Brachionidium puipuiensis L.Valenz. 2017
Plant and Flowers in sity Peru
Photos/TYPE Drawing by © Luis Valenzuela Gamarra and Lankesteriana 17[2]: 113 - 118 Valenzuela Gamarra 2017
Common Name or Meaning The Piu Piu Protection Forest Brachionidium
Flower Size 1" [2.5 cm]
Found in Junin department of central Peru in humid, foggy, drizzly forests at elevations of 3740 meters as a small sized, cold growing epiphyte with thick erect rhizomes gibving rise to erect, short ramicauls enveloped by infundibuliform, acuminate, glabrous, transparent sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, fleshy, elliptic, slightly apiculate apex, grooved petiolate base leaf that blooms in the spring on a terminal, erect, peduncle erect, .08 to .12" [2 to 3 mm] long, single flowered inflorescence protected by a cucullate, inflated, shortly acuminate, longer than the ovary floral bract.
"This species is similar to Brachionidium loxense and Brachionidium diaphanum but can be distinguished by its fleshy and elliptical leaves with petioles .12 to .16" [3 to 4 mm] long (vs. coriaceous and broadly elliptical to suborbicular leaves with petioles .04" [1 mm] long in B. loxense and erect, coriaceous, narrowly elliptical leaves with petioles .04 to .06" [1.0 to 1.5 mm] long in B. diaphanum); inflorescence peduncle .08 to .12" [2 to 3 mm] long (vs. peduncle .4" [10 mm] long in B. loxense and .24 to .28" [6 to 7 mm] long in B. diaphanum); the pink translucent sepals, red-wine toward the base (rather than dark red purple, yellow towards the apex in B. loxense and translucent white in B. diaphanum); the floral bract spatuliform .6 x .2" [15 × 5 mm] (vs. protrunding filament .28 to .32" [7 to 8 mm] long in B. loxense and protrunding filament 4 mm long in B. diaphanum); lip, red-wine, bimarginated,trapezoidal, small, fleshy, obtuse acuminate .12 x .16" [3 × 4 mm], with slightly prolonged lateral lobes, antrorse and straight with a cordate callus, split towards the apex (vs. yellow cream, transversely ovoide .13 x .24" [3.5 × 6.0 mm], the lateral angles acute, subuncinate, the apex with an obtuse apiculum, the margins with low, longitudinal lamella-like calli, the disc with a central, flattened, minutely pubescent callus in B. loxense and yellow white, transversely oblong, concave .12 x .28" [3 × 7 mm], lateral angles acute, incurved, the broadly rounded apex minutely apiculate, the margin with longitudinal calli, disc with an ovoid, flattened with a minute glenion in B. diaphanum)." Gamarra 2017
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Lankesteriana 17[2]: 113 - 118 Valenzuela Gamarra 2017 drawing/photo fide
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