Microchilus grandis (Ormerod) E.C.Smidt & M.W.Chase 2021

TYPE Drawing of Ligeophila grandis by Paul Ormerod and Harvard Pap. Bot. 13: 57 Ormerod 2008

Common Name The Large Microchilus [refers to the large robust size of the plant, largest of the Microchilus]

Flower Size .2" [5 mm]

Found in Panama in montane forests at elevations around 2135 meters as a medium sized, cold growing terrestrial with a terete rhizome giving rise to an erect stem carrying 9, thinly fleshy, oblong-lanceolate to elliptic- lanceolate, acute, petiolate base leaves that blooms in the summer on an erect, terminal, pubescent, 9.88" [19.7 cm] long, peduncle 2.48" [7.7 cm] long provided with crowded, subfoliose, acute sheathing bracts, rachis 4.8" [12 cm] long, densely may flowered inflorescence with broadly lanceolate, acute, pubescent, somewhat longer than the ovary floral bracts and carrying externally densely pubescent, dark green flowers with a white spur that is tipped green.

"This species is the most robust taxon in Ligeophila. It differs from all other taxa in the genus in having flowers with a conical spur and a lip with a suborbicular-trapeziform sessile epichile. Also the column seems different from other taxa in lacking an articulate rostellum, but it also seems unique in that the ventral surface is triangular in cross section." Ormerod 2005

Synonyms *Aspidogyne grandis (Ormerod) Ormerod 2007; Ligeophila grandis Ormerod 2005

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

Harvard Pap. Bot. 13: 57 Ormerod 2008 as Ligeophila grandis

Harvard Pap. Bot. 13: 58 Ormerod 2008 as Ligeophila grandis drawing fide

Materials to the Orchid Flora of Colombia Vol 1: 406 Szlachetko & Kolanowska 2017 as Aspidogyne grandis drawing fide;

* Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 197: 340 E.C.Smidt & M.W.Chase 2021

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