Pleurothallis spathuliformis Luer & R.Vásquez 1999 SUBGENUS Specklinia SECTION Acuminatae Luer 1986

TYPE Drawing by © Carl Luer and The Epidendra Orchid Website

Full Shade Cold LATESpring EARLYSummer

Common Name or Meaning The Spatula-Shaped Pleurothallis [refers to the petals and lip]

Flower Size .28 to .32" [7 to 8 mm]

Found Bolivia in cloud forests at elevations of 2600 to 2900 meters as a mini-miniature sized, cold growing epiphtye with erect, blackish, slender ramicauls enveloped by 2 to 3 tubular sheaths below the middle and at the base and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, elliptical, obtuse to rounded, cuneate below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the late spring and early summer on a subcongested, secund, 2 to 4.4" [5 to 11 cm] long, simultaneously several flowered inflorescence arising through a narrow spathe with an annulus at the apex of the ramicaul.

"Similar to P acuminata but differs in the smaller habit with shorter racemes. The very similar flowers are distinguished by the spathulate petals that are apically rounded and the spathulate lip witha low, midline callus between the lateral pair, The spex is free of any verrucsities." Luer 1999

Synonyms Anathallis spathuliformis (Luer & R.Vásquez) Pridgeon & M.W.Chase 2001; Specklinia spathuliformis (Luer & R.Vásquez) Luer 2004; Stelis spathuliformis (Luer & R.Vásquez) Karremans 2014

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; *Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XVIII Systematics of Pleurothallis subsection Antenniferae, Longiracemosae, Macrophyllae-Racemosae and Subgenera Pseudsostelis and Acuminata Luer 1999 drawing fide; Orchids of Bolivia Vasquez & Ibisch Vol 1 2000 drawing fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXVI Luer 2004 as Specklinia spathuliforma; LANKESTERIANA 13(3): 319—332 Kerremans 2014 as Stelis spathulifoprmis

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------