Pleurothallis prolixa Luer & Hirtz 1996 SUBGENUS Specklinia SECTION Effusae Lindl. 1842

TYPE Drawing by Carl Luer

LATE EARLY

Common Name or Meaning The Elongated Pleurothallis [refers to long anther cap]

Flower Size .4" [1 cm]

Found in Loja province of Ecuador at elevations around 3150 meters as a small sized, shortly repent to caespitose epiphyte with slender, erect ramicauls enveloped by a loose tubular sheath near the middle and 2 to 3 others at the base and carrying a single, erect, fleshy, coriaceous, narrowly elliptical, subacute, narrowly cuneate below into the subpetiolate base leaf that blooms in the late summer and early fall on 1 to 4, erect, peduncle 1.23 to 2" [3 to 5 cm] long, arising through a narrow spathe .4" [1 cm] long, arising from the apex of the ramicaul, rachis 2.4 to 2.8" [6 to 7 cm] long, loose, secund, simultaneously several to many flowered inflorescence, with almost to longer as than the pedicel and ovary floral bract and carrying flowers with purple, shortly pubescent within sepals, transluscent purple petals and a purple lip.

"This species, apparently endemic to southern Ecuador is distinguished by the extremely thick, fleshy leaves, the sepals that area shortly pubescent within, proportionally large, unguiculate, tricarinate petals, and a suboandurate-unguiculate lip with erect, obtuse sides with intramural calli and an ovate, denticulate, minutely verrucose-rugose apex. The elongated anther-cap extends beyongd the apex of the column." Luer 2000

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Icones Pleurothallidinarum XX Luer 2000 Drawing fide

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