Pleurothallis nivalis Luer 1976 SUBGENUS Crocodeilanthe [Rchb.f & Warsc.]Luer 1986
Drawing by © Carl Luer and The Epidendra Website
Plant and Flower in situ Ecuador Photos by © Andreas Kay and hisFlickr Orchid Photo Website
Common Name or Meaning The Snow White Pleurothallis [refers to the flowers color]
Flower Size .2" [5 mm]
Found west central Ecuador at elevations around 3300 to 3500 meters as a small to medium sized, cold growing epiphyte with fasiculate, stout, erect ramicauls enveloped mostly by loose, tubular, imbricating sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, elliptical, obtuse, cuneate below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the summer on 1 to 4, erect, secund, 10 to 14" [25 to 35 cm] long including the 2 to 4" [5 to 10 cm] long, peduncle, subdensely simultaneously many flowered inflorescence arising through a broad spathe from an annulus below the abscission layer.
CAUTION The photos provided by Andreas Kay are close but differ mainly in the flower color and the 5 veined dorsal sepal which Luer states is three veined, so please use with caution. The Drawing is correct as far as I know.
Synonyms Crocodeilanthe nivalis (Luer) Luer 2004; Stelis nivalis (Luer) Pridgeon & M.W.Chase 2001
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Selbyana 1(4): 420, f. 101. Luer 1976 Drawing fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol III Luer 1986; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XVI Luer 1998 drawing fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXVI Luer 2004 as Crocodeilanthe nivalis
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