Phloeophila ursula (Luer & Hirtz) Luer 2006
Photo by © Alexander Hirtz
TYPE Drawing by © Carl Luer and The Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Jany Renz Herbaria Website
Common Name The Bear Cub Phloeophila [refers to the pubescent vegetative and floral parts]
Flower Size .4" [5 mm]
Found in Morona-Santiago province of Ecuador at elevations around 1600 meters as a mini-miniature sized, cool growing, repent epiphyte with stout, repent ramicauls with a short spiculate sheath and carrying a single, apical, prostrate, thickly coriaceous, verrucose on the upper surface, broadly elliptical-ovate to suborbicular, acute, shortly acuminate, broadly cuneate below into the sessile base leaf that blooms in the summer on a short, arising at the base of the leaf and enveloped by a spiculate sheath, .08" [2 mm] long peduncle, single flowered inflorescence with an as long as the densely pubescent ovary spiculate floral bract.
"This coarse, little, creeping species is related to P nummularia. Vegetatively the two species are similar with small, round, verrucoseleaves that grow adpressed to the mossy bark of trees. The rhizome, ramicaul, peduncle and pedicel are enclosed by aspiculate sheaths. The fleshy flowers are about twice as large as those of P nummularia, the lateral sepals being considerably larger than the dorsal sepal. The petals are minutely verrucose near the apex. The apical half of the lip is denticulate and verrucose." Luer 2006
Synonyms Pleurothallis ursula Luer & Hirtz 1996; Specklinia ursula (Luer & Hirtz) Luer 2004
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
* Lindleyana 11: 193 Luer & Hirtz 1996 as Pleurothallis ursula;
Native Ecuadorian Orchids Vol 4 Dodson 2003 as Pleurothallis ursula photo fide;
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 ursula;
Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXVIII A Reconsideration of Masdevallia Systematics of Specklinia Luer 2006 drawing fide;
Pleurothallids Neotropical Jewels Vol 1 Karremans & Viera 2020 photo fide
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