Lycaste schilleriana

Lycaste longisepala, C. Schweinf. 1952
Lycaste schilleriana var. alba, Oakley 2008
Lycaste schilleriana var. lehmannii, Regel 1890
Lycaste schilleriana var. rosea, Oakley 2008

schilleriana = Gustav Wilhelm Schiller was born on 5 April 1803 in Hamburg, Germany. He became Vice Consul of the Republic of Venezuela and from 1839 was the owner of the shipping company Gebr. Schiller & Co. in Hamburg together with his brother Wilhelm Schiller. In 1842, Gustav Wilhelm bought a large plot of land in Ovelgönne near Hamburg from a sailor and had a house with greenhouses built by the English engineer Francis Giles - this villa became known as Schillerburg. The first report of an orchid collection owned by Schiller was published in 1848 by Eduard Otto in the Neue Allgemeine Deutsche Garten- und Blumenzeitung. Otto wrote (translated): "Although the greenhouses are small and the collection not yet significant, it will undoubtedly become significant in a short time". We do not know to what extent Schiller used his position as consul and later vice-consul of Venezuela to import plants directly, most of which were probably obtained from England. Due to the rapidly growing collection, the greenhouses became overcrowded and additional space was needed.

lithophytic or terrestrial in Risaralda and Valle de Cauca, at altitudes of 1000-1800m.

Lycaste schilleriana is one of the most large-flowered Lycastes, if you take the flower diameter as a basis. The waxy flowers can be slightly fragrant and last about 3-4 weeks on the plant.