Flora of Colombia

The national flower of Colombia is the orchid Cattleya trianae which was named after the Colombian naturalist José Jerónimo Triana. The orchid was selected by botanist Emilio Robledo, in representation of the Colombian Academy of History to determine the most representative flowering plant of Colombia. He described it as one of the most beautiful flowers in the world and selected Cattleya trianae as National symbol.

The national tree of Colombia is the palm Ceroxylon quindiuense (Quindío wax palm) which was named after the Colombian Department of Quindío where is located the Cocora valley, the only habitat of this restricted range species. The Quindío wax palm was selected as the national tree by the government of Belisario Betancur and was the first tree officially declared as a protected species in Colombia. C. quindiuense is the only palm that grows at such high altitudes in Colombia and is the tallest monocot in the world.

Colombia has the second largest number of heliconia species worldwide. Most of them are endemic species

The Baudó Mountains in the Colombian pacific coast have many endemic plants.

Colombia has the largest number of endemic species (species that are not found naturally anywhere else) worldwide. About 10% of the species in the world live in Colombia. Some determinant factors in the distribution range of the species are the wide diversity of habitats available due to the variety of altitudes, weather conditions, temperatures, soils and sunlight on the coasts, in the Andes [2] and in the rainforest lowlands.

Endemics can easily become endangered or extinct due to their restricted habitat and vulnerability to the actions of man, including the introduction of new organisms.

Many of the Colombian trees are endangered species due to the high quality of the woods and timber industry exploitation (such as Colombian oak Quercus humboldtidiana and Colombian mahogany) and as source of tanning substances for the leather industry (such as mangrove and Encenillo tree Weinmannia tomentosa). Some tree species described in Colombia are:

Pekea-nut tree (Caryocar nuciferum)

Yopo tree (Anadenanthera peregrina)

Cyrilla racemiflora

• Anadenanthera peregrina
• Amazon Grape
• Adenolisianthus arboreus
• Aiouea angulata
• Anthodiscus montanus
• Astrocaryum triandrum
• Attalea septuagenata
• Bactris coloniata
• Banara ibaguensis
• Blakea granatensis
• Bonnetia holostyla
• Bulnesia carrapo
• Brazil Nut
• Borojoa patinoi
• Caryocar nuciferum
• Caryodaphnopsis cogolloi
• Casearia megacarpa
• Coccothrinax argentata
• Cryosophila kalbreyeri
• Cyathea incana
• Cyrilla racemiflora
• Chelyocarpus dianeurus
• Cherimoya
• Dendropanax colombianus
• Esenbeckia alata
• Feijoa
• Guaiacum officinale
• Garcia nutans
• Graffenrieda grandifolia
• Hirtella enneandra
• Huberodendron patinoi
• Hampea thespesioides
• Henriettella goudotiana
• Humiriastrum melanocarpum
• Itaya amicorum
• Macrosamanea consanguinea
• Neosprucea sararensis
• Platonia insignis
• Quararibea asterolepis
• Quararibea cordata
• Ouratea tumacoensis
• Reinhardtia ssp.
• Ruehssia cundurango
• Simaba cedron
• Syagrus smithii
• Tessmannianthus quadridomius
• Trigonobalanus excelsa

• 
  Chontaduro fruit (Bactris gasipaes)
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  Tomato tree or tamarillo (Solanum betaceum)
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  Mamoncillo (Melicoccus bijugatus)
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  Arazá or Strawberry guava (Psidium cattleianum)
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  Uchuva or Cape gooseberry fruit (Physalis edulis)
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  Guanabana or Soursop fruit (Annona muricata)
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  Marañon or Cashew (Anacardium occidentale)
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  Feijoa or Pineapple guava (Feijoa sellowiana)
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  Lulo or Naranjilla (Solanum quitoense)
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  Curuba
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  Maypop (Passiflora incarnata)
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  Gulupa or purple passion fruit (Passiflora edulis)

There are over 3900 Genera in the flora of Colombia [1] Some representational Genera are included below.

Marmalade bush (Streptosolen jamesonii)

The Arrayan was sacred to precolumbian peoples

Espeletia schultzii

Espeletia pycnophylla

Passiflora tarminiana

Velvety Passion Flower

Orange Passion Flower

Passiflora coccinea

Passiflora loefgrenii

Passiflora picturata

Passiflora subpeltata

Passiflora citrina

Macrocarpaea calophylla

Macrocarpaea apparata

Colombia has the largest number of orchids in the world. Among others:

