Pleurothallis retusa (Lex.) Lindl. 1842 SUBGENUS Effusae Luer 2000
Plant on the right in situ in central Mexico
Photos by © Eduoard Faria.
Photo By © Andy Phillips and Andy's Orchids on A Stick Website
Drawing by Carl Luer
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Common Name The Retuse Pleurothallis [possilby refers to the synsepal]
Flower Size .2" [5 mm]
Found in Michoacan, Oaxaca and Chiapas states of Mexico at elevations of 1800 to 2400 meters as a miniature to just small cool to cold growing, caespitose epiphyte with slender, erect ramicauls enveloped by a tubular sheath from below the middle and 2 to 3 others above the base and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, narrowly elliptical-obovate, subacute to obtuse, narrowly cuneate below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the summer and fall on an erect, arising through a spathe from near the apex of the ramicaul, subcongested, distichous, .4" [1 cm] long, successively several flowered inflorescence with a tubular, just short to as long as the pedicel floral bract.
Characterized by a small habit with ramicauls shorter than the narrowly elliptical leaves and a successively flowered raceme that does not surpass the leaf in length. The sepals are glabrous and variously mottled with purple. The synsepal is arcuate with a retuse apex. The petals are broadly spathulate with a narrow claw. The lip is hastate when the erect rounded, lateral lobes are expanded above the narrow elongated claw. P aristocratica has larger flowers with an accessory pair of veins in the dorsal sepal, otherwise they are the same." Luer 2000
Synonyms *Dendrobium retusum Lex. 1825; Effusiella retusa Luer 2007; Humboldtia retusa (Lex.) Kuntze 1891; Pleurothallis aristocratica L.O. Williams 1946; Pleurothallis hieroglyphica Ames 1908; Specklinia retusa (Lex.) Lindl. 1835; Stelis aristocratica (L.O.Williams) Solano & Soto Arenas 2002; Stelis retusa (Lex.) Pridgeon & M.W.Chase 2001
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
Nov. Veg. Descr. 2(Orchid. Opusc.): 40 P.de La Llave & J.M.de Lexarza 1825 as Dendrobium retusum;
Edwards's Bot. Reg. 21: t. 1797 Lindley 1835 as Specklinia retusa;
* Edwards's Bot. Reg. 28(Misc.): 81 Lindley 1842;
Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 668 Kuntze 1891 as Humboltia retusa;
Orchidaceae 2: 269 Ames 1908 as P hieroglyphica drawing fide;
Bot. Mus. Leafl. 12: 237 L O Williams 1946 as P aristocratica;
Flora Novo-Galaciana Vol 16 McVaugh 1985 as Pleurothallis hieroglyphica drawing fide;
Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol III Systematics of Pleurothallis Luer 1986 as P aristocratica;
Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol III Systematics of Pleurothallis Luer 1986 as P hieroglyphica;
Icones Orchidacearum 10 plate Hagsater & Soto 1998 as Stelis retusa drawing fide;
Lindleyana Vol 16 No 4:266 Pridgeon & M.W.Chase 2001 as Stelis retusa;
Orquideas del Estado de Morelos ORQUÍDEA (MÉX.) VOLUMEN 16 NÚMERO ÚNICO enero 2002 drawing/photo fide;
Icon. Orchid. 5-6: xi Solano & Soto Arenas 2002 publ. 2003 as Stelis aristocratica;
Icones Pleurothallidianrum Vol XXIX A Third Century of Stelis of Ecuador Systematics of Apoda-Prorepentia Luer 2007as Effusiella retusa;
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