Brachionidium operosum Luer & Hirtz 1995

TYPE Drawing by © Carl Luer and The Epidendra Orchid Website

Common Name or Meaning The Laborius Brachionidium [Refers to the reaching the remote habitat of the plant]

Flower Size .8" [2 cm]

Found in Pataza province of central Ecuador in cloud forests at elevations of 2700 meters as a mini-miniature sized, cold growing epiphtye with a relatively stout, occasionally branching rhizome enveloped by 2 to 3, tubular, mucronate sheaths and giving rise to suberect ramicauls enveloped by 2 tubular mucronate sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect to suberect, coriaceous, verrucose, elliptical, acute, apiculate, 5 to 7 veined, cuneate below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the summer on a stout, erect, arising from near the apex of the ramicaul with a bract below the middle, .48" [1.2 cm] long, single flowered inflorescence with an inflated, acute, shorter than the ovary floral bract and carrying a non-resupinate, white flower with a pink lip.

" Mature l;eaves are verrucose on the dorsum, while immature leaves appear to be smooth. The sepals and petals are broadly elliptic, tailess and ciiliate. The most distinguishing feature is the thin and flat lip with an upturned, broadly rounded sides and it is longer than broad even when expanded. The callus is pubescent." Luer 1995

Synonyms

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

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