Physosiphon inaequisepalus Schltr. 1921

Photo by Patricia Harding

Common Name The Unequal Sepals Physosiphon

Flower Size .1" [3mm]

Found in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru in dwarf, mossy forests at elevations around 3000 meters as a mini-miniature sized, cold growing epiphyte with an short, erect ramicaul enveloped basally by 2 to 3 tubular sheaths and carrying a single, apical, coriaceous, minutely and fleshily mucronate apically, elliptic, narrowing below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms on an erect to arching, 1.6" [4 cm] long, few to several flowered, racemose, filiform inflorescence with all the flowers facing to one side of the rachis and held well above the leaves.

CAUTION I am not sure of this determination as it does not conform to Dunsterville's drawing and I do not have any other decent reference. Dunsterville's drawing is not representative of a flower from this genus so as to what it or this species may be is still suspect to me.

Synonyms Anathallis declivis (Lindl.) Pridgeon & M.W.Chase 2001; Humboldtia declivis (Lindl.) Kuntze 1891; Pleurothallis declivis Lindl. 1859; Stelis declivis (Lindl.) Luer 2002

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; *Die Orchideen der Sudamerikanischen Kordillerenstaaten III Ecuador Schlechter 1921; Venezuelan Orchids Vol 5 Dunsterville & Garay 1966 as Pleurothallis declivis not = ?; Orchids of Venezuela, An Illustrated Field Guide Vol 3 Dunsterville & Garay 1979 as P declivis drawing not =?;

Icones Pleurothallidinarum Systematics of Pleurothallis Vol III Luer 1986 as Pleurothallis declivis; Orchids of Venezuela [An illustrated field guide] Vol. 3 Ramiro and Carnevali 2000 as Pleurothallis declivis drawing not =?;

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