Pleurothallis ptychophora Luer & Hirtz 1996 SUBGENUS Pleurothallis SECTION Pleurothallis SUBSECTION Antenniferae 1998 Photo by Ecuagenera and their Ecuador Orchid Website

Another Flower wider petals Photo by © Byron Rinke

Common Name or Meaning The Folded Pleurothallis [refers to the deflexed apex of the lip]

Flower Size .2" [5mm]

Found in Ecuador on the eastern slopes of the Andes in wet tropical and montane forests at elevations around 1250 to 2000 meters as a medium sized, warm to cool growing terrestrial on roadbanks with slender to stout, erect ramicauls enveloped basally by 2 to 3 thin, tubular sheaths and another below the middle and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, broadly ovate, obtuse to subacute, shortly acuminate, sessile, broadly rounded base leaf that blooms in the fall on 6 to 10, erect, congested, 6 to 12" [15 to 30 cm] long, simultaneously many flowered, racemose inflorescence arising through a slender spathe at the base of the leaf.

The 2 species in the photographs above appear to match the type but differs in having a less orbicular leaf, single shorter inflorescence and fewer, larger flowers, so use with caution.

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list, IPNI ; Icones Pleurothallidianrum Vol XVIII Luer 1999 drawing ok see above; Native Ecuadorian Orchids Vol 4 Dodson 2003 photo fide;

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