Aa argyrolepis Rchb.f. 1854
Photo by © Alejando Calderon Gonzales
Drawing by © S Nowak/Szlachetko & Kolanowska 2019
LATE 
Common Name The Silvery Scaled Aa
Flower Size
Found in Guajira and Magdalena departments of Colombia, Pichincha province of Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia among glacial rocks at elevations of 2500 to 4200 meters as a medium sized, cold growing terrestrial with fleshy tuberous, pubescent roots giving rise to leaves that are almost completely absent at flowering, and blooms in the late winter and spring with the leaves absent or withering, on an erect, terminal, slender, to 16" [40 cm] long, loosely many sheathed, short, cylindric, glabrous, densely many flowered inflorescence and erect, ovate, acute, somewhat surpassing the flowers floral bracts and carrying tiny, glabrous flowers.
"Similar to Aa denticulata and Aa lozanoi but Aa argyrolepis can be distinguished by the denticulate to crenulate margins of the bracts, sepals and petals which are entire in the other 2 species." Szlachetko & Kolanowska 2019
Synonyms Altensteinia argyrolepis (Rchb.f.) Rchb.f.1855
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
*Xenia Orchidaceae 1: 18 Rchb.f 1854;
Bonplandia 3: 239 Rchb.f 1855 as Altenstenia argyrolepis;
Flora of Ecuador No 9 225[1] Garay 1978;
Native Colombian Orchids Vol 5 COS 1994 photo fide;
Flora Of Ecuador # 76 225[2] Dodson & Luer 2005;
Orchid Digest Vol 81 #2 2017 photo not!!!!!!!!!!!!;
Orchids, A Colombian Treasure Vol 1 Ortiz & Uribe 2014 drawing fide
Materials to the Orchid Flora of Colombia Vol 2: 27 Szlachetko & Kolanowska 2019 drawing fide
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