Pleurothallis compressicaulis Dod 1984 SUBGENUS Acianthera [Scheidw.] Luer 1986
Photo by Eladio Fernandez ©,
TYPE Drawing by © Donald Dod
Common Name The Compressed Stem Pleurothallis
Flower Size .1" [2mm]
Found in Haiti and the Dominican Republic as a mini-miniature sized, warm to cool growing, caespitose epiphtye with compressed-alate, erect ascendent ramicauls enveloped by 2 sheaths and carrying a single, apical, fleshy, obovate to elliptic, emarginate, tridenticulate leaf that blooms in the winter on to 3, arising through a spathe, flexuous, distichously to 8 flowered, racemose inflorescence with infundibular, acute, the outer half hyaline becoming dark and wrinkled, longer than the ovary floral bracts.
"The ramicauls are compressed and bear thickly coriaceous, sessile leaves, the flowers are borne simultaneously in distichous racemes that exceeds the leaf. The hyaline, outer halves of the floral bracts become dark and crinkly, imparting a distinctive appearance. The short pedicels are contained within the floral bracts. The ovary is short, broad and densely villous. The fleshy, minutely spotted sepals are cellular papillose and carinate crested. The petals are equally spotted, acute, and entire. The lip is typical for the subgenus." Luer 2004
Synonyms Acianthera compressicaulis (Dod) Pridgeon & M.W.Chase 2001
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
* Moscosoa 3: 113 Dod 1984 drawing fide;
Icones Pleurothallidianrum Vol III Systematics of Pleurothallis Luer 1986;
Orchidaceae Antillinae Nir 2000;
Lindleyana Vol 16 No 4:243 Pridgeon & M.W.Chase2001 as Acianthera compressicaulis;
Orchid Flora of the Greater Antilles Ackerman 2014 drawing fide;
Pleurothallids Neotropical Jewels Vol 1 Karremans & Viera 2020 as Acianthera compressicaulis photo fide
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