Bletia purpurea

Plants to 180 cm. Roots numerous, 1-1.5 mm diam. Stems: pseudobulbs ovoid, 2-4 cm diam. Leaves: blade linear to narrowly elliptic-lanceolate, 20-100 × 1-5 cm, apex acuminate. Inflorescences 25-170 cm; floral bracts ovate-triangular to ovate-lanceolate, 2-9 mm, apex acute to acuminate. Flowers 3-80, mostly pink, rosy purple, or deep purple, rarely almost white; sepals spreading; dorsal sepal oblong-elliptic to ovate-lanceolate, 15-26 × 5-9 mm, apex subobtuse to acute; lateral sepals obliquely ovate-oblong to elliptic-oblong, 12-20 × 5-8 mm, apex acute to acuminate; petals erect, forming hood over column, oblong-ovate to elliptic or oblong-lanceolate, 12-21 × 7-11 mm, apex obtuse to acute; lip adnate to column foot, purple-veined with dark margin especially distally, cordate to ovate, 3-lobed, 10-18 × 8-14 mm, middle lobe recurved, suborbiculate, truncate to deeply emarginate, margins undulate-crenulate, lateral lobes incurved, base rounded, apex triangular-obtuse; disc lamellae yellow, 5-7; column white or greenish, clavate, 8-12 mm; column foot present; pedicellate ovary slender, 9-18 mm. Capsules erect to suberect, 2-4.5 cm × 8-10 mm. 2n = 60 (as B. verecunda from Mexico).

Flowering Dec--May, sporadically all year. Pinelands and hammocks, in humus over limestone, or in swamps on logs, stumps, or base of cypress trees above high water level; 0--20 m; Fla.; Mexico; West Indies; Central America; South America.