Pleurothallis polysticta Luer 1979 SUBGENUS Pleurothallis SECTION Pleurothallis SUBSECTION Acroniae SERIES Acroniae Luer 1988

TYPE Drawing by © Carl Luer and The Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Jany Renz Herbaria Website

Common Name The Many Spotted Pleurothallis

Flower Size .2" [5 mm]

Found in Darien province of Panama and Antioquia department of Colombia at elevations around 250 to 2500 meters as a mini-miniature to miniature sized, hot to cold growing, caespitose epiphyte with erect, slender ramicauls with a close tubular sheath above the middle and another at the base and carrying a single, apical, coriaceous, narrowly elliptical-ovate, acute, cuneate below into the sessile base leaf that blooms in the winter and spring on an erect, lax, arising through a prostrate spathe, to 2.8 to 6" [7 to 15 cm] long including the 1.2 to 3.2" [3 to 8 cm] long slender peduncle, simultaneously few flowered inflorescence with a much shorter than the pedicel floral bract.

"This delicate little species differs from P. pallida and its host of relatives in the narrow leaves, the few-flowered raceme of translucent greenish white, rose-spotted flowers with entire petals and a broadly cordate, apiculate lip with a tiny pair of calli in the center of the disc." Luer 1979

"Characterized by the medium sized habit with narrowly elliptic, sessile leaves, a lax few flowered raceme longer than the leaf of long-pedicellate, transluscent greenish, purple spotted flowers with narrow, attnuate petals longer than the obtuse but acuminate dorsal sepal and similar synsepal ans a broadly cordate, apiculate lip with a smalll pair of calli at the base of the disc." Luer 1998

Synonyms Acronia polysticta (Luer) Luer 2005

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

* Selbyana 5(2): 176 Luer 1979 Drawing fide;

Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol III Systematics of Pleurothallis Luer 1986;

Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XVII Systematics of Subgen Pleuorthallis Sect Abortivae Sect Truncatae Sect Pleurothallis subsection Acroniae Subsect Pleurothallis Subgen Dracontia Subgen Uncifera Luer 1998

Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XVII Systematics of Subgen Pleuorthallis Sect Abortivae Sect Truncatae Sect Pleurothallis subsection Acroniae Subsect Pleurothallis Subgen Dracontia Subgen Uncifera Luer 1998 drawing fide;

Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXVII Dryadella Acronia section Macrophyllae-Fasciculatae Luer 2005 as Acronia polysticta

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