Bulbophyllum minutissimum F. Muell. 1878 SECTION Minutissima Pfitzer 1888

TYPE for the section

Plant and Flowers

Photos by © Jim Cootes

To

Common Name The Smallest Bulbophyllum - In Australia The Red Bead Orchid

Flower Size .16" [4mm]

Found in Queensland and New South Wales Australia at elevations of 20 to 500 meters as a mini-miniature sized, hot to warm growing epiphyte with crowded, round, flattened, usually reddish to green pseudobulbs carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, linear, scale-like, curved leaf that blooms in the spring on an erect, thread-like, .12" [3 mm] long, single flowered inflorescence.

It has come to my attention that for many years I have had this species and B moniliforme confused and have said they are synomonous, nothing could be farther from the truth as the photos supplied attest. Kew along with many other major orchid references have these 2 as the same species - please take note that they are indeed separate. One major difference other than the flower is the fact that this one blooms with its leaf intact, B moniliforme always drops it leaf before blooming. I am sorry for the mistake that has been fostered for so long.

Synonyms Bulbophyllum moniliforme F Mueller 1878 not B moniliforme Par & Reich 1874; Dendrobium minutissimum F.Muell. 1866; Oncophyllum minutissimum (F.Muell.) D.L.Jones & M.A.Clem. 2001; Phyllorchis minutissima (F.Muell.) Kuntze 1891;

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; The Orchids of New South Wales Rupp 1969; Orchids of Australia Nicholls 1969 drawing fide; Miniature Orchids Northen 1980; Miniature Orchids McQueen 1992 photo fide; Bulbophyllums and Their Allies Seigerist 2001; A Complete Guide to the Native Orchids Of Australia Jones 2006 as Oncophyllum minutissimum photo good; A Compendium of Miniature Orchid Species Gerritsen and Parsons 2013; Genera Orchidacearum Vol 6 Epidendroideae Pt 3 Pridgeon, Cribb Chase & Ramussen 2014;

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