Trichosalpinx metamorpha Luer & Hirtz 1997 SUBGENUS Tubella Luer 1986

TYPE Drawing by © Carl Luer and Epidendra Orchid Website

Common Name The Metamorpha Trichosalpinx [refers tothe 2 vegetative forms of the species]

Flower Size .2" [5 mm]

Found in Loja province of Ecuador in cloud forests at elevations around 3350 meters as a mini-miniature sized, cold growing epiphyte with 2 distinct vegetative forms, the sterile basal form has erect, stout ramicauls enveloped by 3 to 4 minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths and carrying an erect, thickly coriaceous, narrowly elliptical, acute, contracted below into the petiolate base leaf, the second vegetative form arising out and above the first has much longer, stout erect ramicauls enveloped by 6 to 7, coarsly pubescent, lepanthiform sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, thickly coriaceous, narrowly elliptical, acute, contracted below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the fall on 1 to 2, simultaneous, secund, [3 to 3.5 cm] long, several flowered inflorescence arising from near the apex of the ramicaul.

"Short lepanthiform sheathed ramicauls bearing much longer, thick, narrowly ellitical leaves form dense caespitose plants. From within the clump an occasional stout ramicaul with coarsely pubescent lepanthiform sheaths rises several times higher than the other leaves with short ramicauls. At the apex, a leaf only half the size of the leaves below is produced. It is from these tall ramicauls that the inflorescence are borne. The ovate lip possesses a tall, longitudinal lamella above the base, otherwise the flowers are typical of the SUBGENUS Tubella Luer 1986 ." Luer 1997

Synonyms Tubella metamorpha (Luer & Hirtz) Archila 2000

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

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