Pleurothallis herpethophyton Schltr. 1929 SUBGENUS Specklinia SECTION Muscosae Lindl. 1842

Photo by © The Ecuagenera Orchid Website

Common Name or Meaning The Snake-Like Pleurothallis [refers to the repent habit of the plant]

Flower Size .12" [3 mm]

Found in Ecuador and Bolivia on the eastern slopes of the Andes at elevations around 1050 to 1150 meters as a mini-miniature sized, warm growing epiphyte with ascending to erect ramcauls enveloped by 2 to 3 tubular sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, narrowly elliptical, acute to subacute, gradually narrowing below into the base leaf that blooms in the winter and spring on a racemose, 1 to a few, simultaneous, comparatively stout, more or less secund to distichous, of .48 to 8.8" [12 to 22cm] long, densely and simultaneously many flowered inflorescence arising through a spathe with an annulus below the abscission layer.

Synonyms Anathallis herpetophyton (Schltr.) Luer 2009; Panmorphia herpethophyton (Schltr.) Luer 2006; Specklinia herpethophyton (Schltr.) Luer 2004

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXVI Luer 2004 as Specklinia herpethophyton; Icones Pleurothallidianrum Vol XXVIII Luer 2006 as Panmorphia herpethophyton drawing ok

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

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