Microchilus zonatus (Ormerod) E.C.Smidt & M.W.Chase 2021

Photo by © Juan Sebastian Moreno

TYPE Drawing of Aspidogyne zonata

TYPE Drawing of Aspidogyne zonata by Paul Ormerod and Harvard Pap. Bot. 11: 149 fig 4 Ormerod 2007

Full shade Cool Cold LATE Winter EARLY Spring

Common Name The Striped Microchilus [refers to the leaf stripe]

Flower Size .12" [3 mm]

Found in Valle de Cauca department of Colombia in montane forests at elevations around 2000 meters as a small sized, cool to cold growing terrestrial with an erect, terete stem carrying 7 to 11, lanceolate, acute, with a broad median grey median stripe, petiolate base leaves that blooms in the late winter and early spring on an erect, sparsely pubescent, 12.44 to 18.04" [31.1 to 45.1 cm] long, peduncle 8.32 to 10.12" [20.8 to 25.3 cm] long, provided with 3, scattereed sheathing bracts, rachis 4.12" to 7.92" [10.3 to 19.8 cm] long, laxly 20 flowered inflorescence with ovate-lanceoalte, acute, a bit longer than the ovary floral bracts and carrying externally, sparsely pubescent flowers of unknown colors.

"M popayanensis is closely related to its Colombian congener M. zonata but it differs in having leaves with a narrower median stripe, a shorter inflorescence peduncle 8.36 to 10.12" versus 13.6" (20.8 to 25.3 vs. 34 cm), flowers in which the apical quarter of the petals is obliquely rhombic (not triangular) and a fusiform (not semi-ellip- soid) spur. The stems of M. zonata may reach 8" [20 cm] long according to notes by Lehmann on the type sheet. The available material has only a 3.6" [9 cm] piece of stem that lacks the lower part." Ormerod 2007

Synonyms *Aspidogyne zonata Ormerod 2007

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

* Harvard Pap. Bot. 11: 152 Ormerod 2007

Harvard Pap. Bot. 11: 149 fig 4 Ormerod 2007 as Aspidogyne zonata drawing fide;

Materials to the Orchid Flora of Colombia Vol 1: 428 Szlachetko & Kolanowska 2017 as Aspidogyne zonata

* Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 197: 345 E.C.Smidt & M.W.Chase 2021

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