Pelexia orthosepala (Rchb.f. & Warm.) Schltr. 1920 SECTION Pachygenuim

Photo by © Dalton Holland Baptista Photo by Cassio Van den Berg ©

Drawing

Drawing by © Hoehne 1945

Full shade Cool LATESummer EARLIER Fall

Common Name The Straight Sepal Pelexia

Flower Size .36" [9mm]

Found in Minas Gerais state of Brazil as a small to medium sized, cool growing terrestrial with a single basal, narrowly elliptic, acute, gradually narrowing below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the later summer and earlier fall on an erect, peduncle 14 to 29.2" [35 to 73 cm] long, provided with 4 to 7, tubular, long-acute, basally clasping sheathing bracts, rachis 2 to 2.8" [5 to 7 cm] long, 4 to 8 flowered inflorescence with erect-patent, lanceolate-aciculate, covered in short, glandular hairs, longer than the ovary floral bracts.

Similar to Pelexia hysterantha but P orthosepala differs in in the smaller and more or less semi-oblong mentum, instead of rounded and slightly curved at the tip, thus leaving an incision under the base of the lip, where the lateral sepals separate.

One reference I have [Menezes 2004], shows a different species so use with caution, although I do trust Dalton's judgement on Brazilian species.

Synonyms Gyrostachys orthosepala (Rchb.f. & Warm.) Kuntze 1891; Pachygenium orthosepalum (Rchb.f. & Warm.) Szlach., R.González & Rutk. 2001; *Spiranthes orthosepala Rchb.f. & Warm. 1881

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

Otia Bot. Hamburg.: 85 Rchb.f. & Warm. 1881 as Spiranthes orthosepala

Symb. Fl. Bras. Centr. XXX: 93 Warming. 1882 as Spiranthes orthosepala

Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 664 Kuntze 1891 as Gyrostachys orthosepala

* Beih. Bot. Centralbl., Abt. 2. 37: 404 Schlechter 1920

Flora Brasilica fasc 8 Vol XII II 13-43: 224 Orchidaceae Hoehne 1945;

Flora Brasilica fasc 8 Vol XII II 13-43: tab 115 Orchidaceae Hoehne 1945 drawing fide;

Orchidaceae Brasilenses Band 1: 279 #428 Pabst & Dungs 1975 drawing fide;

Polish Bot. J. 46: 5 Szlach., R.González & Rutk. 2001 as Pachygenium orthosepalum

Orchids of The Brazilian Central Plateau Menezes 2004 photo no

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