Microchilus antioquiensis Szlach. & Kolan. 2017

TYPE Drawing byA Krol and and Materials to the Orchid Flora of Colombia Vol 1: 250 Szlachetko & Kolanowska 2017

LATE EARLY

Common Name Andre's Microchilus [french horticulturist and collector mid 1800's]

Flower Size b.01" [2.5 mm]

Found in Antioquia department of Colombia in montane oak forests at elevations around 2700 meters as a large sized, cold growing terrestrial with an erect, terete stem carryimg 5, obliquely ovate-elliptic, subacuminate, petiolate base leaves that blooms in the late winter and early spring on an erect, terminal, pubescent, 5.6" [14 cm] long overall, peduncle rather sparsely glandular, provided with a few sheathing bracts, rachis lax then dense in the apical 1/3, many flowered, inflorescence with ovate-lanceoalte, acute, glandular in the lower half as long as the ovary floral bracts.

"Differs from all others with a more or less globose spur, in the anchoriform epichile with lateral lobules being attenuate gradually towards the acute apex. The hypochile has 2 thickened patches in the center similar to M frontinensis but the flowers are densely glandular versus pubescent in the basal 1/4 only. In M frontinensis the epichile lobules are oblong-oblanceolate and apically rounded. A similar epichile form is seen in M luteyni but it has flowers and floral bracts half the size. " Szlachetko & Kolanowska 2017

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

*Materials to the Orchid Flora of Colombia Vol 1: 250 Szlachetko & Kolanowska 2017 drawing fide

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