Pleurothallis cucumeris Luer 1979 SUBGENUS Specklinia SECTION Cucumeres Luer 1986 TYPE for the SECTION
Photo by © Wiel Driessen
TYPE Drawing by © Carl Luer and The Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Jany Renz Herbaria Website
LATE 
EARLY 
Common Name The Cucumber Pleurothallis [refers to the verrucose flowers]
Flower Size 1" [2.5 cm]
Found in Chiriqui province of Panama at elevations around 1700 meters as a miniature to small sized, cool growing, caespitose epiphyte with a erect, terete ramicaul enveloped by 4 to 6 loose, ribbed tubular sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, elliptical, subacute to acute, cuneate below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the late fall and early winter on a verrucose peduncle, arising from a node below the abscission layer, .2" [5 mm] long, 2 to 5 flowered inflorescence with white, tubular, papery floral bracts.
Apparently without close relatives, this species was first found in fruit. The capsules were markedly warty as the flowers proved to be later that year when the plant flowered in cultiavtion." Luer 1979
Characterized by well developed ramicauls enclosed by a series of tubular sheaths, elliptical, petiolate leaves somewhat shorter than the ramicauls, a short, few flowered raceme with a verrucose peduncle and verrucose pedicels and ovaries. The sepals are thickly fleshy and carinate-verrucose, the petals are obliquely ovate and the lip is oblong with erect margins below the basal third." Luer 2007
Synonyms Cucumeria cucumeris (Luer) Luer 2004; Specklinia cucumeris (Luer) Bogarín & Karremans 2014
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
* Selbyana 5(2): 162–163 Luer 1979;
Icones Pleurothallidinarum Systematics of Pleurothallis Vol III Luer 1986
Icones Pleurothallidinarum Systematics of Pleurothallis Vol III Luer 1986 drawing fide;
Icones Pleurothallidiane Vol XXIX A Third Century of Stelis Systematics of Apoda-Repnetia Luer 2007 as Cucumeria cucumeris;
Lankesteriana 14: 261 Karremans 2014 as Specklinia cucumeris;
Pleurothallids Neotropical Jewels Vol 1 Karremans & Viera 2020 as Specklinia cucumeris photo fide
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