Pleurothallis prolixa Luer & Hirtz 1996 SUBGENUS Effusae Luer 2000
TYPE Drawing by Carl Luer
LATE 
EARLY
Common Name or Meaning The Elongated Pleurothallis [refers to long anther cap]
Flower Size .4" [1 cm]
Found in Loja province of Ecuador at elevations around 3150 meters as a small sized, cold growing, shortly repent to caespitose epiphyte with slender, erect ramicauls enveloped by a loose tubular sheath near the middle and 2 to 3 others at the base and carrying a single, erect, fleshy, coriaceous, narrowly elliptical, subacute, narrowly cuneate below into the subpetiolate base leaf that blooms in the late summer and early fall on 1 to 4, erect, peduncle 1.23 to 2" [3 to 5 cm] long, arising through a narrow spathe .4" [1 cm] long, arising from the apex of the ramicaul, rachis 2.4 to 2.8" [6 to 7 cm] long, loose, secund, simultaneously several to many flowered inflorescence, with almost to longer as than the pedicel and ovary floral bract and carrying flowers with purple, shortly pubescent within sepals, transluscent purple petals and a purple lip.
"This species, apparently endemic to southern Ecuador is distinguished by the extremely thick, fleshy leaves, the sepals that are shortly pubescent within, proportionally large, unguiculate, tricarinate petals, and a subpandurate-unguiculate lip with erect, obtuse sides with intramural calli and an ovate, denticulate, minutely verrucose-rugose apex. The elongated anther-cap extends beyongd the apex of the column." Luer 2000
Synonyms Effusiella prolixa (Luer & Hirtz) Luer 2007; Specklinia prolixa (Luer & Hirtz) Luer 2004; Stelis prolixa (Luer & Hirtz) Pridgeon & M.W.Chase 2001
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
*Lindleyana 11: 179 Luer & Hirtz 1996 drawing fide;
Lindleyana 16 4:265 Pridgeon & Chase 2001 as Stelis prolixa;
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 prolixa;
Icones Pleurothallidinarum XXIX A Third Century of Stelis of Ecuador Systematics of Specklinia Luer 2007 as Effusiella prolixa
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