Ponthieva garayana Dodson & R.Vásquez 1989

Photo by J P Janovich Leaves P> Photo by Leon Glicenstein

to EARLY

Common Name Garay's Ponthieva [American Orchid Enthusiast current]

Flower Size .6" [1.5 cm]

Found in Bolivia in upper wet montane forests at elevations of 2900 to 3000 meters as a small sized, cool to cold growing terrestrial with 2 to several, rosulate, erect, ovate, short acuminate, abruptly contracted into the cuneate, elongate, petiolate base leaves that blooms in the spring and early summer on an erect, glabrous to sparsely pilose, to 14" [to 35 cm] long, several to 12 flowered inflorescence with 3 distant infundibular bracts and a tubular floral bract and carrying non-resupinate flowers

This species and what I have for P diptera are very similar. I am not sure if P diptera is correct but this one fits Hamer's and Dodson's, Icones drawings exactly. If they are conspecific then P diptera takes precedence. I await good drawings of P diptera to make a final descision.

CAUTION The determinations of this group [P diptera, P garayana, P tuerckheimii] are very difficult to work with photos as there are just not enough photo angles of the flowers to get the lip right

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; *Icones Planetarum Tropicarum Series II Orchids of Bolivia plate 0365 Dodson & Vasquez 1989 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum Peruviarum plate 0748 Bennett & Christenson 2001 drawing fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 80 #12 2011 photo fide;

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