Microchilus sarmientoi Szlach. & Kolan. 2014

Drawing by © A Krol/Szlach. & Kolan. 2017

Common Name Sarmiento's Microchilus [Colombian Collector of the type current]

Flower Size .08" [2 mm]

Found in Boyaca department of Colombia at elevations around 2130 meters as a large sized, cold growing terrestrial with an erect leafy stem carrying about 4, gathered at the lower part of the stem, obliquely elliptic-ovate to oblong-elliptic, acuminate, petiolate base leaves that blooms in the summer on an erect, terminal, to 14" [35 cm] long ovarall, laxly many flowered inflorescence with obliquely lanceolate-ovate, densely glandular longer than the ovary floral bracts and carrying flowers with densely glandular sepals.

"This species is similar to a group of small flowered Microchilus with rectangular hypochile. One of them is Microchilus chingualensis from which M sarmientoi is separable by the narrower spur, the rectangular hypochile versus oblong-obovate and the oblong-spathulate petals with an oblique apiculus versus oblong-linear. Also somewhat similar to Microchilus fosteri but the epichile lobules of M sarmientoi are obliquely rectangular versus oblong-triangular, the hypochile is very thick and fleshy versus thin and the spur is prominently shorter. Microchilus laegaardii is another similar species but its hypochile lobules are ligulate, the spur is shorter amd the petals lack any oblique apiculus. Microchilus palmazuensis differs from the new species by having a more robust spur and a long apiculate epichile. Microchilus puyoensis has a clavate, subacute, subfalcate spur, a narrowly rectangular hypochile and petals that are subacute at the apex." Szlach. & Kolan. 2017

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

*Pl. Biosystems 148: 903 Szlach. & Kolan. 2014;

Materials to the Orchid Flora of Colombia Vol 1: 344 Szlachetko & Kolanowska 2017 drawing fide;

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