Pleurothallis chontalensis A.H.Heller & A.D.Hawkes 1966 SUBGENUS Specklinia SECTION Hymenodanthae SUBSECTION Apodae-Caespitosae [Lindl.]Luer 1986
Photo by © Daniel Jimenenz and his Flickr Costa Rica Orchid Photo Website
Photo by © Denis Elizondo and his Flickr Orchid Photo Website
Drawing by A.H.Heller & A.D.Hawkes
Common Name or Meaning The Chontal Pleurothallis [A department of Nicaragua where the orchid occurs]
Flower Size .16" [4 mm]
Found in Chontales department of Nicaragua and Costa Rica at elevations around 500 to 600 meters as a mini-miniature sized, warm growing, caespitose epiphyte with short, erect ramicauls enveloped by 2 tubular sheaths and carrying a single, erect, coriaceous, elliptical-obovate, obtuse to rounded, cuneate below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the summer on a very congested, arising from the apex of the ramicaul, more or less fasciculate, 1.2 to 1.28" [3 to 3.2 cm] long, successively single, 2 to 3 flowered inflorescence with imbricating, shorter than the ovary floral bracts.
This species is part of the Pleurothallis glandulosa Group made up of P vittarifolia, P alajuelensis and P gersonii. Its closest ally is P barbae but differs in the boad, not linear leaves, although the pedicel is glandular-pubescent the ovary is only sparsely so, and has very prominent ancipitous wings, the floral bracts are densely glandular and acute, not apiculate, the inner surface of the dorsal sepal has bullate or ocellate spots of some prominence, the lip is of divergent shape and the two lateral lobules are very small and denticulate, the column-foot lies at right angles to the column and is broadly suborbicular, separated from the column by a constrictionor istmus and is deeply excavated with wing-like margins and the lateral teeth at the apex of the column are acuminate, while the broad triangular posterior is lacerate." A.H.Heller & A.D.Hawkes 1966
Synonyms Sarcinula chontalensis (A.H.Heller & A.D.Hawkes) Luer 2006; Specklinia chontalensis (A.H.Heller & A.D.Hawkes) Luer 2004;
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
* , Phytologia 14(1): 10-11, t. 6. A.H.Heller & A.D Hawkes 1966 drawing fide;
Icones Plantarum Tropicarum Plate 1089 Dodson 1984 drawing fide;
Manual de Plantas de Costa Rica Vol 3 Hammel, Grayum, Herrera and Zamora 2003; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXVI Pleurothallis subgenus Acianthera and Three Allied subgenera, A Second Century of new Species of Stelis of Ecuador, Epibator, Ophidion and Zootrophion Luer 2004 as Specklinia chontalensis;
Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXVIII A Reconsideration of Masdevallia Systematics of Specklinia Luer 2006 as Sarcinula chontalensis
Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXVIII A Reconsideration of Masdevallia Systematics of Specklinia Luer 2006 as Sarcinula chontalensis drawing fide;
Phytotaxa Vol 218 (2) Karremans and Pupulin 2015 as Specklinia chontalensis drawing/photo fide;
Orchid Genera and Species in Guatemala Archila, Szlachchetko, Chiron, Lipinska, Mystkowska and Bertolini 2018 as Specklinia chontalensis;
Pleurothallids Neotropical Jewels Vol 1 Karremans & Viera 2020 as Specklinia chontalensis photo fide
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