Pleurothallopsis insons (Luer & R.Escobar) Pridgeon & M.W.Chase 2001

TYPE Drawing of Restrepiopsis insons by © Carl Luer and The Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Jany Renz Herbaria Website

Common Name The Innocent Pleurothallopsis [refers to the cleistogamus flower that rarely opens]

Flower Size .06" [1.5 mm]

Found in Norte de Santander department of Colombia at elevations around 2000 meters as a mini-miniature sized, cool to cold growing epiphyte with an erect ramicaul enveloped by 2 to 3, imbricating, ribbed, tubular sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, thickly coriaceous, purple suffused, narrowly elliptical, subacute to obtuse, cuneate below into the subpetiolate base leaf that blooms in the spring on a fascile arising from near the apex of the ramicaul, .04 to .12" [1 to 3 mm] long, successively single flowered inflorescence with flowers that rarely open.

"Distinguished by the minute habot with ramicauls shorter than to as long as the thick, narrowly elliptical leaves. The tiny successive, bud-like flowers never open as th eovaries swell. The lip is minute with a subacute middle lobe and short, oblique basal lobes. I tis little more than a dwarf, cleistogamous form of P norae.

Synonyms *Restrepiopsis insons Luer & R.Escobar 1982

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Icones Pleurothallidinarum VIII Systematics of Lepanthospsis, Octomeria subgenus Pleurothallopsis, Restrepiella, Salpistele and Teagueia Luer 1991 as Restrepiopsis insons drawing fide;

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