Pleurothallis ancistra Luer & Hirtz 1996 SUBGENUS Uncifera

TYPE Drawing by © Hirtz & Carl Luer The Epidendra Website

Deep shade Hot Warm Summer

Common Name The Hooked Pleurothallis [refers to the lobes of the lip]

Flower Size .05" [2 mm]

Found in Cauca department of Colombia and Imbabura province of Ecuador in wet forests at elevations of 200 to 700 meters as a mini-miniature sized, hot to warm growing, caespitose epiphyte with slender, erect, ramicauls enveloped by 2 tubular sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, narrowly obovate, obtuse to rounded apically, narrowing below into the conduplicate base leaf that blooms in the summer on an erect, arising from the apex of the ramicaul, to 2.8" [7 cm] long, peduncle .8 to 1.6" [2 to 4 cm] long, strict, secund, loose, successively 1 to 2, several flowered inflorescence with oblique, acute, shorter than the ovary floral bracts and carrying often cleistogamus flowers.

"Distinguished by the large, acutely uncinate lateral lobes of the lip. The small flowers are borne successively in a strict, secund, successivley several flowered raceme that eventually exceeds the leaf in length. Many of the flowers are cleistogamus. The rachi emerges from the apex of the ramicaul at the base of the leaf without a visible annulus." Luer 1998

Synonyms Stelis ancistra (Luer & Hirtz) Pridgeon & M.W.Chase 2001; Unciferia ancistra (Luer & Hirtz) Luer 2004

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

* Lindleyana 11: 144–145, f. 5 Luer & Hirtz 1996 drawing fide;

Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XVII Systematics of Pleurothallis Section Abortivae, Truncatae, Subsection Acroniae, Subgenera Dracontia and Uncifera Luer 1998

Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XVII Systematics of Pleurothallis Section Abortivae, Truncatae, Subsection Acroniae, Subgenera Dracontia and Uncifera Luer 1998 Drawing fide;

Lindleyana 16: 261. Luer & Hirtz 2001 as Stelis ancistra;

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 Uncifera ancistra

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

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