Microchilus putumayoensis Ormerod 2005

TYPE Drawing by Paul Ormerod andHarvard Pap. Bot. 9: 415 fig 35 Ormerod 2005

Common Name The Putumayo Microchilus [A Department of Colombia where the type occured]

Flower Size .04" [1 mm]

Found in Putumayo department of Colombia at elevations around 850 meters as a small to medium sized, warm growing terrestrial with a terete, creeping rhizome giving rise to an erect, greyish green, terete stem carrying laxly 6, green, shiny on top, greyish below, obliquely ovate to ovate-elliptic, acute, petiolate base leaves that blooms in the winter on an erect, terminal, reddish brown with white pubescence, 12.04" [31 cm] long, peduncle 6.8" [17 cm] long, provided with 2 to 3, scattered, sheathing bracts, rachis 5.6" [14 cm] long, sublaxly to 35 flowered inflorescence with green basally, reddish brown towards the apex, ovate-lanceolate, acute, longer than the ovary floral bracts and carrying externally pubescent flowers with sepals greenish at the base white at the apex, petals white with a brownish midline, a white-yellow towards the base lip,m a greenish-yellow spur, a white column and a yellow pollina.

"This species is reminiscent of the Peruvian M rioitayanus in its floral characters, but it differs from that entity in having broader ovate to ovate-elliptic (vs. lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate) Leaves." Ormerod 2005

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

* Harvard Pap. Bot. 9: 419 Ormerod 2005

Harvard Pap. Bot. 9: 418 fig 35 Ormerod 2005 drawing fide;

Materials to the Orchid Flora of Colombia Vol 1: 291 Szlachetko & Kolanowska 2017 drawing fide;

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