Ponthieva racemosa (Walter) C. Mohr 1901Photo courtesy of Herman Terborch of Botanische Orchideeën

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Common Name The Racemose Ponthieva - The Hairy Shadow Witch

Flower Size 1/2" [1.25 cm]

Found in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas states of USA as well as Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Leewards, Puerto Rico, Trinidad & Tobago, Windwards, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Brazil at elevations of 200 to 4000 meters as a small to medium sized, hot to cool growing terrestrial with a basal rosette of broad, variable, elliptic to lanceolate to obovate, acute, petiolate, glabrous leaves that blooms in the winter and early spring on an erect, pubescent, to 10" [to 25 cm] long, few to many flowered, racemose inflorescence with prominent bracts.

Synonyms Arethusa racemosa Walter 1788; Cranichis multiflora Elliott ex Nutt. 1818; Epipactis pubescens Pursh 1813; Listera pubescens (Pursh) Elliott 1823; Neottia glandulosa Sims 1805; Neottia pubera Steud. 1841; Nerissa glandulosa (Sims) Raf. 1837; Ponthieva costaricensis Schltr. 1923; Ponthieva glandulosa (Sims) R.Br. 1813; Ponthieva guatemalensis Rchb.f. 1866; Ponthieva lancifolia A.Rich. 1850; Ponthieva oblongifolia A.Rich. & Galeotti 1845; Serapias pubescens (Pursh) Steud. 1821

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Symbolae Antillanae Vol VI Orchidaceae Urban 1909 as P glandulosa; Repert. Sp. Nov. Regni. Veg. Beih. 19: 84. Costa Rica Schlechter 1923 as P costaricensis; Repert. Sp. Nov. Regni. Veg. Beih. 19: 84. Costa Rica Schlechter 1923 as P glandulosa; Repert. Sp. Nov. Regni. Veg. Beih. 19: 165. Costa Rica Schlechter 1923 as P costaricensis; Repert. Sp. Nov. Regni. Veg. Beih. 19: 165. Costa Rica Schlechter 1923 as P glandulosa; Venezuelan Orchids Vol 2 Dunsterville & Garay 1961; AOS Bulletin Vol 38 No 6 1969; Flora de Venezuela Foldats Volumen XV Part 1 1969; Icones Planetarum Tropicarum Plate 1138 Dodson 1984; AOS Bulletin Vol 54 No 3 1985 photo; Flora Novo-Galaciana Vol 16 Orchidaceae Mc Vaugh 1985; AOS Bulletin Vol,55 No 3 1986 photo; Fairchild Tropical Garden Bulletin Vol 47 No 2 1992 photo; Orchidaceae Antillanae Nir 2000; AOS Bulletin Vol 77 no 1 2008 photo

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