Thrixspermum platystachys (F.M. Bailey) Schltr. 1911 SECTION Thrixspermum
Drawing Photo by Roy & Margaret Mackay/drawing by Lewis & Cribb
TYPE Drawing of T neohibernicum Drawing by Schlechter and The Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Jany Renz Herbaria Website
Another Flower not? Photo by Javier Cubero
Common Name The Broad Inflorescence Thrixspermum - In Australia The Starry Hairseed
Flower Size .4" [1 cm]
A miniature to small sized, hot growing, lowland monopodial epiphyte from Queensland Australia to Papua and New Guinea in lowland forests at elevations of 10 to 460 meters with a short, slightly flattened, leafy stem enveloped completely by tighly clasping leaf-bearing sheaths and carrying erect-patent to patent, narrowly oblong-lanceolate, ligulate, shortly & unequally bilobulate apically, somewhat narrowing below into the base leaves that blooms at most any time of the year on an inflorescence that has 2 to 3 short lived flowers at the apex of the zigzag rachis that occurs over many months.
CAUTION!!!!! 2 very different species are presented here, Lewis and Cribb and Schlechter have a short tepal flower and Cubero [backed by Jones 2006] has a very long tepal species, I have to go with Lewis and Schelchter as being more correct. If the Cubero photo WITH THE LONG TEPALS is correct to FM Bailey {I have not seen the type] then T neohibernicum is not a synonym and becomes a separate valid species WITH THE SHORT TEPALS
Synonyms *Sarcochilus platystachys F.M. Bailey 1886; Thrixspermum neohibernicum Schltr. 1905
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Orchidaceae Of German New Guinea Schlechter 1913/85 as T neohibernicum drawing fide; The Orchids of Papua New Guinea An Introduction Millar 1978 photo fide; Rudolf Schlechter Die Orchideen Band 1B lieferung 22 1329 - 1392 Brieger 1989; Rudolf Schlechter Die Orchideen Band 1B lieferung 22 1329 - 1392 Brieger 1989 as T neo-hibernicum; The Orchids of the Solomon Islands and Bougainville Lewis & Cribb 1991 drawing/ photo fide; Orchids of Papua New Guinea Millar 1999 photo fide; Native Orchids of Australia Jones 2006 photo fide to the Cubero Photo; Flora Malesia Orchids of New Guinea Vol V 2008
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