Peristeria elata

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Monocots
Ordo: Asparagales

Familia: Orchidaceae
Subfamilia: Epidendroideae
Tribus: Cymbidieae
Subtribus: Coeliopsidinae
Genus: Peristeria
Species: Peristeria elata
Name

Peristeria elata Hook., Bot. Mag. 58: t. 3116 (1831)

Type species:

Distribution
Native distribution areas:

Southern America
Central America
Costa Rica, Panama.
Northern South America
Venezuela.
Western South America
Colombia, Ecuador.

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition
References
Primary references

Hooker, W.J. 1831. Botanical Magazine 58: t. 3116.
Pridgeon, A.M., Cribb, P.J., Chase, M.W. & Rasmussen, F.N. (eds.) 2014. Genera Orchidacearum Volume 5: Epidendroideae (Part two); page 45 ff., Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-850713-0

Links

Global Biodiversity Information Facility. 2021. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset. Taxon: Peristeria elata. Accessed: 2021 May 25.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2021. Peristeria elata in Kew Science Plants of the World online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2021 May 25. Reference page.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2021. Peristeria elata in World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2021 May 25. Reference page.
Hassler, M. 2021. Peristeria elata. World Plants: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World In: Roskovh, Y., Abucay, L., Orrell, T., Nicolson, D., Bailly, N., Kirk, P., Bourgoin, T., DeWalt, R.E., Decock, W., De Wever, A., Nieukerken, E. van, Zarucchi, J. & Penev, L., eds. 2021. Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2021 May 25. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2021. Peristeria elata. Published online. Accessed: 25 May 2021.
Tropicos.org 2021. Peristeria elata. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2021 May 25.

Vernacular names

Ελληνικά: Περιστερά η υψηλή
English: Dove orchid
español: Flor del Espíritu Santo
فارسی: پریستریا الاتا
മലയാളം: പെരിസ്റ്റേരിയ ഇലറ
русский: Перистерия высокая
українська: Перістерія висока
中文: 鴿子蘭

Peristeria elata is a species of orchid occurring from Central America to Panamá, Venezuela, and Ecuador. It is the type species of its genus. It is commonly referred to as the Holy Ghost orchid, dove orchid, or flower of the Holy Spirit in English, and, as the flor del Espiritu Santo in Spanish.
Description

It has ovoid pseudobulbs up to 12 cm (4.7 in) high, elongated, not fat and with four leaves that reach up to one meter of length and 15 cm (5.9 in) of width, folded. Flowers emerge from the base of the bulb and produce 4 to 12 flowers with an intense marble white color and purple spots. The anther and pistil are yellow. The central part of the flower has a well-defined dove shape. Its perfume is similar to beer. It blooms between July and October.
Range

The epiphyte is found in Central and north-western South America and South India; it ranges from Costa Rica to Peru.[1]
Habitat

In Panama this species has been abundant in the very humid mountain forests. It is found as an epiphyte plant on the trunks of trees covered with moss at elevation of about 1,100 m. In its natural habitat, this orchid grows near the ground level of mature forests.
Conservation status

This flower is in grave danger of extinction; because of its beauty, traffickers take it away from its habitat. The Panamanian NGO APROVACA runs a sponsorship program for this orchid to save it from extinction.[2] It is included on the list of endangered plants according to the Washington Treaty on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.[3]
National flower of Panama

Since 1936, this orchid is the national flower of the Republic of Panama declared in the Flower Festival.[4][5]
References

Meisel, Joe E.; Kaufmann, Ronald S.; Pupulin, Franco (6 November 2014). Orchids of Tropical America: An Introduction and Guide. Cornell University Press. p. 164. ISBN 978-0-8014-5492-9. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
http://www.aprovaca.org/en/projects/orchid-sponsorship.html[permanent dead link]
"P-Co-1001 | Cites".
República de Panamá. [1] Archived 2016-11-29 at the Wayback Machine.

"La flor nacional de Panamá: Peristeria elata". September 2007.

Dr. Karlheinz Senghas - Maxillaria, un genre chaotique - Richardiana
Eric A. Christenson - Vue d’ensemble du genre Maxillaria - Richardiana