Pleurothallis ptychophora Luer & Hirtz 1996 SUBGENUS Pleurothallis SECTION Pleurothallis SUBSECTION Antenniferae Luer 1998
Photo by © Alexander Hirtz
Photos by © Jay Pfahl
Drawing by © Carl Luer and The Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Jany Renz Herbaria Website
Photo by Ecuagenera and their Ecuador Orchid Website
Photo by © Byron Rinke
Common Name or Meaning The Folded Pleurothallis [refers to the deflexed apex of the lip]
Flower Size .2" [5mm]
Found in Morona-Santiago province of Ecuador on the eastern slopes of the Andes in wet tropical and montane forests at elevations around 1250 to 2000 meters as a medium sized, cool growing, caespitose terrestrial on roadbanks with slender to stout, erect ramicauls enveloped basally by 2 to 3 thin, tubular sheaths and another below the middle and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, broadly ovate, obtuse to subacute, shortly acuminate, sessile, broadly rounded base leaf that blooms in the fall on 6 to 10, arising through a slender spathe at the base of the leaf, erect, congested, 6 to 12" [15 to 30 cm] long, simultaneously many flowered, racemose inflorescence with as long as the pedicel floral bract.
"Similar to P revoluta but differs in the lip lobes are extensions of a broad, flat disc that connects them beneath the column. The anterior margin is shaprply reflexed into a round middle lobe against the back of the disc, while in P revoluta the entire disc is concave" Luer 1999.
CAUTION !!! The 2 species in the photographs above appear to match Luer's drawing of the flower but differs in having a less orbicular leaf, single, shorter inflorescence and fewer, larger flowers, so use with caution. The drawing is correct.
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
* Lindleyana 11: 180 Luer & Hirtz 1996
Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XVIII Systematics of Pleurothallis subsection Antenniferae, Longiracemosae, Macrophyllae-Racemosae and Subgenera Pseudsostelis and Acuminata Luer 1999drawing ok see Caution above;
Native Ecuadorian Orchids Vol 4 Dodson 2003 photo fide;
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
