Porroglossum actrix Luer & R.Escobar 1991 SUBGENUS Porroglossum SECTION Porroglossum
Photos by © Patricia Harding
One Lip Triggered and one relaxed
Photo by © Jay Pfahl
TYPE Drawing by Carl Luer
Common Name The Performer Porroglossum [An allusion to a tightrope walker and the flower shape on the inflorescence]
Flower Size 1.6" [4 cm]
Found in Putumayo department of Colombia on the eastern slopes at elevations around 2000 meters as a mini-miniature sized, cool to cold growing epiphyte with erect, slender ramicauls enveloped by 2 to 3 tubular sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, ellipical, obtuse, narrowing below into the cuneate base leaf that blooms in the spring on a congested, erect, smooth, slender, 1.6 to 3" [4 to 7.5 cm] long, successively few flowered, racemose inflorescnece arising from low on the ramicaul with 2 to 3, closely applied, distant bracts and imbricating floral bracts.
"Identified by the extremely broad, orange brown, dorsal sepals with an acutely reflexed, short tail. The lemon yellow lateral sepals are much narrower with a straight pair of slender tails extended outward from each side like a miniature balancing pole of an aerialst on a high wire. The callus of the base of the lip above the strap is thick." Luer 1991
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Pleurothallidinarum VIII Systematics of Lepanthospsis, Octomeria subgenus Pleurothallopsis, Restrepiella, Salpistele and Teagueia Luer 1991 drawing fide; Native Colombian Orchids Vol 4 COS 1992 photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 71 No 1 2007 photo fide; Orquideologia Vol 27 #2 2010 photo fide; Pleurothallids Neotropical Jewels Vol 1 Karremans & Viera 2020 photo fide; Orchids Masdevallia with its segregates including Dracula Zelenko 2014 photo fide;
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