Cranichis calva (Kraenzl.) Schltr. 1921

Drawing by © Bennett & Christenson

Part shade Cold LATE Fall

Common Name or Meaning The ? Cranichis

Flower Size .24" [6 mm]

Found in Cauca and Nariño departments of Colombia and Huancaveliva department of Peru in very wet, cold cloud forests at elevations around 2800 meters as a small sized, cold growing terrestrial with a short stem carrying sparse, oblong to broadly lanceolate, acuminate, petiolate base leaves that blooms in the late fall on an erect, long-pedunculate, 9.6" [24 cm] long, glabrous, rachis to 1.8" [4.5 cm] long, many flowered inflorescence with lanceolate, acuminate, shorter than the ovary floral bracts and carrying non-resupinate, greenish white flowers.

Distinguished by the small size of the plant, the glabrous inflorescence, the unlobed labellum and the oblong-lanceolate petals." Bennett & Christenson 2001

Synonyms Cranichis calva var. vargasii C.Schweinf. 1951; *Ponthieva calva Kraenzl. 1916

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

Beibl. Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 117: 20 Kraenzlin 1916 as Ponthieva calva

* Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 9: 128 Schlechter 1921

Flora Brasilica Vol XII II 13-43: 128 Hoehne 1945;

Bot. Mus. Leafl. 15: 4 C Schweinfurth 1951 as C calva var. vargasii

Orchids of Peru Vol 1: 111 Schweinfurth 1958;

Orchids of Peru Vol 1: 112 Schweinfurth 1958 as C alva var vargasii;

Icones Orchidacearum Peruviarum Plate 615 Bennett & Christenson 2001 drawing fide;

Orchids, A Colombian Treasure Vol 1 Ortiz & Uribe 2014

PeerJ 7-e7385: 45 Szlach. & Kolan. 2019 2019 drawing fide

Materials to the Orchid Flora of Colombia Vol 3: 21 Szlachetko & Kolanowska 2020

Materials to the Orchid Flora of Colombia Vol 3: 22 fig 33 Szlachetko & Kolanowska 2020

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