Pleurothallis decipiens Ames & C. Schweinf. 1925 SUBGENUS Acianthera [Scheidw.] Luer 1986

Photo by © Linda & Michael Karlbom

Another less warty flower

Photo by © Daniel Jimenez

Drawing

Drawing by © Carl Luer

to

Common Name The Deceiving Pleurothallis

Flower Size 1/5" [5 mm]

Found from Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador and Venezuela as a miniature to small sized, hot and pendulous growing epiphyte that occurs at elevations of 300 to 2000 meters with an erect, ramicaul enveloped basally by 2 to 3 tubular sheaths and carrying a single, apical, rigidly coriaceous, finely striate-rugose with revolute margins when dry, the mid nerve conspicuously carinate beneath, narrowly lanceolate, gradually narrowing at both ends, sessile leaf that blooms in the summer on a cluster of short, apical, arising from the apex of the ramicaul at the leaf base, peduncle.2 to .4" [.5 to 1 cm] long, rachis .4 to .8" [1 to 22 cm] long, few flowered, fasciculate inflorescence with as long as the ovary floral bracts and carrying flowers held close to the base of the leaf.

"Characterized by a terete, longitudinally channeled ramicaul, a thick, erect, elliptical leaf and a short, congested raceme of fleshy flowers. The sepals are variously warty externally and internally, The sides of the lateral sepals are reflexed above the middle exposing the verrucose, interior surface. The petals ae minutely fringed and the lip is similar to most of its relatives with a pair of thick calli amd small marginal lobes below the middle." Luer 2004

Synonyms Acianthera decipiens (Ames & C.Schweinf.) Pridgeon & M.W.Chase 2001; Pleurothallis pterocaulis L.O. Williams 1940

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

* Schedul. Orch. 8: 26. Ames & C. Schweinf. 1925;

Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 27(3): 280-281, t. 32, f. 1-7. L.O. Williams 1940 as P pterocaulis;

The Orchids of Panama L.O. Williams & P Allen 1946 as P pterocaulis;

Flora de Venezuela Foldats Volumen XV Part 2 1970 drawing good;

Orchids of Venezuela, An Illustrated Field Guide Vol 3 Dunsterville & Garay 1979 drawing fide;

Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol III Systematics of Pleurothallis Luer 1986;

Orchids of Venezuela [An illustrated field guide] Vol. 3 Ramiro and Carnevali 2000 drawing fide;

Lindleyana Vol 16 No 4:243 Pridgeon & M.W.Chase 2001 as Acianthera decipiens;

Orquideas Nativas del Tachira Cesar Fernandez 2003 photo fide;

Manual de Plantas de Costa Rica Vol 3 Hammel, Grayum, Herrera and Zamora 2003;

Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXVI Pleurothallis subgenus Acianthera aand Three Allied subgenera, A Second Century of new Species of Stelis of Ecuador, Epibator, Ophidion and Zootrophion Luer 2004

Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXVI Pleurothallis subgenus Acianthera aand Three Allied subgenera, A Second Century of new Species of Stelis of Ecuador, Epibator, Ophidion and Zootrophion Luer 2004 Drawing ok;

Orchids of Costa Rica Vol 5 Morales 2009 photo similar;

Pleurothallids Neotropical Jewels Vol 1 Karremans & Viera 2020 as Acianthera decipiens photo fide

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