Microchilus xeranthum Ormerod 2007

TYPE Drawing by Paul Ormerod and Harvard Pap. Bot. 11: 175 fig 34 Ormerod 2007

LATE EARLY

Common Name The ? Microchilus

Flower Size .08" [2 mm]

Found in Cauca department of Colombia in woods at elevations around 900 meters as a small sized, warm growing terrestrial with a decumbent in the lower half, erect above, terete stem carrying sublaxly to 12 leaves, obliquely ovate-lanceolate, acute, petiolate base leaves that blooms in the late winter and early spring on an erect, pubescent, terminal, pubescent, 8.96" [19.9 cm] long, peduncle 3.46" [8.6 cm] long, provided with 2, remote sheathing bracts, rachis 4.52" [11.3cm] long, subdensely many flowered inflorescence with disintegrated floral bracts and carrying glabrous flowers oif unknown colors.

"This species is similar to the Mesoamerican M tessellatus which also has 10 to 12 leaved stems and small flowers. However M. xeranthum has concolorous (not tessellated) leaves, smaller flowers, tepals 11.6 to .12" versus .152 to .16" (2.9 to 3 vs. 3.8 to 3.9 mm) with a much shorter labellum hypochile .044 versus .084" (1.1 vs. 2.1." Ormerod 2007

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

* Harvard Pap. Bot. 11: 174 Ormerod 2007

Harvard Pap. Bot. 11: 175 fig 34 Ormerod 2007 drawing fide;

Materials to the Orchid Flora of Colombia Vol 1: 271 Szlachetko & Kolanowska 2017 drawing fide;

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