Microchilus queremalensis Ormerod 2008

TYPE Drawing by Paul Ormerod andHarvard Pap. Bot. 13: 82 fig 34 Ormerod 2008

Common Name The El Queremal Microchilus [A town in Valle de Cauca Colombia near where the type was collected]

Flower Size .12" [3 mm]

Found in Valle de Cauca department of Colombia at elevations of 1450 to 1480 meters as a small to medium sized, warm growing terrestrial with an erect, terete stem carrying 6, obliquely narrowly elliptic, ovate-elliptic, subacuminate, petiolate base leaves that blooms in the summer on on an erect, terminal, pubescent, 14.04" [35.1 cm] long, peduncle 6.93" [17.9 cm] long, provided with laxly 5 sheathing bracts, rachis 6.88" [17.2 cm] long, subdensely many flowered inflorescence with broadly ovate-rhombic to ovate-lanceolate, acute, longer than the ovary floral bracts and carrying externally pubescent, white flowers.

"This species is related to its Colombian congener Microchilus libanoensis but it has shorter .4 to .44" versus .6" (10 to 11 vs. 15 mm) floral bracts, flowers with a shorter .14 versus .18 to .2" (3.5 vs. 4.75 to 5 mm) spur, and a wider .112 to .116" versus .084 to .092" (2.8 to 2.9 vs. 2.1 to 2.3 mm) labellum epichile. Another closely related Colombian species is Microchilus erythrodoides, but it has narrower .056 versus .07" (1.4 vs. 1.75 mm) lateral sepals and a thinner, shorter .16 versus .192" (4 vs. 4.8 mm), subpandurate (not oblong) labellum hypochile." Ormerod 2008

Synonyms .12" [3 mm]

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

* Harvard Pap. Bot. 13: 81 Ormerod 2008

Harvard Pap. Bot. 13: 82 fig 34 Ormerod 2008 drawing fide;

Materials to the Orchid Flora of Colombia Vol 1: 348 Szlachetko & Kolanowska 2017 as Aspidogyne chocoensis drawing fide;

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