Pleurothallis condylata Luer 1976 SUBGENUS Specklinia SECTION Hymenodanthae SUBSECTION Apodae-Caespitosae [Lindl.]Luer 1986
Photos by © Wiel Driessen and his Flickr Orchid Photo Website
TYPE Drawing by Carl Luer
Common Name The Knuckled Pleurothallis [refers to the lip]
Flower Size .2" [5 mm]
Found in Cartago and Puntarenas provinces of Costa Rica and Chiriqui province of Panama at elevations of 20 to 1800 meters as a mini-miniature sized, hot to cool growing epiphyte with slender, erect ramicauls enveloped by 2 thin, tubular sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, narrowly elliptical-obovate, subacute, gradually narrowing below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the winter through summer on a congested fascile of slender, suberect, 1.2 to 2.4" [3 to 6 cm] long, successively single, few flowered inflorescence with imbricating, thin, tubular, shorter than the pedicel floral bracts.
Very similar vegetatively to P brighamii but the flower, is considerably larger and heavier. The golden sepals and petals are diffusly spotted with brownish purple and the lip is deep red-purple. From a narrowed base and above the low, obtuse angles near the middle, the lip is broadly dilated towards the deflexed apex. Two longitudinal calli terminate at the apex and curve down with the lamina. This gives the appearance of a two knuckled fist in a gauntlet." Luer 1996
Very close to P areldii but distinguished by the small clump of narrowly elliptical-obovate leaves and peduncles nearly as long that bear a fasciculate raceme of successive, comparitively large, yellow flowers flecked with brown. The petals are dilated along the lower margin. The dark red-purple lip is proportionally large and cuneate with the truncate apex more or less lobulate annd decurved." Luer 2006
Close relatives include P acoana, P berolinensis, P icterina and P vierlingii.
Synonyms Sarcinula condylata (Luer) Luer 2006; Specklinia condylata (Luer) Pridgeon & M.W.Chase 2001
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
* Selbyana 3(1-2): 80-81, f. 143. Luer 1976 Drawing fide,
Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol III Systematic of Pleurothallis Luer 1986;
Lindleyana Vol 16 No 4:257 Pridgeon & M.W.Chase 2001 as Specklina condylata;
Manual de Plantas de Costa Rica Vol 3 Hammel, Grayum, Herrera and Zamora 2003;
Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXVIII A Reconsideration of Masdevallia Systematics of Specklinia Luer 2006 as Sarcinula condylata
Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXVIII A Reconsideration of Masdevallia Systematics of Specklinia Luer 2006 as Sarcinula condylata drawing good;
Lankesteriana 13[3]: 185- 206 Bogarin 2014 as Specklinia condylata photo/drawing fide;
Pleurothallids Neotropical Jewels Vol 1 Karremans & Viera 2020 as Specklinia condylata photo fide
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
