Platystele delhierroi Luer & Hirtz 1991

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

LATE EARLY

Common Name Delhierro's Platystele [Ecuadorian Orchid Collector and discoverer of species current]

Flower Size .6" [1.5 cm]

Found in Carchi province of Ecuador at elevations around 2300 meters as a mini-miniature sized, cold growing epiphyte with erect, slender ramiocauls enveloped by 2 to 3, thin, tubular sheaths and carryinjg a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, elliptic, subacute to obtuse, narrowly cuneate belo into the petioalte base leaf that blooms in the late winter and early spring on a lateral erect, loose, flexuous, distichous, peduncle to 2.4" [6 cm] long, rachis to 1.2" [4 cm] long, successively single, several flowered inflorescence with a thin floral bract and carrying yellow orange flowers.

" The species is closely allied to P hirtzii but P delheiroi is distinguished by the smaller habit, and flower parts half the dimensions to make the flowers 4 times smaller. Instead of transluscent, pale rose sepals and petals witha deep purple lip, P delhieroi has yellow-orange sepals and petals and an orange lip." Luer 1991

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Pleurothallidinarum VIII Systematics of Lepanthospsis, Octomeria subgenus Pleurothallopsis, Restrepiella, Salpistele and Teagueia Luer 1991 drawing fide;

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------