Phragmipedium kovachii description by Selby Gardens

• Plant a caespitose terrestrial, apparently not forming elongate rhizomes.

• Roots thick, to 4 mm in diameter.

• Leaves 3 or more basal distichous, lacking articulations, blades ligulate, according to collector notes to 64 x 4 cm, but mostly much smaller, rather thick and coriaceous, keeled beneath, sharply acute.

• Inflorescence ca. 23~25 cm tall, pubescent, purple, with a single green scape bract 7~9 cm long; ovary ca. 8 cm long, brown pubescent, subtended by an acute floral bract 4~5.5 cm long.

• Flower single per scape on the present specimen (2 possible according to the collector) 11 cm across (to 15 cm according to verbal reports); sepals greenish flushed and lined with reddish purple, petals reddish purple within, reddish purple without and white centrally; lip reddish purple, lighter within, with yellow margins; staminode purple with white apex. Sepals somewhat concave, densely golden-brown-pubescent without; dorsal 4.5 x 3 cm, broadly elliptic, obtuse; synsepal 5 x 3.7 cm, broadly elliptic to suborbicular, obtuse. Petals 6 x 4.8 cm, broadly elliptic, with somewhat recurved margins; labellum 5.5~7.5 x 3.5~4 cm, saccate with the apex turned up in front and the margin infolded, pubescent within at the base. Staminode 1.3 x 2 cm, convex, triangular to rhombic, anthers nearly touching the stigmas; stigmas three, the median stigma particularly large, ca. 1 cm long.

• Mature fruit unknown.

• Etymology. Named for Michael Kovach of Goldvein, Virginia, discoverer of this species.

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