Eria distans [O'Byrne & Gokusing] in ed. SECTION Pinalia Lindl. 1830
Photos/TYPE Drawing by © Peter O'Byrne
Common Name or Meaning The Distant Eria [refers to the side lobes being far from the lip base]
Flower Size .12 to .16" [3 to 4 mm]
Found in Sabah Borneo in hill primary forests at elevations around 700 meters as a medium sized, warm growing epiphyte with erect, clustered, cylindrical, broadening slightly towards the apex, green to yellow brown, slightly compressed, rather fleshy pseudobulb, 5 to 7 internoded below the leaves each with a single persistent sheath carrying 4 to 6, on the distal 1.6 to 2.4" [4 to 6 cm] of the stem, elliptic, slightly cupped, green, thick, very stiff, leathery, obtuse to subacute, gradually narrowing into the basally clasping leaves that blooms in the summer on several per newly formed stem, laterally through sheaths amongst the leaves, ascending, peduncle 1.04 to 2" [2.6 to 5 cm] long, green brown to pale maroon, densely covered in short, orange hairs, provided with one large basal bract and several small sterile bracts below the rachis, rachis 4.4 to 6" [11 to 15 cm] long, 5.2 to 7.2" [13 to 18 cm] long overall, simultaneously half, to 120 flowered inflorescence with ovate-rectangular, obtuse, apiculate, covered with long branched hairs, shorter than the ovary floral bracts and carrying non-resupinate flowers.
Similar to Eria pachystachya but E distans has shorter, thicker, leathery leaves, inflorescence longer than the leaves, a longer, narrower mentum that is externbally coarsly hairy and the diagnostic difference, the side lobes which are falcate, and distant from the base of the lip.
Synonyms *Pinalia distans P.O'Byrne & Gokusing 2015
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Malesian Orchid Journal Vol 15 P.O'Byrne, Gokusung 2015 as Pinalia distans photo/drawing fide;
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