Ponthieva cuyujana Dodson & Hirtz 1989 Photo by © Alexander Hirtz

LATE EARLY

Common Name The Cuyuja Ponthieva [the location of the type collection]

Flower Size .8" [2 cm]

Found in Napo Province of Ecuador in very wet montane forests at elevations around 2400 meters as a medium sized [in bloom], cold growing terrestrial with a glabrous stem, becoming shortly-villose above on the rachis, enveloped by tubular foliaceous sheaths giving rise to both basal and cauline, glabrous, narrowly elliptic-oblong, acute, leaves decreasing in sized to midway and then becoming tubular bracts that blooms in the late fall and early winter on an erect, rachis to 4" [10 cm] long, many flowered inflorescence with triangular-ovate floral bracts.

The distinguishing factors for this species are the cauline leaves, the connivent petals and dorsal sepal, the canaliculate claw and the reniform lateral lobes of the lip.

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; *Icon. Pl. Trop., ser. 2, 6: t. 572 Dodson & Hirtz1989 drawing fide; Native Ecuadorian Orchids Vol 4 Dodson 2003 photo fide;

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