!Psygmorchis pusilla [L.] Dodson & Dressler 1972 Photo courtesy of Jerzy Dziedzic

Flower closeup Photo courtesy of Danny Lentz

Plant and Flower in situ Ecuador Photo by Lourens Grobler

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Common Name The Tiny Psygmorchis

Flower Size 1" [to 2.5 cm]

Found from Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panam, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Trinidad, Venezuela, Surinam, Guyana and French Guyanan on trees and shrubs in pastures, coffee plantations and hot humid forests at elevations 500 to 950 meters as a miniature sized, hot to warm growing, fan-shaped, twig epiphyte with numerous, bilaterally compressed, lanceolate-subfalcate, acute, subfleshy leaves that blooms in the fall through the spring on a short, 3/4" [2 cm] axillary, single flowered inflorescence with ovate, acute floral bracts that are smaller than the ovary and all is shorter or equal to the length of the leaves.

Synonyms Cymbidium iridifolium Sw. ex Steud. 1840; Cymbidium pusillum Sw. 1799; *Epidendrum pusillum L. 1763; Epidendrum ventilabrum Vell. 1827; Erycina allemanii (Barb.Rodr.) N.H.Williams & M.W.Chase 2001; Erycina pusilla (L.) N.H.Williams & M.W.Chase 2001; Oncidium allemanii Barb. Rodr. 1882; Oncidium iridifolium H.B.K. 1816; Oncidium pusillum [L.] Rchb.f 1863; Oncidium pusillum var. megalanthum Schltr. 1924; Psygmorchis allemanii (Barb.Rodr.) Garay & Stacy 1974; Tolumnia pusilla (L.) Hoehne 1949

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Lankester's Epidendra Website CR ; Symbolae Antillanae Vol VI Orchidaceae Urban 1909 as Oncidium pussilum; Venezuelan Orchids Illustrated Vol 1 Dunsterville & Garay 1959 as Oncidium pusilla; Flora de Venezuela Foldats Volumen XV Part 5 1970 as Oncidium pusillum; Icones Planetarum Tropicarum Plate 276 Dodson 1980; Icones Planetarum Tropicarum Plate 1143 Dodson 1984; Icones Planetarum Tropicarum Series II Orchids of Peru Plate 062 Dodson & Bennett 1989; Fieldiana Biology, Flora Costa Ricensis Family # 39 Orchidaceae, subtribes Maxillariinae and Oncidiinae Atwood & Mora 1997; Lindleyana Vol 16 No 2 2001 as Erycina allemanii; Lindleyana Vol 16 No 2 2001 as Erycina pusilla; Icones Orchidacearum Peruviarum Plate 751 Bennett & Christenson 2001; Native Colombian Orchids Vol 6 COS 1998; Native Ecuadorian Orchids Vol 5 Dodson 2004; The Pictoral Encyclopedia of Oncidium Zelenko 2004; Orquideologia Vol. 23 No 1 2004 photo; Vanishing Beauty; Native Costa Rican Orchids Vol 1 Pupulin 2005 as Erycina pusila; AOS Bulletin Vol 75 No 1 2006 photo; Orchid Species Culture: Oncidium, Bakers 2006; Orquideas de la Serrania del Baudo Misas Urreta 2006;

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