Brachionidium loxense Luer 1995

Drawing by © Carl Luer and The Epidendra Orchid Website

Common Name or Meaning The Loja Brachionidium [refers to the department within Ecuador where the species occurs]

Flower Size 2.4" [6 cm]

Found in Loja province of Ecuador at elevations of 2400 to 2700 meters as a mini-miniature sized, cold growing terrestrial with a stout, erect, occasionally branching rhizome enveloped by 3, loose, mucronate sheaths and giving rise to suberect ramicauls enveloped by 2 similar sheaths and carrying a single, apical, suberect, coriaceous, broadly elliptical to suborbicular, rounded, 7 veined, apiculate, cuneate below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the summer through fall on an erect, arising from near the apex of the ramicaul, .4" [1 cm] long, single flowered inflorescence with an inflated, mucronate, longer than the ovary floral bract and carrying a non-resupinate flower.

"Related to Brachionidium dalstroemii but differs in the smaller habit, small, round leaves and densely short-ciliate sepals and petals." Luer 1995

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Native Ecuadorian Orchids Vol 1 1994 Dodson drawing fide; * Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XII Systematics of Brachionidium Luer 1995 drawing fide; Flora Of Ecuador # 76 225[2] Dodson & Luer 2005

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