The flowers of this hybrid are small about 5 centimeters (2 inches) from tip of the upper tepal to the tip of the lip. The photographed flowers have been open for two weeks; this orchid holds its flowers well.

The Swedish botanist, Olof Swartz was in the Caribbean from 1784 to 1786. He was probably the first European collector of Broughtonia sanguinea. The problem was Swartz originally named the orchid Epidendrum sanguineum in 1788. In those days, there were few orchid genera known and botanists had to lump species together. Robert Brown (of Brownian motion fame) named this genus in 1813 in honor of Arthur Broughton who died in 1796.

Arthur Broughton is a little remembered botanist. He apparently lived and worked in Jamaica. Perhaps his greatest fame is that in 1793 he received the breadfruit trees from Christopher Smith, the botanist for William Bligh's second voyage. The trees were cared for in Broughton's garden until they were strong enough for distribution among plantation owners. (See Plants that Changed History, August 26, 2003)

Broughton sent numerous tropical species back to Kew Royal Botanic Garden with the crew of the HMS Providence, including Swartz's "sanguineum". The specimens arrived in late 1793 and the Broughtonia was reported to have bloomed that year.

The little known of Arthur Broughton was gleamed from two letters written to Sir Joseph Banks in May and June of 1793. The State Library of New South Wales has posted copies on the internet. To read these letters in the author's handwriting, click on the links:

http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/banks/series_20/20_13.htm

http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/banks/series_20/20_14.htm

The Frame Numbers, the CY 3681 / #s, are individual pages of the letters. Click on these to bring up the documents.