Microchilus fendleri Ormerod 2005

TYPE Drawing by © Paul Ormerod and Harvard Pap. Bot. 9: 404 fig 14 Ormerod 2005

Common Name Fendler's Microchilus [Prussian born American Orchid Collector in Venzuela 1800's]

Flower Size .12" [3 mm]

Found in Miranda state of Venezuela on headwater slopes in cloud forests at elevations of 1350 to 1400 meters and along rivers at 800 to 1000 meters as a colony-forming, small sized, warm to cool growing terrestrial with a creeping rhizome giving rise to an erect, dull green stem carrying laxly, 6 or more, ovate-elliptic, subacuminate, dark green above with blackish-purple mottling (not evident in dry material) or rich dull green above, dull grey-green below, petiolate base leaves that blooms in the fall on an erect, terminal, pubescent, 8.32 to 21.6" [20.8 to 53.5 cm] long overall, peduncle 6 to 10" [15 to 25 cm] long, provided with 2 or 3, scattered, sheathing bracts, rachis pale green, 2.32 to 5.6" [5.8 to 14.0 cm] long, densely many flowered inflorescence with greenish-white to creamy-white, oblong-elliptic, subacuminate, much longer tha the ovary floral bracts and carrying to 1 externally pubescent, creamy flowers or with the sepals pale yellow-green with white margins and a white lip.

"This species is related to the Peruvian Microchilus major but differs from it in having longer flowers .26 to .36" versus .2" (6.5 to 9 vs. 5 mm), a longer spur .18 to .192" versus .16" (4.5 to 4.8 vs. 4 mm) and a slightly longer column .132 to .134" versus .12" (3.3 to 3.4 vs. 3 mm). Another close relative is the Colombian Microchilus paleaceus , which has flowers that reach .268" [6.7 mm] long with a shorter .148" [3.7 mm] long spur, an epichile with narrower lobules .02 versus .04 to .044" (.5 vs. 1 to 1.1 mm) wide, and a slightly shorter .12" [3 mm] long column." Ormerod 2009

Synonyms *Microchilus arietinus var. federalensis Ormerod 2005

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

* Harvard Pap. Bot. 9: 405 Ormerod 2005 Drawing fide;

Materials to the Orchid Flora of Colombia Vol 1: 334 Szlachetko & Kolanowska 2017 as M dressleri drawing fide;

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