Pleurothallis escalerensis Carnevali & Luer 2003
TYPE Drawing by © Luer and The Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Jany Renz Herbaria Website
LATE
Common Name The Escalera Pleurothallis [the stairway Pleurothallis refers to its being found on steep mountainsides]
Flower Size .12" [3mm]
Found in Bolivar state of Venezuela at elevations of 300 to 400 meters as a mini-miniature sized, hot growing, caespitose epiphyte with slender, erect ramicauls enveloped by 2, thin, loose, tubular sheaths and carryijng a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, elliptic-obovate, subacute to obtuse, cuneate below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the late spring on an erect to suberect, filiform peduncle, to .4" [1 cm] long, arising from near the apex of the ramicaul, loose, subflexuous, successively single, many flowered inflorescence with shorter than the pedicel floral bract and carrying flowers with purple, darker along the veins, membraneous sepals, purple, microscopically erose petals and a purple lip that is minutely to microscopically ciliate-erose.
"This species is known to occur in only one area of lowland, northeastern Venezuela. It is distinguished from P barbulata by the very small habit with a capillary, loose, subflexuous, successively single, many flowered raceme that eventually far exceeds the leaf in length. The sepals are glabrous and the laterals are connate to nea the apex. The petals are acute and oblique with microscopically erose margins. The lip is oblong, also microscopically ciliate-erose, with erect, oblique lobes below the middle." Luer 2006
Synonyms Anathallis escalerensis (Carnevali & Luer) Luer 2009; Lankesteriana escalerensis (Carnevali & Luer) Karremans 2014; Panmorphia escalerensis (Carnevali & Luer) Luer 2006; Specklinia escalerensis (Carnevali & Luer) Luer 2004
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
* Novon 13: 414 Carnevali & Luer 2003;
Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXVI Pleurothallis subgenus Acianthera and Three Allied subgenera, A Second Century of new Species of Stelis of Ecuador, Epibator, Ophidion and Zootrophion Luer 2004 as Specklinia escalerensis;
Icones Pleurothallidinarum XXVIII A Reconsideration of Masdevallia Systemeatis of Specklinia Luer 2006 as Panmorphia escalerensis drawing fide;
Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXX Lepanthes of Jamaica Systematics of Stelis of Ecuador 4 Luer 2009 as Anathallis escalarensis;
LANKESTERIANA 13(3): 319—332 Karremans 2014 as Lankesteriana escalerensis;
AOS Bulletin Vol 84 #5 2015 as Lankestriana escalerensis;
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