Maxillaria pachyacron Schltr. 1911 sect. Arachnites Christenson 2013
Photo by © Daniel Jimenez and His Flickr Orchid Photo Page
Photo by © Walter Schug
THROUGH EARLY
Common Name The Narrowest Maxillaria [refers to the leaves]
Flower Size 2" [5 cm]
Found in Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama in cloud forests at elevations of 1000 to 1900 meters as a miniature sized, cool growing epiphyte with narrowly to broadly ovoid pseudobulbs enveloped basally by 1 to 2 leaf-bearing sheaths and carrying a single, apical, elliptic-ovate to linear, acute, often recurved apex, gradually narrowing below into the elongate, petiolate base leaf that blooms in the summer through early spring on a basal, 10" [25 cm] long, wiry inflorescence enveloped by 4 to 5 acute, to obtuse, involute bracts.
Often stated as a synonym of M reichenheimiana but differs in the shorter mentum around the shorter column foot besides the thinner, non white spotted leaves.
Similar to M chionantha but M pachyacron usually has a shorter inflorescence, smaller flowers with less attenuate segments and a much less distinct 3 lobed lip. It is also similar to M virguncula but it is a much smaller plant and has smaller red to maroon flowers with a simple lip, attenuate floral segments and distinctly petiolate base leaves.
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Repert. Sp. Nov. Regni. Veg. Beih. 19: 140. Costa Rica Schlechter 1923; Repert. Sp. Nov. Regni. Veg. Beih. 19: 234. Costa Rica Schlechter 1923; Icones Planetarum Tropicarum Plate 1232 Hamer 1985 drawing ok; Icones Planetarum Tropicarum Plate 1357 Atwood 1989 drawing ok; Fieldiana Biology, Flora Costa Ricensis Family # 39 Orchidaceae, subtribes Maxillariinae and Oncidiinae Atwood & Mora 1999 drawing fide; Manual de Plantas de Costa Rica Vol 3 Hammel, Grayum, Herrera and Zamora 2003; Orchids of Costa Rica Vol 4 Morales 2009 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 80 #6 2011 photo fide; Vanishing Beauty, Native Costa Rican Orchids Vol 2 Lacaena to Pteroglossa Pupulin 2020 photo fide
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