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

TYPE Drawing of Aspidogyne reddinae by Ormerod andHarvard Pap. Bot. 23: 86 Ormerod 2018

Full Shade hot LATESummer EARLY Fall

Common Name Reddin's Microchilus [Named after Karen M. Redden, American Botanist, cocollector of the type current]

Flower Size .24" [6 mm]

Found in Guyana at elevations around 105 meters as a miniature to small sized, hot growing terrestrial with an creeping, terete rhizome giving rise to an erect, terete stem carrying 5 to 7, erect-patent, obliquely-lanceolate, acute, green yellow along the margin, lighter green with pink tinge petiolate base leaves that blooms in the late summer and early fall on an erect, terminal, laxly pubescent, 20 to 26" [50 to 65 cm] long, peduncle to 8" [20 cm] long, provided with 1 to 2 sheathing bracts, rachis 12 to 16" [30 to 45 cm] long, subdensely about 12 flowered inflorescence with ovate-lanceolate, subacuminate, pink, as long as to somewhat shorter than the ovary floral bracts and carrying externally sparsely pubescent, white? [petals white] flowers.

"This species is related to a group of taxa formerly placed in the genus Ligeophila Garay, now merged with Microchilus. Its closest relatives are three Venezuelan taxa, namely Microchilus amazonicus, Microchilus gavilanensis , and Microchilus unicornis . Among these M. unicornis is the only one with a compressed projection on the labellum epichile, but it differs from M. reddenii in having the petals widest apically, a labellum hypochile with small, truncate lobules (vs. uninterrupted), and a column lacking wings. M amazonica is closest to M. reddenii in petal shape but the latter has oblong-lanceolate (vs. oblong) petals, a compressed projection (vs. a low thickening) on the labellum epichile, and a distinctly winged (vs. exalate) column. M gavilanensis differs in having its petals wider apically, a labellum hypochile with small, truncate lobules, and an exalate column." Ormerod 2018

Synonyms *Aspidogyne reddeniae Ormerod & Carnevali 2018

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

Harvard Pap. Bot. 23: 86 Ormerod 2018 drawing fide;

* Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 197: 343 E.C.Smidt & M.W.Chase 2021

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