Cranichis calva (Kraenzl.) Schltr. 1921

Drawing by © Bennett & Christenson and The Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Jany Renz Herbaria Website

Part shade Cold LATE Fall

Common Name or Meaning The ? Cranichis

Flower Size .24" [6 mm]

Found in Colombia and Peru in very wet, cold cloud forests at elevations around 2800 meters as a small sized, cold growing terrestrial with a short stem carrying sparse, oblong to broadly lanceolate, acuminate, petiolate base leaves that blooms in the late fall on an erect, long-pedunculate, 9.6" [24 cm] long, glabrous, rachis to 1.8" [4.5 cm] long, many flowered inflorescence with lanceolate, acuminate, shorter than the ovary floral bracts and carrying non-resupinate, greenish white flowers.

Synonyms Cranichis calva var. vargasii C.Schweinf. 1951; *Ponthieva calva Kraenzl. 1916

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Flora Brasilica Vol XII II 13-43 Hoehne 1945; Orchids of Peru Vol 1 Schweinfurth 1958; Orchids of Peru Vol 1 Schweinfurth 1958 as C alva var vargasii; Icones Orchidacearum Peruviarum Plate 615 Bennett & Christenson 2001 drawing fide; Orchids, A Colombian Treasure Vol 1 Ortiz & Uribe 2014

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