SYSTEMATICS OF THE SUBGENUS ANCIPITIA

GENUS PLEUROTHALLIS (ORCHIDACEAE)

ABSTRACT

A brief history of the subgenus Ancipitia Luer of the genus Pleurothallis R. Br.

is given and the subgenus is defined. A key to the species is given. Each species

is described and illustrated with a black and white drawing, and a distribution map

is included for each.

New taxa:

Pleurothallis subgen. Ancipitia sect. Ancipitia

Pleurothallis subgen. Ancipitia sect. Tetragona Luer, sect. nov.

Pleurothallis condorensis Luer & Hirtz, sp. nov.

Pleurothallis inornata Luer & Hirtz, sp. nov.

Pleurothallis odobeniceps Luer, sp. nov.

Pleurothallis onagriceps Luer & Hirtz, sp. nov.

From a Venezuelan collection by Hermann Wagener, Professor Reichenbach

described Pleurothallis gratiosa , the first species attributable to this sub¬

genus, in 1854. It was followed the next year by P. crocodiliceps , described

from a Colombian collection also by Wagener.

In 1923, Oakes Ames described Costa Rican and Mexican collections of P.

crocodiliceps as P. arietina and P. nelsonii respectively. Also in 1923, a

collection from Costa Rica by A. M. Brenes was described by Rudolf Schlechter

as P. eumecocaulon , the third species of the subgenus to be recognized. Ernesto

Foldats added the fourth species in 1968 when he described a Venezuelan col¬

lection by J. A. Steyermark and G. C. K. Dunsterville as P. dunstenillei. The

remaining 19 species have been added to the genus Pleurothallis since 1975.

The subgenus Ancipitia was described in 1986 as one of 29 subgenera in Pleuro¬

thallis.

The species of this subgenus are easily recognized vegetatively by the

laterally compressed, two-edged ramicauls, some much more sharply compressed

than others, and some compressed only near the leaf. (One species with four-

edged ramicauls is segregated into a monotypic section.) The leaves are ovate

and sessile, sometimes decurrent on the ramicaul, which suggests some relation¬

ship with subgenus Scopula which is very similar florally.

The solitary flowers of subgenus Ancipitia are produced from the apex of the

ramicaul in a fascicle of usually elongated peduncles. The sepals and petals

are more or less fleshy, the dorsal sepal free, the laterals completely connate

into a synsepal more or less similar to the dorsal sepal. The petals are often

thickened.

The lips are most often diversely modified into bizarre shapes resembling

insects, or the heads of animals with ears or horns. The semiterete column may

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

be short or long, stout or slender, sometimes winged or toothed. The anther

and rostellum are apical or subapical; the two pollinia are narrowly ovoid with

caudicles attached to a well-developed viscidium. The stigma is apical, sub-

apical, or ventral. The column-foot varies from short and thick to essentially

absent. In some species a “ball-and-socket” articulation has been developed.

In spite of the extreme variations in the morphology of the lips and col¬

umns, this group of species is homogeneous in the morphology of the ramicauls,

leaves, peduncles, sepals and petals. Perhaps it can be said that the subgenus

is homogeneous in the “heterogeneousness” of the lips and columns. The unusu¬

al shapes of many of the lips undoubtedly play individual, independent roles in

deceiving and enticing specific pollinators. No investigative work has ever

been undertaken,

Other taxa characterized by laterally compressed ramicauls, but more or less

triquetrous (three-angled in cross-section), are subgenus Arthrosia , distin¬

guished by a racemose inflorescence and a socket-type of articulation of the

lip to the column-foot, and section Sicariae of subgenus Acianthera. The in¬

florescence of the latter is also racemose.

In common with other pleurothallids, all the species of subgenus Ancipitia

grow epiphytically in humid, virgin forests. Most are Andean in distribution,

one common species ( P . crocodiliceps) ranging as far north as Chiapas, Mexico.

Three species are apparently endemic in Central America. Ten species occur in

Ecuador, seven of which are apparently endemic. To date, only one species each

is known from Peru and Bolivia. None is known from Brazil. Undoubtedly, addi¬

tional species still undiscovered will come to our attention in the future.

They will be appended to publications of leones Pleurothallidinanun .

Plcurothallis subgenus Ancipitia Luer, leones Pleurothallidinarum III, Monogr.

Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 15: 29,1986.

Type: Pleurothallis anceps Luer, Selbyana 5: 159,1979.

Ety.: From the Latin anceps , “two-headed,’’ in reference to the two sharp edges of the

laterally compressed ramicaul.

