Pleurothallis gracilenta Luer & R.Vásquez 1981 SUBGENUS Specklinia SECTION Alatae Luer 1986
TYPE Drawing by © Carl Luer and The Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Jany Renz Herbaria Website
EARLY
Common Name The Narrowing Pleurothallis [refers to the vegetative and floral parts]
Flower Size .2" [5 mm]
Found in La Paz department of Bolivia at elevations around 2550 meters as a mini-miniature to miniature sized, cold growing, densely caespitose epiphyte with erect, slender ramicauls enveloped by a thin tubular sheath below the middle and 2 to 3 others at the base and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, semi-terete, narrowly linear, acute, gradually narrowing below into the subpetiolate base leaf that blooms in the early summer on an erect, arising through a spathe from an annulus just below the apex of the ramicaul,loose, subsecund, .4 to .8" [1 to 2 cm] long including the .2" [5 mm] long peduncle, simultaneously few flowered inflorescence with as long as the ovary floral bracts.
Characterized by the denely caespitose habit with narrowly terete leaves, acuminate sepals and long-acuminate petals. Vegetatively it is similar to P stenophylla." Luer 1999
Synonyms Anathallis gracilenta (Luer & R.Vásquez) Pridgeon & M.W.Chase 2001; Specklinia gracilenta (Luer & R.Vásquez) Luer 2004
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol III Systematics of Pleurothallis Luer 1986;
Orchids of Bolivia Vol 1 Pleurothallidinae Vasquez & Ibisch 2000 drawing fide;
Lindleyana Vol 16 No 4:248 Pridgeon and Chase 2001 as Anathallis gracilenta;
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 gracilenta;
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