Pelexia caucae Schltr. 1920 SECTION Centropelexia

TYPE Drawing © by Schlechter/Mansfield

Common Name The Cauca Pelexia [refers to the Department of Valle de Cauca Colombia]

Flower Size

Found in Cauca and Valle de Cauca departments of Colombia at elevations around 500 meters as a medium sized, hot to warm growing terrestrial with basal leaves details unknown, that blooms on an erect, terminal, thick, substrict, peduncle 9.2" [23 cm] long, provided with 6 to 7, densely glandular hairy towards the apex, tight clasping to long acuminate sheathing bracts, rachis 4.8" [12 cm] long, densely many flowered inflorescence with lanceolate, acuminate, sparsely glandular below, longer than the pedicellate ovary floral bracts.

"Without a doubt this species is related to Pelexia hamata but distinguished by the thicker stem with larger leaf-like, involucral bracts, the longer inflorescence with narrower flowers, the straight not hooked, chin spur, and the anterior lobe of the labellum which is broader compared to the anterior part of the lip." Schlechter 1920

"P caucae and Pelexia olivacea are the only Colombian species to have the spur reaching to, or exceeding the base of the pedicellate ovary. Both species can easily be separated as P caucae has a cylindrical spur, that is swollen near the middle and attenuate at both ends, whereas the spur of P olivaceae is narrowly conical with an upcurved acute apex. The epichile of P caucae is ecallose while P oliveacea is adorned with a narrow transverse callus at the base."

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

* Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 7: 67 Schlechter 1920;

Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 57: taf 22 #80 Schlechter 1929 drawing fide

Materials to the Orchid Flora of Colombia Vol 2: 328 Szlachetko & Kolanowska 2019

Materials to the Orchid Flora of Colombia Vol 2: 329 Szlachetko & Kolanowska 2019 drawing fide

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