Trichosalpinx drosoides Carnevali & I.Ramíriez 1987 SUBGENUS Tubella Luer 1986

Drawing by © Carl Luer and The Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Jany Renz Herbaria Website

Full shade Cool Spring

Common Name The Dew Trichosalpinx [possibly refers to the dewy habitat]

Flower Size .2" [5 mm]

Found in Zulia state of Venezuela in cloud forest in moss at elevations of 1500 to 1800 meters as a mini-miniature sized, cool growing epiphyte with more or less prostrate, prolific, branching, slender ramicauls enveloped by 2 to 3 closely adpressed, minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths and carrying a single, apical, prostrate to pendent, thickly coricaeous, broadly elliptical to suborbicular, obtuse to rounded, rounded and contracted below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the spring on a loose, slender, .4" [1 cm] long including the .2" [5 mm] long peduncle, successively 2 flowered inflorescence arising from near the apex of the ramicaul.

"This little creeping species is scandent with short, prolific ramicauls growing within moss. The thick leaves are nearly round, creating the shape of a lens. The inflorescence is a distantly 2 flowered raceme a bit longer than the leaf. The sepals are acute, the petals are subfalcate and tapered above the middle to the acute apex, and the apex of the arcuate lip is obtuse and erose, while the sides below the apical third are broadly rounded and erect." Luer 1997

Synonyms Tubella drosoides (Carnevali & I.Ramírez) Archila 2000

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XV Systematics of Trichosalpinx Luer 1997 drawing fide;

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