Prescottia densiflora (Brongn.) Lindl. 1841
Photo by © Marcelo Pedron © and his Flickr Orchid Photo website
Photo by © Luis Filipe Varella
TYPE Drawing and Collection Sheet Type Drawing and Collection sheet by © Kew's Plants of The World Monocot List
Common Name The Dense Flowered Prescottia
Flower Size .24" [.6 cm]
Found in Rio Grande do Sol Brazil as a small sized, cool growing terrestrial with 3 to 8, rosulate, cuneate-oblong, smaller above, dark green, multinerved, somewhat glaucous leaves that blooms in the spring on a glabrous, erect, slightly sinuous, relatively slender, angular grooved, peduncle to 6 to 10" [15 to 25 cm] long, provided with 4 to 6, loosely adpressed, longer below, shorter above, glbrous sheathing bracts, rachis 1 to 3.2" [2.5 to 8 cm] long, densely many flowered inflorescence with ovate, triangular turning to long-acuminate above, three nerved, longer than the ovaries floral bracts and carrying very small, glabrous flowers.
"This species, like Prescottia oligantha has an internally pubescent lip and differs little in the size of the flowers but P densiflora is always stiffer, has more herbaceous leaves and a thicker stem decorated with loosely amplexicaul sheaths and a very thick flower spike." Hoehne 1945
CAUTION The first photo is closest to the type drawing which is absolutely correct but I would need to see the leaves of the other 3 orchid photos above to be sure of their determination. If they are not P densiflora then they are P oligantha.
Synonyms Decaisnea densiflora Brongn. 1829;
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI
Voy. Monde, Phan.: 192 Brogn. 1829 as Decaisnea densiflora
* Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. 6: 53 Lindley 1840
Refugium Botanicum vol 2: Tab 98 Reichenbach 1872
Refugium Botanicum vol 2: Tab 98 Reichenbach 1872 drawing fide;
Flora Brasilica Vol XII II: 107 Hoehne 1945;
Flora Brasilica Vol XII II: tab 72 fig 1 Illustrations Hoehne 1945 drawing fide;
Orchidaceae Brasilenses Band 1 Pabst & Dungs 1975 drawing ok;
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