Microchilus nugax Ormerod 2007

TYPE Drawing by Paul Ormerod and Harvard Pap. Bot. 9: 162 fig 20 Ormerod 2005

Full Shade Cool ColdLATER Spring EARLYSummer

Common NameThe ? Microchilus

Flower Size .12" [3 mm]

Found in El Valle and Valle de Cauca departments of Colombia at elevations above 1500 to 2100 meters as a medium sized, cool to cold growing terrestrial with an erect, terete stem carrying up to laxly 5 to 7, ovate-elliptic, acute to subacuminate, petiolate base leaves that blooms in the later spring and early summer on an erect, terminal, pubescent, 8.28 to 13.68" [20.7 to 34.2 cm] long, peduncle 5.48 to 8.32" [13.7 to 22.8 cm] long, provided with 4 to 5 scattered lowermost subfoliaceous sheathing bracts, rachis 6.32 to 7.4" [7 to 11.4 cm] long, densely many flowered inflorescence with paleaceous, ovate-lanceolate, acute, longer than than the the ovary floral bracts and carrying externally sparsely pubescent, greenish flowers or possibly white or sepals and anterior petals pale brown, lip white..

"This species is closely related to Microchilus paleaceus but it differs in having an inflorescence with a longer peduncle 5.48 to 8.32" versus 4.08 to 5.2" (13.7 to 22.8 vs. 10.2 to 13 cm), longer floral bracts .7 to .8" versus .56" (1.75 to 2. vs. 1.4 cm), longer sepals .32 to .36" versus .26" (8 to 9 vs. 6.5 mm) and a longer column .14 to.16" versus .12" (3.5 to 4 mm vs. 3 mm). Another similar species is Microchilus hetaerioidesbut it differs from M. nugax in having shorter sepals .24 versus .32 to .36" (6 vs. 8 to 9 mm), a narrower labellum hypochile .6 versus .072 to .1" (1.5 vs. 1.8 to 2.5 mm), wider epichile .16" versus .12 to .14" (4 vs. 3 to 3.5 mm) and shorter spur .14 versus .16 to .2" (3.5 vs. 4 to 5 mm)." Ormerod 2007

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

* Harvard Pap. Bot. 11: 164 Ormerod 2007

Harvard Pap. Bot. 9: 162 fig 20 Ormerod 2005 drawing fide;

Materials to the Orchid Flora of Colombia Vol 1: 341 Szlachetko & Kolanowska 2017 drawing fide

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