Ponthieva diptera Lindl. & Rchb. f. 1854

Flower Closeup Photos courtesy of Jay Pfahl

Common Name or Meaning The Two-Winged Ponthieva

Flower Size 1/2" at largest

Found in Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador and Peru at elevations around 1400 to 2800 meters as a medium to large sized, cool to cold growing terrestrial orchid with 4 to 8 basal, ovate-elliptic, acute to acuminate, gradually narrowing below into the elongate, cuneate, petiolate base leaves that blooms on an erect, terminal, pubescent, 3 1/4" to 5" [8 to 12 cm] long, several to many [8 to 20] flowered inflorescence occuring in the summer in Colombia with scented flowers.

Synonyms Ponthieva dicliptera Rchb. f. 1886; Ponthieva elata Schlechter 1920; Ponthieva harrisii Cogn. 1909

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Symbolae Antillanae Vol VI Orchidaceae Urban 1909 as P harrisii; Die Orchideen der Sudamerikanischen Kordillerenstaaten II Colombia Schlechter 1920 as P elata; Flora de Venezuela Foldats Volumen XV Part 1 1969; The Orchids of Cuba Llamacho & Larramendi 2005 Orchidaceae Antillanae Nir 2000; Native Ecuadorian Orchids Vol 5 Dodson 2004;

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