Restrepia piperitosa Luer 1998 Restrepia SUBGENUS Restrepia SECTION Restrepia
Photo by © Davy's Cloud Forest Jewels Facebook page
TYPE Drawing by © Carl Luer and The Epidendra Website
Common Name The Peppermint Restrepia [An allusion to the red striped synsepal being like the peppermint candy - Mentha piperita is the plant that the flavor comes from]
Flower Size .32" [.8 cm]
Found in Peru without collection data as a mini-miniature sized epiphyte with erect ramicauls enveloped by 6 to 7 loose, compressed, lowermost few with dark purple spots, imbricating sheaths carrying an erect, purple suffused, coriaceous, elliptical, subacute to obtuse, broadly cuneate below and contracted into the twisted, subpetiolate base leaf that blooms in the winter on a behind the leaf, fascile of slender, 1.2 to 1.8" [3.4 to 4.5 cm] long, successively singel flowered inflorescence with tubular floral bracts.
This species is one of the smallest of the genus [ R vasquezgarciae recently described is half as much smaller]and has the broadly striped synsepal with pure white towards the apex and purple towards the base. Without the stripes it resembles R brachypus, R echinata and R elegans. With the stripes it resembles R iris but it has a larger flower and a non-verrucose lip.
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XVI Systematics of Pleurothallis SUBGEN Crocodeilanthe, Rhynchopera and Talpinaria Luer 1998 drawing fide; Richardiana, N.S. 3: 13 Archila, Chiron & Reyes 2019
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