Pleurothallis neobilobulata [Zambrano & Solano] in ed SUBGENUS Acianthera

Photo by © Javier Zambrano Romero

Common Name The New 2 Lobed Pleurothallis

Flower Size

Found in El Oro province of Ecuador in semi-deciduous premontane forests at elevations around 1100 meters as a small sized, cool growing epiphyte with a cylindrical rhizome giving rise to terete at the base but then laterally compressed upwards, slightly arching, channeled ramicauls subtended by 2 tubular, imbricate, persistent, chartaceous sheaths and carrying a single, apical, fleshy, lanceolate to elliptic-lanceolate, obtuse, coriaceous, slightly decurrent and sessile below leaf that blooms in the spring on a shorter than the leaf, arising from the apex of the secondary stems, enclosed at the base by a conduplicate, persistent spathe, peduncle terete, .4 to .8" [10 to 20 mm] long, smooth to minutely pubescent, covered at the base by 2 to 3 tubular, obtuse to sub-acute, persistent, conduplicate, scarious bracts, 1.4 to 2.2" [3.5–5.5 cm] long including the peduncle, rachis terete, .6 to 1.2" [15 to 30 mm] long, simultaneously several flowered inflorescence with acute, persistent, scarious, shorter than the pedicel and ovary floral bracts and carrying small, slightly fetid scented flowers.

"The new taxon is similar to Pleurothallis breedlovei, P. henrici, P. majakoluckae, and P. pubescens. The most similar species is P. pubescens, which differs from P. bilobulata in the oblong-lanceolate to oblong-elliptic leaves suffused with purple (vs. elliptic-lanceolate, green leaves), flowers suffused and striped with dull purple (vs. yellow-cream flowers suffused with red-purple), a longer and broader dorsal sepal, with red-purple stripes on the veins (.32 to .52" x .1 to .142" vs .24 to .4" x .72 to .8" [8.0 to 13.0 × 2.5 to 3.25 mm vs. 6.0 to 7.5 × 1.8 to 2.0 mm], without red purple stripes on the veins), obtuse petals with denticulate margins (vs. acute, margins erose), a larger ovate lip with minutely serrate margins and a rounded apex (.14 to .16" x .08 to .088" vs .12 to .14 x .52 to .6" [3.5 to 4.0 × 2.0 to 2.2 mm vs. 3.0 to 3.5 × 1.3 to 1.5 mm] oblong with entire margins and an obtuse, minute apiculate apex), and falcate, sub-acute lateral lobes (vs. straight, rounded lobes)." Zambrano & Solano

Synonyms *Acianthera bilobulata Zamrano & Solano 2020

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

* Phytotaxa 490 (2) Zambrano & Solano 2021 as Acianthera bilobulata drawing/photo fide

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