Pleurothallis ptychophora Luer & Hirtz 1996 SUBGENUS Pleurothallis SECTION Pleurothallis SUBSECTION Antenniferae Luer 1998
Photo by © Alexander Hirtz
Photos by © Jay Pfahl
Drawing by © Carl Luer and The Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Jany Renz Herbaria Website
Photo by Ecuagenera and their Ecuador Orchid Website
Another Flower wider petals Photo by © Byron Rinke
Common Name or Meaning The Folded Pleurothallis [refers to the deflexed apex of the lip]
Flower Size .2" [5mm]
Found in Ecuador on the eastern slopes of the Andes in wet tropical and montane forests at elevations around 1250 to 2000 meters as a medium sized, cool growing terrestrial on roadbanks with slender to stout, erect ramicauls enveloped basally by 2 to 3 thin, tubular sheaths and another below the middle and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, broadly ovate, obtuse to subacute, shortly acuminate, sessile, broadly rounded base leaf that blooms in the fall on 6 to 10, erect, congested, 6 to 12" [15 to 30 cm] long, simultaneously many flowered, racemose inflorescence arising through a slender spathe at the base of the leaf.
”Similar to P revoluta but differs in the lip lobes are extensions of a broad, flat disc that connects them beneath the column. The anterior margin is shaprply reflexed into a round middle lobe against the back of the disc, while in P revoluta the entire disc is concave.
CAUTION !!! The 2 species in the photographs above appear to match Luer's drawing of the flower but differs in having a less orbicular leaf, single, shorter inflorescence and fewer, larger flowers, so use with caution. The drawing is correct.
Synonyms
References Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XVIII Systematics of Pleurothallis subsection Antenniferae, Longiracemosae, Macrophyllae-racemosae and Subgenera Pseudsostelis and Acuminata Luer 1999 drawing fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XVIII Systematics of Pleurothallis subsection Antenniferae, Longiracemosae, Macrophyllae-racemosae and Subgenera Pseudsostelis and Acuminata Luer 1999 drawing ok see Caution above; Native Ecuadorian Orchids Vol 4 Dodson 2003 photo fide;
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