Pleurothallis mornicola Mansf. 1929 UBGENUS Specklinia SECTION Hymenodanthae SUBSECTION Longicaulae [Barb. Rodr.] Luer 1986

TYPE Drawing by Carl Luer

LATE

Common Name or Meaning The Mountain Top Pleurothallis [refers to its occurence on top of Gros-Morne a mountain in Haiti]

Flower Size .2" [5 mm]

Found in Haiti near Ennery at elevations around 1075 meters as a mini-miniature sized, cool growing, caespitose epiphyte with thick, fleshy roots larger around than the slender, erect ramicauls enveloped by 2 loose, tubular sheaths and carrying a single, coriaceous, obovate, obtuse, narrowing below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the late spring on an erect, peduncle slender, .12 to .16" [3 to 4 mm] long, arising from a node near the middle of the ramicaul, single flowerewd inflorescence with an inflated, almost as long as the pedicel floral bract and carrying a purple flower with glabrous sepals, transluscent petals and a thick lip.

This minute species is apparently endemic to the summit of at least one of the mountains of Haiti where it is known from s single collection. The species is charachterized by little tufts of overlapping leaves and a single, purple flower bourne about mid-way on the ramicaul. The dorsal sepal and synsepal are similar and acute. the petals are narrow and sharply acute. The species is very similar to P stillsonii which occurs in the same mountains of Haiti but the species differs in the narrower, non-denticulate leaves and longer ramicauls and peduncles." Luer 2006

Synonyms Specklinia mornicola (Mansf.) Luer 2004

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

*Ark. Bot. 22A(8): 13 Mansf. 1929;

Icones Pleurothallidinarum XXVIII A Reconsideration of Masdevallia Systematics of Specklinia Luer 2006 as Specklinia mornicola

Icones Pleurothallidinarum XXVIII A Reconsideration of Masdevallia Systematics of Specklinia Luer 2006 as Specklinia mornicola Drawing fide

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------