Pleurothallis pubescens Lindl. 1836 Subgen. Acianthera Sect. Brachystachyae Lindley 1859
Flower Super-Closeup Photo courtesy of Americo Docha Neto
Photo courtesy of Dale and Deni Borders
Flower Closeup Photo courtesy of Noble Bashor
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Common Name The Fine Haired Pleurothallis
Flower Size 1/16" or less [.05 cm]
A highly variable, miniature sized, unifoliate epiphytic species from dense humid forests, at altitudes of 500 to 1900 meters in the countries of Dominican Republic, Puerto Rica, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, French Guiana, Surinam, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina Argentina with slender ramicauls enveloped basally by 2 to 3 tubular sheaths and carrying a sigle, apical, obovate, acute leaf that is ancipitous below into the petiole and blooms on an apical, fasciculate, 1 3/4" [4.5 cm] long, few flowered, racemose inflorescence arising through a spathe that holds the fragrant [not good] flowers close to mid leaf occuring in the summer through winter.
Synonyms Acianthera pubescens (Lindl.) Pridgeon & M.W.Chase 2001; Humboldtia bufonis (Klotzsch) Kuntze 1891; Humboldtia polystachya Ruiz & Pav 1798; Humboldtia pubescens (Lindl.) Kuntze ?; Humboldtia smithiana (Lindl.) Kuntze?; Humboldtia truxillensis (Rchb. f.) Kuntze?; Humboldtia vittata (Lindl.) Kuntze?; Humboltia bufonis (Klotzsch) Kuntze 1891; Humboltia polystachya (A. Rich. & Galeotti) Kuntze 1891; Humboltia pubescens (Lindl.) Kuntze 1891; Humboltia smithiana (Lindl.) Kuntze 1891; Humboltia truxillensis (Rchb. f.) Kuntze 1891; Pleurothallis bourgeaui Kraenzl. 1920; Pleurothallis bufonis Klotzsch 1854; Pleurothallis coriacea Bello 1883; Pleurothallis janeirensis Barb. Rodr. 1882; Pleurothallis mandibularis Kraenzl. 1920; Pleurothallis picta Hook 1842; Pleurothallis polystachya A. Rich. & Galeotti 1845; Pleurothallis porphyrantha Kraenzl. 1921; Pleurothallis riograndensis Barb. Rodr. 1882; Pleurothallis riograndensis var. longicaulis Cogn. 1896; Pleurothallis smithiana Lindl. 1843; Pleurothallis truxillensis Rchb. f. 1854; Pleurothallis vittata Lindl. 1838
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
Venezuelan Orchids Illustrated Vol 1 Dunsterville & Garay 1959 as P truxillensis; Flora de Venezuela Foldats Volumen XV Part 2 1969 as Pleurothallis vittata; Fieldiana Biology, Vol 33, 1st Supple. to the Orchids of Peru Scweinfurth 1970; Systematics of Pleurothallis Vol 3 Luer 1986; Icones Planetarum Tropicarum plate 1122 Dodson 1984; Icones Planetarum Tropicarum Series II Orchids of Peru Plate 0158 Dodson & Bennett 1989; Native Ecuadorian Orchids Vol 4 Dodson 2003;
Pleurothallis aff. pubescens Lindl. 1836
Plant Form and Growth Habit, note that the inflorescence are not visible as they are on the under side of the leaf Photo by Jay Pfahl
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This is a variant of the norm vegatatively. The leaves are thick, succulent and pointed at the end and they have a 3" long stem. The plant has the flowers growing on the underside of the leaf in the manner of Trichopsalpinx. This plant was collected in Chiapas Mexico and has flowers that open quickly in succession.
