Pleurothallis immersa Linden & Rchb. f. 1855 SUBGENUS Specklinia SECTION Effusae Lindl. 1842

Plant Photos by © Jay Pfahl

Another Flower Photo courtesy of Daniel Jimenez.

Yellow form Photo courtesy of Dale and Deni Borders.

Dark Color Form Photo courtesy of Tien Pham of V&T Orchids.

Flower Closeup Photo courtesy of Joseph Dougherty.

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Common Name The Sunken Pleurothallis [Refers to the hanging Flowers]

Flower Size 1/4 to 1/2" [6mm to 1.2 cm]

This miniature to small sized, warm to cool growing growing epiphyte is found in Oaxaca, Veracruz and Chiapas states of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador in montane rainforests and elfin forests at altitudes of 800 to 1800 meters with stout stems enveloped basally by 2 brown, scarious sheaths carrying a single, apical, coriaceous, oblong-oblanceolte, obtuse and retuse apically, gradually narrow below into the conduplicte, petiolate base, lustrous bright green leaves that can bloom several times a year but most often in the summer on an apical, fractiflex, wiry, 6 1/2" to 16" [16 cm to 40 cm] long, racemose inflorescence with several nodding, non-fragrant flowers held longer than the leaves and arising from the midrib at mid leaf.

Very similar to P lehymanneptis but it differs mostly in the inflorescence which arises from the base of the leaf instead of at the mid vein at the middle of the leaf.

Synonyms Effusiella immersa Luer 2007; Humboldtia immersa (Linden & Rchb. f.) Kuntze 1891; Humboldtia krameriana (Rchb.f.) Kuntze 1891 ; Humboltia immersa (Linden & Rchb. f.) Kuntze 1891; Pleurothallis calerae Schltr. 1923; Pleurothallis krameriana Rchb.f. 1865; Pleurothallis lasiosepala Schlechter 1912; Pleurothallis calerae Schlechter 1923; Specklinia calderae (Luer) Luer 2004; Specklinia immersa (Linden & Rchb.f.) Luer 2004; Stelis immersa (Linden & Rchb.f.) Pridgeon & M.W.Chase 2001

References W3 Tropicos Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Lankester's Epidendra Website CR ; *Bonplandia 3: 224. Rchb.f 1855; Xenia Orchidaceae Vol 3 Reichenbach 1896 drawing; Repert. Sp. Nov. Regni. Veg. Beih. 19: 184. Costa Rica Schlechter 1923 as P calerae; Orchids of Guatemala & Belize Ames & Correll 1952; Venezuelan Orchids Vol 3 Dunsterville & Garay 1965 drawing good; Encyclopedia of Cultivated Orchids Hawkes 1965; Flora de Venezuela Foldats Volumen XV Part 2 1970 drawing ok; Orchids of Venezuela, An Illustrated Field Guide Vol 3 Dunsterville & Garay 1979 drawing good; AOS Bulletin Vol 49 No 6 1980 photo; Icones Planetarum Tropicarum plate 1112 Dodson 1984 drawing fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Systematics of Pleurothallis Vol 3 Luer 1986; Native Colombian Orchids Vol 3 COS 1991 as P immersa photo not = P lehmanneptis; Venezuela; Paraiso de Orquideas Romero 1997 photo fide; Native Colombian Orchids Vol 6 COS 1998 errata = P lehmanneptis; Native Colombian Orchids Vol 6 COS 1998 photo ok; Orchids of Venezuela [An illustrated field guide] Vol. 3 Ramiro and Carnevali 2000 drawing fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XX Luer 2000 drawing fide; Lindleyana Vol 16 No 4 2001 as Stelis immersa; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXVI Luer 2004 as Specklinia immersa; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXIX Luer 2007 as Effusiella immersa; Icones Orchidacearum fascile 10 plate 1096 Hagsater & Soto 2008 as Stelis immersa drawing fide; Orchids of Costa Rica Vol 5 Morales 2009 photo fide;

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