Gomphichis plantaginifolia C.Schweinf. 1944 Drawing by © Pastorelli, Bennett & Christenson

Partial Shade Cold Winter EARLYSpring

Common Name The Plantago-Like Leaf Gomphichis

Flower Size .4" [1 cm]

Found in Peru and Bolivia in wet cloud forests at elevations around 2300 to 3200 meters as a large sized, cold growing terrestrial with cauline, narrowly oblanceolate, acute, basally clasping into the petiolate base leves that blooms in the winter and early spring on an erect, long-pedunculate, peduncle with 6 or more subremote, clasping, tubular, lanceolte, acute bracts, to 36" [90 cm] long, spicate, densely many flowered inflorescence with lanceolate, acuminate, concave, ciliolate, pubescent dorsally, longer than the flowers floral bracts and carrying flowers with a crystaline pubescence externally, a green dorsal sepal, the laterals, petals and lip white, the colkumn green and the anther yellow or brown.

Distinguished from others in the genus by the obvious cauline leaves, the densely flowered rachis, ciliolate floral segments and the sigmoid column.

Synonyms Gomphichis plantaginea (Schltr.) Schltr. 1922; *Stenoptera plantaginea Schltr 1912

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Die Orchideen Schlecher 1915 as Stenoptera plataginea; Icones Orchidacearum Peruviarum Plate 664 Bennett & Christenson 2001 drawing fide

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