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

TYPE Drawing of Aspidogyne mosaica by A Krol/Szlachetko & Kolanowska 2017

Common Name The Mosaic Microchilus

Flower Size

Found in Choco and Valle de Casuca departments of Colombia and Esmeraldas province of Ecuador in primary forests on muddy banks at elevations up to 520 meters as a mini-miniature sized, warm growing terrestrial with a thick, erect stem carrying 6, dark velvety green above, mottled with many pale green spots, ovate-elliptic, subacute, petiolate base leaves that blooms in the spring on an erect, terminal, pink-tan, pubescent, peduncle 4.28" [10.7 cm] long, provided with 2 to 3 scattered sheathing bracts, rachis 2.24" [5.6 cm] long, laxly flowered inflorescence with pink-tan, lanceolate, acute, as long as the ovary floral bracts and carrying spale pink to hyaline white, with a few scattered hairs externally flowers.

"The type has richly varigated leaves, but specimens from Ecuador seem to have unmarked leaves, though one was reported as having dark purple beneath. Otherwise this species is quite unique in the lip form, the hypochile is ligulate-lanceolate, the epichile fairly narrow and large and .2" [5 mm] wide with lanceolate-falcate lobules narrowing apically into narrower projections. The spur is short and barely reaching .12" [3 mm] and is conical-cylindrical in shape." Szlachetko & Kolanowska 2017

Synonyms *Aspidogyne mosaica Ormerod 2004

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

*Oasis Suppl. 3: 3 Ormerod 2004 as Aspidogyne mosaica

Materials to the Orchid Flora of Colombia Vol 1: 433 Szlachetko & Kolanowska 2017 as Aspidogyne mosaica drawing fide;

* Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 197: 337 E.C.Smidt & M.W.Chase 2021

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------