Scelochilus romansii Dodson 1982 Photo by Eric Hunt

Common Name Romans' Scelochilus [Discoverer of Species Current]

Flower Size 1 1/2" [3.75 cm]

Found in Ecuador at elevations around 600 meters as a miniature sized, warm growing epiphyte with pendant, oblong-cylindrical pseudobulbs enveloped basally by distichous, imbricating, deciduous, leaf-bearing sheaths carrying a single, apical, elliptical acute, tapering below into a narrow, conduplicate, petiole-like base leaf that blooms int hte spring on an axillary, pendant, to 4" [10 cm] long, 5 to 9 flowered, racemose inflorescence arising from thelwoer leaf axil and holding the small, bell-shaped flowers towards the apex.

CAUTION Dodson's drawing of S romansii in Icones clearly shows 2 calli on the lip and 2 horn-like extensions towards the base, If you check Dodson's drawing of S hirtzii it has a smooth lip and the 2 horn like extensions at the base as this one does. In Native Colombian Orchids #594 the flower has 2 calli on the lip and 2 hook-like extensions at the base. Could this one, S romansii, S hirtzii and S langlassei be confused in the publications? Who knows how to sort them out? Are they correct on my site?

Synonyms Comparettia romansii [Dodson] Chase & NH Wms. 2008

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; *Icones Planetarum Tropicarum Plate 486 Dodson 1982 drawing not Eric Hunt's has no lip calli; Rudolf Schlechter Die Orchideen Band 1B lieferung 31 1905 - 1976 Brieger 1995 drawing good; Native Ecuadorian Orchids Vol 5 Dodson 2004 drawing not Eric Hunt's has no lip calli ; Orchid Species Culture, Oncidium Bakers 2006; AOS Bulletin Vol 77 No 12 2008 as Comparettia romansii

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------