Colombian National Flower

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The Cattleya trianae orchid, often called the Orquídia Tricolor by Colombians, is a type of orchid, named after 19th century Colombian botanist, Jerónimo Triana. It is a native species of Colombia and was chosen as the national flower of Colombia in part because its colors match those of the Colombia flag -- yellow, blue and red.

In November 1936, the National Academy of History of Argentina held a botanical exhibition. The Academy asked each Latin American country to bring a flower that represented their native land. The Colombian government ask botanist Emilio Robledo to choose the most representative flowering plant of the country. He choose this orchid because of its similarity to the national flag.

The species grows in Cloud forests between 5,000 - 6500 feet (1500-2000 meters) above sea level. It is currently an endangered species because of habitat destruction.

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Anonymous said…
hope this info is tru because i am doin this 4 an exam but thanks to the person who wrote this :-)
May 5, 2011 at 7:08 PM
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