Pelexia obliqua (J.J.Sm.) Garay 1980 publ. 1982
Photos by Jim Comber and Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Jany Renz Herbaria
LATE
EARLY
Common Name The Oblique Pelexis [probably refers to the sepals and petals]- In China Fei Gen Lan
Flower Size .1" [2.5mm]
Naturally found in El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Cuba and the Windward Islands as well as introduced to Sri Lanka, southern China, Hong Kong, Indonesia and Samoa in valleys at elevations around 500 to 700 meters as a miniature to small sized, warm growing terrestrial with a basal rosette of green, oblong to elliptic, absent at flowering, occasionally undulate margins, acute gradually narrowing below into the petiolate base leaves that blooms in the late winter and early spring on an erect, pubescent, 12 to 16" [30 to 40 cm] long, to 50 flowered inflorescence with 2 to 3, tubular, acuminate bracts and puberulent, linear-lanceolate, floral bracts.
This species is a conundrum, originally described in Indonesia from a plant that arose voluntarily at Bogor Botanical Garden in Indonesia. Forty years later it was found in the New World where it most likely originates, but has been ignored as the plant is easily overlooked, usually arising in disturbed areas that are planted and mown. It seems that the orchid is expanding it's boundaries as it is being found at ever greater distances from its original location. This species, Eulophia graminea and Oeceoclades maculata have benefited greatly with mans influential expansion across the globe as both have spread to ever wider locations.
Synonyms Cyclopogon obliquus (J.J.Sm.) Szlach. 1994; Manniella hongkongensis S.Y.Hu & Barretto 1976; Pelexia hameri Garay 1978; *Spiranthes obliqua J.J.Sm. 1910
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Icones Planetarum Tropicarum Plate 1072 Hamer 1984 drawing fide; Las Orquideas De El Salvador Vol III Hamer 1981 as P hameri drawing fide/photo ok; Manual de Plantas de Costa Rica Vol 3 Hammel, Grayum, Herrera and Zamora 2003; Flora of China Vol 25 Wu, C. Y., P. H. Raven & D. Y. Hong 2009; Flora of China Vol 25 Zhengyi, Raven & Deyuan 2009; Flora of China Vol 25 Illustrations Zhengyi, Raven & Deyuan 2010 drawing fide; The Wild Orchids of Hong Kong Barretto, Cribb and Gale 2011 drawing/photo fide; Orchid Genera and Species in Guatemala Archila, Szlachchetko, Chiron, Lipinska, Mystkowska and Bertolini 2018 as Cyclopogon obliquus
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