Platystele altarica Luer 1980

TYPE drawing by © Carl Luer and the Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Jany Renz Herbaria Website

Common Name The Altar Volcano Platystele

Flower Size .32" [8 mm]

Found in Chimborazo province of Ecuador in cloud forests at elevations around 3200 meters as a mini-miniature sized, cold growing epiphyte with erect, slender ramicauls enveloped by 2 to 3, thin, ribbed, imbricating, tubular sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, obovate, obtuse, cuneate below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the spring on an erect, loose, distichous, strict, to 1.2 to 2" [3 to 5 cm] long including the .8" [2 cm] long peduncle, successively single, several flowered inflorescence arising laterally from the ramicaul and has a thin, shorter than teh epdicel floral bract.

"Recognized by the brown-striped sepals and petals and an ovate, dark purple lip covered by capitate cells witha large glenion and a central depression." LUer 1990

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

* Phytologia 46: 354 Luer 1980;

Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol VII Systematics of Platystele Luer 1990 drawing fide;

Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XI Luer 1994 drawing fide;

Native Ecuadorian Orchids Vol 4 Dodosn 2003 drawing fide;

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