Pleurothallis aculeata Luer & Hirtz 1996 SUBGENUS Acianthera [Scheidw.] Luer 1986
Photo by © Alexander Hirtz
TYPE Drawing by © Carl Luer
Common Name or Meaning The Prickly Pleurothallis [refers to the lip]
Flower Size .2" [5mm]
Found in Morona-Santiago province of southeastern Ecuador at elevations around 900 meters as a mini-miniature sized, warm growing, shortly repent epiphyte with slender, ascending to erect, sharply triquetrous, slightly broader towards the leaf ramicaul enveloped by 2 to 3, thin, tubular sheaths and carrying a single, apical, spreading, fleshy, coriaceous, elliptical, subacute to obtuse, subcordate below into the sessile base leaf that blooms in the summer on a reclining, arising from a spathe at the apex of the ramicaul held on top of the leaf, in a fascile of .12" [3 mm] long, successively single flowered inflorescence and carrying a single flower with a yellow, 3 purple striped dorsal sepal, purple lateral sepals, yellow petals and a black lip.
"Characterized by the creeping rhizome producing short, triquetrous ramicauls that bear a spreading, elliptical leaf. A single colorful flower is borne successively in a short fascile at the base of the leaf.The erect, dorsal sepal is striped in purple and the synsepal is purple. The petals are obtuse and minutely denticulate. The blackish lip is densely short-spiculate." Luer 2004
CAUTION All photos on the net of this species are incorrect, most have a simultaneous fascile of flowers instead of a successive single flowered inflorescence, Also the real P aculeata has a yellow, three purple striped, dorsal sepal, purple lateral sepals, fimbriate margined petals and a black to purple lip with a obtuse apex.
Synonyms Acianthera aculeata (Luer & Hirtz) Luer 2004
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
* Lindleyana 11: 141 Luer & Hirtz 1996 ; Lindleyana 11: 142 Luer & Hirtz 1996 drawing fide;
Native Ecuadorian Orchids Vol 4 Dodson 2003 photo fide;
Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXVI Pleurothallis subgenus Acianthera and Three Allied subgenera, A Second Century of new Species of Stelis of Ecuador, Epibator, Ophidion and Zootrophion Luer 2004 as Acianthera aculeata
Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXVII Dryadella and Acronia section Macrophyllae-Fasciculatae Luer 2005 as Acianthera aculeata; ;
Pleurothallids Neotropical Jewels Vol 1 Karremans & Viera 2020 as Acianthera aculeata photo fide
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
