Pleurothallis platystachys Regel 1888 SUBGENUS Acianthera [Scheidw.] Luer 1986
Photos by © The Societe de Orchidee Francaise Nord Website
Drawing by © Helmut Seehawer
Common Name The Broad Inflorescence Pleurothallis
Flower Size
Found in Espirito Santo, Rio de Janiero, Minas Gerais, Sao Paulo, and Parana States of Brazil at elevations around 900 to 1300 meters as a medium to large sized, warm to cool growing epiphyte with laterally compressed ramicauls enveloped by 3 tubular sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, leathery, narrowly ovate, conduplicate, grass to yellow green with red margined leaf that blooms in the winter on a spicate, laterally compressed, to 8" [to 20 cm] long including the 3 to 3.6" [7.5 to 9 cm] long, peduncle, simultaneously 10 to 15 flowered inflorescence arising through a spathe.
CAUTION Many references put this species as a synonym of P tricarinata but I along with Kew have separated them at this time, although I have no references citing the differences.
Synonyms Acianthera platystachys (Regel) Chiron & Van den Berg 2012
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
* Gartenflora 37: 459 Regel 1888;
Die Orchideen Schlechter 1915;
Orchidaceae Brasilensis Band 1 Pabst & Dungs 1975 drawing hmm;
Orchids of Brazil McQueen 1993 photo good;
Orchids of the High Mountain Atlantic Rainforest in SE Brazil Warren & Miller 1994 drawing/photo fide;
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 a synonym of P tricarinata;
The Organ Mountain Range Its History and Its Orchids Miller, Warren, Miller and Seehawer 2008 drawing good
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