Pleurothallis chama Luer 1977 SUBGENUS Pleurothallis SECTION Macrophyllae-Fasciculatae Lindl 1859

TYPE Drawing by Carl Luer and The Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Jany Renz Herbaria Website

LATE EARLY

Common Name The Cockle Pleurothallis [refers to the bivalved shell-like Flower]

Flower Size .4" [1 cm]

Found in Zamora-Chinchipe province of Ecuador at elevations around 2000 meters on road embankments as a small sized, cold growing, caespitose terrestrial or epiphyte with slender, erect ramicauls enveloped by a close tubular sheath on the lower third and 2 others at the base and carrying a single, apcial, erect, coriaceous, ovate, acute, slightly acuminate, more or less conduplicate, deeply cordate below into the sessile base leaf that blooms in the late summer and early fall on an erect, completly enveloped by a spathe at the apex of the ramicaul, single flowered inflorescence with a shorter than the pedicel floral bract.

"Characterized by a large deeply cordate leaf more or less compressed at the base. The flower is similar to P cordata but largfer with the dorsal sepal 7 veined. The petals are large and denticulate. The lip is flat, oblong and obtuse with a smooth elliptical area at either side of the glenion." Luer 2005

Synonyms Acronia chama (Luer) Luer 2005; Zosterophyllanthos chama (Luer) Szlach. & Kulak 2006

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

* Selbyana 3(3–4): 264. Luer 1977 drawing fide;

Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXVII Syatematics of Dryadella Systematics of Macrophyllae-Fasciculatae Luer 2005 as Acronia chama;

Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXVII Syatematics of Dryadella Systematics of Macrophyllae-Fasciculatae Luer 2005 as Acronia chama drawing fide;

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