Pleurothallis smaragdina Luer 1975 SUBGENUS Kraenzlinella (Kuntze) Luer 1986

Drawing by © Carl Luer and The Epidendra Website

Common Name The Emerald Green Pleurothallis [refers to the petals and the lip color]

Flower Size .4" [1 cm]

Found in Pastaza province of Ecuador at elevations around 600 meters as a mini-miniature sized, warm growing, shortly repent epiphyte with a thick, short, terete ramicaul enveloped by 2 to 3, brown, tubular sheaths and carrying a single, apical, ascending to erect, rigid, thick, elliptical, subacute, tridenticulate, cuneate below into the sessile base leaf that blooms in the winter on a contracted, arising through a spathe at the base of the leaf, fractiflex, purple, ascending, 4 to 6" [10 to 15 cm] long, successively single, few to many flowered inflorescence with a brown, oblique. acute, longer than the ovary floral bract.

"The most outstanding characteristic of this unusual species is the emerald green color of the lip and inner surfaces of the petals which are bordered by a deep brown-violet margin. Although green is a common color in Pleurothallis, the deep richness of the green within the flower is equaled in no other. Perhaps the hue is accentuated by the blackish purple edging. Pleurothallis smaragdina is a short-stemmed species which produces its rigid leaves in dense clusters although the rhizome is shortly creeping. The long, slender peduncle appears from the axil of the leaf to support the compact, zigzag raceme twice higher than the blade. The flowers are generated slowly and singly at prolonged intervals over an extended period of time. The acuminate, velvety sepals reflex widely to expose the narrowly pointed petals aiming together straight forward." Luer 1975

Synonyms Anathallis smaragdina (Luer) Pridgeon & M.W.Chase 2001; Kraenzlinella smaragdina (Luer) Luer 2004; Specklinia smaragdina (Luer) Luer 2004

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

* Selbyana 1(3): 290, f. 80. Luer 1975 drawing fide;

Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol III Systematics of Pleurothallis Luer 1986;

Lindleyana Vol 16 No 4:250 Pridgeon & M.W.Chase 2001 as Anathallis smaragdina;

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 Kraenzlinella smaragdina;

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 smaragdina;

Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXVII Dryadella and Acronia section Macrophyllae-Fasciculatae Luer 2005as Specklinia smaragdina

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