Pleurothallis mexiae Luer 1999 SUBGENUS Acianthera [Scheidw.] Luer 1986
TYPE Drawing by © Carl Luer and The Epidendra Orchid Website
LATE 
EARLY 
Common Name Mexia's Pleurothallis [Peruvian Female orchid enthusiast and collector of species]
Flower Size .08" [2 mm]
Found in Huanaco department of Peru at elevations around 1560 meters as a mini-miniature to miniature sized, cool growing, densely caespitose epiphyte with erect, slenderm narrowly triquetrous ramicauls enveloped by 2 to 3, thin, tubular sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, ovate, subacute, rounded below into the sessile base leaf that blooms in the late winter and early spring on an erect, arising through a spathe at the base of the leaf, congested, .6" [1.5 cm] long, simultaneously 2 to 4 flowered inflorescence with thin, as long as the pedicel floral bracts.
Similar to and often cited as a synonym of P casapensis and the flowers are quite similar other than color as this one is always purple but vegetatively are quite different with this one having densely caespitose, slender, narrowly triquetrous ramicauls and ovate, rounded below into the sessile base leaf. P casapensis has a stout, triquetrous ramicauls along a stout, creeping rhizome and more or less decurrent leaves.
Synonyms Acianthera mexiae (Luer) Pridgeon & M.W.Chase 2001; Pleurothallis chamensis var. tenuis C.Schweinf. 1942
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
Orquideologia Vol 21 #3 2000 drawing fide;
Lindleyana Vol 16 No 4:244 Pridgeon and Chase 2001 as Acianthera mexiae;
Anales Jard. Bot. Madrid 75(1)e069: 13 2018 A taxonomic synopsis of Acianthera (Orchidaceae: Pleurothallidinae) in Peru, including two new species Damian, Chiron and Mitidieri 2018 as Acianthera mexiae;
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