Rhyncholaelia digbyana
Rhyncholaelia digbyana is an epiphytic orchid from Central America. It grows on trees in Honduras, Belize, Guatemala, Mexico and Costa Rica, with elongated, compressed pseudobulbs and a single leaf.
It flowers from February to June. Each bloom can reach about 7 inches (18 cm) across and appears on a short inflorescence about 3 inches (7.5 cm) long that rises from the top of a new growth. The flowers are white to green and have a distinctive frilled labellum (lip).
The orchid smells strongly at night, with a lemony or Lily-of-the-Valley-like scent, due to nine volatile compounds including alpha-pinene, ocimene, citronellol and linalool.
Taxonomy and history: It was first described in 1846 as Brassavola digbyana by John Lindley, named after Edward St. Vincent Digby. It has been classified in several genera before being placed in Rhyncholaelia by Reichenbach. The name honors Digby, and the plant was discovered by Honduran botanist José Antonio Molina Rosito. It has been Honduras’s national flower since November 26, 1969.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 16:44 (CET).