Oncidium orthotis Rchb. f. 1888 SECTION Heterantha
Photo by © Rudy Gelis
Another Angle Photo by © Hans Gerhardt Seeger
Common Name The Erect Bearing Oncidium [refers to the column wings]
Flower Size .6" [1.5 cm]
Found in Peru and Ecuador at elevations of 1200 to 2000 meters as a mini-miniature sized, cool growing epiphyte with ovate, strongly laterally compressed, ancipitous pseudobulbs partially enveloped basally by 1 to 2 pairs of opposite, conduplicate non-foliaceous sheaths and carrying a single, apical, lanceolate, obtuse to rounded, gradually narrowing below into the conduplicate base leaf that blooms in the winter on an erect, heteranthous, peduncle longer than the rachis, paniculate, 5 to 6 branched inflorescence with short branches carrying 1 to 2 abortive flowers and a single apical fertile, scentless flower.
Very similar to O abortivum but O orthotis has a short, ascending rhizome giving rise to an erect, the branches occupied by 1 normal and 1 to 2 abortive flowers, the lateral lobes large, the callus with 5 distinct rows of teeth, the anterior 3 teeth shortly band shaped and curve upwards and are connate in the basal third.
Synonyms Cyrtochilum orthotis (Rchb.f.) Kraenzl. 1917; Heteranthocidium orthotis (Rchb.f.) Szlach., Mytnik & Romowicz 2006;
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
Die Orchideen Schlechter 1915; Native Colombian Orchids Vol 3 COS 1991 photo = O abortivum; Native Colombian Orchids Vol 6 COS 1998 errata = O abortivum; The Pictoral Encyclopedia of Oncidium Zelenko 2002; Native Ecuadorian Orchids Vol 4 Dodson 2003 drawing good; Orquideologia Vol. 23 No 2 2004; Orchid Species Culture: Oncidium, Bakers 2006 as synonym to O abortivum; Oncidium Vol 3 Koniger 2007 photo/drawing fide; Orchid Species of Peru Zelenko Bermudez 2009 photo ok; --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------