon. There can be up to four bees on one flower at a time, hard at work brushing oil into little collection areas on their hind legs. In the process, the bees often damage G. quinquenervis’ flower, but also collect its pollinia to pollinate the next flower of this orchid they move on to.
- This species of orchid is the type species for its genus.
- Bloom Time (Northern Hemisphere)
- Year round; peaks from March to September
- Pollination Syndrome
- Bee (males of Euglossa, mostly E. cordata, but also: E. allosticta, augaspis, bursigera, cyanaspis, cybelia, deceptrix, decorata, despecta, dodsoni, dressleri, gorgonensis, hansoni, hemichlora, heterosticta, ignita, imperialis, ioprosopa, mixta, modestior, perpulchra, townsendi, tridentata, and variabilis), collect scent
- Provenance
- From a cultivated plant not of known wild origin
- Data Source
- Smithsonian Gardens
- Accession Number
- 2017-0313A
- Restrictions & Rights
- CC0
- Life Form
- Epiphytic
- Bloom Characteristics
- Pendulous inflorescence is up to 2 feet (60 cm) long with up to 40 color variable flowers (often pale yellow spotted in red). Flowers are 2" (5 cm) across.
- Fragrance
- Cinnamon, clove, or lily of the valley
- Range
- Colombia to Peru and Brazil
- Habitat
- Humid forests; up to 5000ft (1400m)
- See more items in
- Smithsonian Gardens Orchid Collection
- Common Name
- The Five-Lined Gongora
- Group
- [vascular plants]
- Class
- Equisetopsida
- Subclass
- Magnoliidae
- Superorder
- Lilianae
- Order
- Asparagales
- Family
- Orchidaceae
- Subfamily
- Epidendroideae
- Genus
- Gongora
- Species
- quinquenervis
- Topic
- Orchids
- Living Collections
- Record ID
- ofeo-sg_2017-0313A
