Trichopilia Suavis Alba - The Soft Trichopilia

by Henry Frederick Conrad Sander

This beautiful botanical illustration depicts the otherworldly charm of Trichopilia Suavis Var. Alba, an exceptionally rare variety of orchid. First published in Henry Frederick Conrad Sander’s classic book Reichenbachia, this print beautifully illustrates the delicate, snow-white flowers, along with the frilly lips that earned the species its name – “soft.”

Henry Frederick Conrad Sander was often called the "Orchid King." Indeed, he left no stone unturned when it came to the documentation of orchids. In particular, this print shows a particularly special alba variety of the plant, which is rare due to the absence of the rose-colored spots typical of the standard variety of this orchid.