Smithsonian Gardens

Common name: Broad Pseudobulb Rossioglossum, Turtle Shell Orchid, Yellow Bee, La Tortuga, Lluvia de Oro

Family: Orchidaceae subfam. Epidendroideae

Synonym: Chelyorchis ampliata, Oncidium ampliatum

Distribution: C America to Venezuela and Peru

Habitat: Scrub, low, and seasonally dry forests; 0-3280ft (0-1000m)

Life form: Epiphytic

Bloom Time (northern hemisphere): February to May

Bloom characteristics: Inflorescence is 16-48" (40-122 cm) long with few to many yellow flowers with some brown spotting at the top of each spike, each about 1" (2.5 cm) across.

Pollination syndrome: Bee

Plant size: 10-15" x 12-24" (25-38 x 30-61 cm), excluding inflorescence

Description: This medium sized orchid does not make nectar, but still needs bees to pollinate it. As a deceptive solution to this problem, R. ampliatum copies the shape and color of another flower that does produce sweet nectar for bees – those of the flowering vine Stigmaphyllon lindeniana. The color the orchid copies is not the yellow visible to us, but one invisible to the human eye known as bee-UV-green. Bees are drawn to the flower as if it is a blazing landing pad saying, “food here!” As the confused bee searches for food, the Yellow Bee orchid is pollinated, and the bees eventually leaves, searching for a more promising flower.
One of this orchid’s other common names, the turtle shell orchid, comes from the idea that its broad pseudobulbs look like a turtle shell.

Comments: Rossioglossum ampliatum