Pleurothallis gargantua Luer 1996SUBGENUS Pleurothallis SECTION Macrophyllae-Fasciculatae Lindl 1859
Photos by © Jay Pfahl
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Common Name The Giant Pleurothallis
Flower Size 1" [2.5 cm] x 3" [7.5cm]
Found in Ecuador as a large sized, warm to cool growing terrestrial orchid on steep forests at elevations around 1500 to 2500 meters with stout, erect ramicauls enveloped by 3 to 4 tubular sheaths and another below the middle and carrying a single, apical, spreading, coriaceous, broadly ovate, acute, basally sessile and deeply cordate leaf that blooms in the winter and spring on a short fascile of short, successive single flowered inflorescence arising through a spathe at the leaf base holding the flower close against the base of the leaf.
This species flower is the largest of the genus and the other giant leafed relatives are P imperialis, P reginae, P colossus and P teaguei
Synonyms Acronia gargantua (Luer) Luer 2005; Zosterophyllanthos gargantua (Luer) Szlach. & Kulak, Richardiana 6: 134 (2006
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; AOS Bulletin Vol 72 No 4 2003 photo fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum XXVII Systematics of Dryadella and Acronia Section Macrophyllae-Fasciculatae Luer 2005 as Acronia gargantua drawing fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 75 No 8 2006 drawing fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 81 #11 2012 as Stelis gargantuaphoto fide; Orchids of Tropical America Meisel 2014 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 89 #11 2020 photo fide;
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