Pterichis meirax Rchb.f. ex Szlach. & Kolan. 2014 SECTION Pterichis
TYPE Drawing by © S Nowak and Marta Kolanowska
Common Name The Tiny Pterichis
Flower Size
Found in Ecuador in montane forests and scrub paramo at elevations around 3200 to 3500 meters as a miniature to small sized, cold growing terrestrial with an erect, lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, acute, petiolate base leaf that blooms in the fall on an erect, ciliate above the basal third, peduncle 2.6 to 6" [6.5 to 15 cm] long, provided with 1 glabrous and 4 ciliate sheaths, rachis 1.4 to 2.8" [3.5 to 7 cm] long, densely ciliate, laxly 5 to 9 flowered inflorescence with externally ciliate, just shorter than the ovary floral bracts and carrying flowers with dirty brownish-green sepals, dirty brownish purple petals tipped with yellow, and a reddish to reddish-brown lip tipped with yellow and with white hairs.
"This species resembles Pterichis acuminata from which it differs by the petals shape (oblong-lanceolate in P. meirax) and transversely elliptic lip basal part (reniform in P. acuminata). P. meirax resembles P. habenarioides from which it differs mainly by its lip form. The lip of P. habenarioides is triangular-elliptic in outline, with a subtriangular apical part, pubescent margins and interior papillae. The papillae on P. meirax lip are distributed also along the thickened apical margins below the ligulate apex." Kolanowska 2021
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Synopsis of Ecuadorian Pterichis [Orchidaceae] Kolanowska 2021 Drawing/collection sheet fide;
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