• 
  Restrepia antennifera
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  Restrepia aristulifera
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  Restrepia aspasicensium
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  Restrepia brachypus
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  Restrepia contorta
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  Restrepia cuprea]
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  Restrepia dodsonii
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  Restrepia elegans
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  Restrepia falkenbergii
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  Restrepia flosculata
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  Restrepia guttulata
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  Restrepia iris
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  Restrepia lansbergii
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  Restrepia muscifera
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  Restrepia nittiorhyncha
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  Restrepia pandurata
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  Restrepia roseola
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  Restrepia sanguinea
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  Restrepia teaguei
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  Restrepia trichoglossa
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  Restrepia wageneri
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  Masdevallia agaster
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  Masdevallia angulifera
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  Masdevallia barlaeana
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  Masdevallia bicolor
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  Masdevallia bulbophyllopsis
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  Masdevallia civilis
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  Masdevallia caudata
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  Masdevallia constricta
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  Masdevallia floribunda
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  Masdevallia fractiflexa
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  Masdevallia herradurae
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  Masdevallia ignea
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  Masdevallia mejiana
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  Masdevallia nidifica
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  Masdevallia rolfeana
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  Masdevallia striatella
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  Masdevallia tovarensis
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  Masdevallia triangularis
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  Masdevallia veitchiana
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  Masdevallia ventricularia
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  Masdevallia wageneriana
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  Masdevallia weberbaueri
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  Dracula chestertonii
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  Dracula cordobae
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  Dracula houtteana
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  Dracula lotax
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  Dracula sodiroi
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  Dracula vampira
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  Pleurothallis racemiflora
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  Pleurothallis tubata
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  Oncidium brunleesianum
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  Oncidium cebolleta
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  Oncidium croesus
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  Oncidium cruentoides
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  Oncidium divaricatum
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  Oncidium ensatum
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  Oncidium flexuosum
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  Oncidium forbesii
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  Oncidium graminifolium
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  Oncidium harrisonianum
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  Oncidium incurvum
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  Oncidium klotzschianum
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  Oncidium longicornu
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  Oncidium longipes
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  Oncidium luridum
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  Oncidium nubigenum
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  Oncidium ochmatochilum
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  Oncidium ornithorhynchum
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  Oncidium papilio
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  Oncidium phalaenopsis
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  Oncidium sphacelatum
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  Oncidium splendidum
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  Oncidium varicosum
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  Odontoglossum bictoniense (Rhynchostele bictoniensis)
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  Odontoglossum cordatum (Rhynchostele cordata)
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  Odontoglossum grande (Rossioglossum grande)
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  Odontoglossum pulchellum (Cuitlauzina pulchella)
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  Odontoglossum tenue
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  Gongora galeata
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  Gongora ilense
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  Gongora truncata
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  Stelis argentata
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  Cattleya aclandiae
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  Guarianthe aurantiaca
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  Cattleya bicolor
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  Guarianthe bowringiana
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  Cattleya dowiana
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  Cattleya gaskelliana
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  Cattleya guttata
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  Cattleya harrisoniana
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  Cattleya intermedia
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  Cattleya labiata
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  Cattleya loddigesii
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  Cattleya lueddemanniana
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  Cattleya luteola
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  Cattleya maxima
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  Cattleya nobilior
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  Cattleya percivaliana
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  Cattleya skinneri
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  Cattleya violacea
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  Cattleya walkeriana
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  Cattleya warscewiczii
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  Anguloa brevilabris
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  Stanhopea anfracta
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  Stanhopea annulata
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  Stanhopea candida
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  Stanhopea cirrhata
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  Stanhopea connata
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  Stanhopea costaricensis
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  Stanhopea ecornuta
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  Stanhopea embreei
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  Stanhopea florida
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  Stanhopea frymirei
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  Stanhopea gibbosa
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  Stanhopea grandiflora
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  Stanhopea graveolens
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  Stanhopea haseloffiana
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  Stanhopea hernandezii
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  Stanhopea impressa
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  Stanhopea inodora
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  Stanhopea insignis
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  Stanhopea intermedia
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  Stanhopea jenischiana
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  Stanhopea lietzei
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  Stanhopea maculosa
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  Stanhopea nigripes
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  Stanhopea oculata
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  Stanhopea platyceras
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  Stanhopea pozoi
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  Stanhopea pseudoradiosa
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  Stanhopea pulla
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  Stanhopea radiosa
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  Stanhopea reichenbachiana
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  Stanhopea ruckeri
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  Stanhopea saccata
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  Stanhopea shuttleworthii
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  Stanhopea stevensonii
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  Stanhopea tigrina
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  Stanhopea tricornis
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  Stanhopea wardii
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  Stanhopea warszewicziana
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  Stanhopea xytriophora
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  Phragmipedium besseae
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  Phragmipedium boissierianum
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  Phragmipedium caudatum
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  Phragmipedium lindleyanum
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  Phragmipedium longifolium
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  Phragmipedium schlimii
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  Phragmipedium warszewiczianum
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  Catasetum expansum
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  Catasetum fimbriatum
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  Catasetum maculatum
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  Catasetum pileatum
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  Catasetum saccatum
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  Acineta chrysantha
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  Brassavola cucullata
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  Brassavola digbyana
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  Brassavola flagellaris
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  Brassavola glauca
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  Brassavola nodosa
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  Scaphosepalum swertiifolium
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  Aganisia cyanea

• Fauna of Colombia
• List of national parks of Colombia
• Environmental issues in Colombia