Plants small in size to large, epiphytic, shortly repent to caespitose; roots slender,

fasciculate. Ramicauls slender, erect, more or less terete at the base, becoming laterally

compressed above to form 2 edges, the greatest depth at the leaf, 4-edged in one species,

with a tubular sheath below the middle or above the base and 2 others at the base. Leaf

erect to more or less spreading, coriaceous, elliptical to ovate, acute, the base cuneate,

rounded to cordate, sessile, sometimes decurrent on the ramicaul. Inflorescence a fascicle

of successive, single-flowered peduncles emerging from the apex of the ramicaul, subtended

by a small spathe; sepals more or less fleshy, glabrous to pubescent withiri, the dorsal

sepal uppermost, free from the laterals, 3-veined, the lateral sepals completely connate

into a synsepal, more or less similar to the dorsal sepal, 4-veined; petals broad to narrow,

variably thickened, sometimes minutely serrate; lip smaller than the sepals and petals more

or less thickened, of various forms, b, 2-, 3- or 4-lobed, the base either delicately

inged to near the base of the column, or inflexibly, broadly attached to the base of the

column; column semiterete, slender to stout, the anther and rostellum apical to subapical

the pollinia 2, ovoid with caudicles, attached to a common viscidium, the stigma entire

n S f uba P‘ Ca1 ’ the f base of the column united to the apex of the ovary, without forming

a toot, or forming a thick, short, pedestal-like or rudimentary foot with a bulbous apex.

SYSTEMATICS OF ANCIPITIA

Pleurothallis subgen. Ancipitia sect. Ancipitia

Type: Pleurothallis anceps Luer

This section contains all the species of the genus, characterized by later¬

ally compressed (two-edged) ramicauls, except the one species with tetragonal

(four-edged) ramicals.

Pleurothallis subgen. Ancipitia sect. Tetragona

Type: Pleurothallis tetragona Luer & Escobar, Orquidcologia 14: 178,1981.

Ety.: From the Greek tetragonos , “quadrangular,” referring to the four-

edged ramicaul.

Ramicaulis tetragonus.

This monotypic section is characterized by the compressed ramicaul, four¬

angled in cross-section.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Pleurothallis anceps Luer...* *... Plate 1.

Pleurothallis anthrax Luer & Escobar. .............. .Plate 2.

Pleurothallis caniceps Luer... *. *.* * * * Plate 3.

Pleurothallis caprina Luer & Escobar ... *.... ... *.*... * *. Plate 4.

Pleurothallis condorensis Luer & Hirtz . *. ....... .Plate 5.

Pleurothallis crocodiliceps Rchb. f. ............ .Plate 6.

Pleurothallis dunstervillei Foldats_ ............. .* ..Plate 7.

Pleurothallis duplex Luer & Escobar .. *........Plate 8.

Pleurothallis eiimecocaulon Schltr. .................. Plate 9.

Pleurothallis furcifera Luer . *.. .. .... .* *-*.. Plate 10.

Pleurothallis gratiosa Rchb. f............. .Plate 11.

Pleurothallis harpago Luer...Plate 12.

Pleurothallis inomata Luer & Hirtz ......Plate 13.

Pleurothallis instar Luer ..Plare 14

Pleurothallis memhracidoides Luer ..Plate 15.

Pleurothallis niveoglobula Luer ....Plate 16.

Pleurothallis odobeniceps Luer.Plate 17.

Pleurothallis onagriceps Luer & Hirtz.Plate 18.

Pleurothallis praecipua Luer.....Plate 19.

Pleurothallis solium Luer ....Plate 20.

Pleurothallis tetragona Luer & Escobar.Plate 21

Pleurothallis viduata Luer.Plate 22.

Pleurothallis vorator Luer & Vasquez.Plate 23.

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

KEY TO THE SECTIONS AND SPECIES OF PLEUROTHALLIS

SUBGENUS ANCIPITIA

Section Tetragona

1 Ramicauls tetragonal (four-sided in cross-section). P. tetragona

Section Ancipitia

V Ramicauls ancipitous (two-sided in cross-section).2

2 Flowers produced successively.3

2’ Flowers produced simultaneously. P. dunstervillei

3 Lip more or less ovate, entire.4

3’ Lip 2-, 3-, or 4-lobed.10

4 Sepals suborbicular, ca. 2 mm long and wide,

concave, white. P. niveoglobula

4’ Sepals more or less ovate, acute to narrowly obtuse.5

5 Lip suborbicular with thickened margins. P. viduata

5’ Lip ovate.6

6 Apex of lip uncinate, indexed. P. harpago

6’ Apex of lip acute to subacute.7

7 Petals membranous, linear, entire. P. inomata

T Petals thick, narrow, cellular-glandular to serrulate.8

8 Ramicauls 4-6 mm deep; sepals more than 10 mm long. P. anceps

8’ Ramicauls 2-3 mm deep; sepals less than 8 mm long.9

9 Sepals 6-8 mm long; lip with a low callus

above the middle. P. eumecocaulon

9’ Sepals 4-5 mm long; lip without a callus

above the middle. p. instar

10 Lip bilobed at the apex. \\

10’ Lip with lateral or basal lobes and entire middle lobe.12

11 Lip without lateral lobes. p. fnrcifera

11’ Lip 4-lobed, 2 apical and 2 lateral lobes. p. solium

12 Lip with slender or infolded, lateral or

basal lobes (the animal heads). 13

12’ Lip with broad or oblong lateral or

basal lobes, not infolded (the insects). 18

SYSTEMATIC^ OF ANCIPITIA

13 Lateral or basal lobes of the lip narrowly acute.14

13’ Lateral or basal lobes of the lip subacute to obtuse.17

14 Sepals narrowed above the middle; petals subulate.15

14’ Sepals ovate, obtuse; petals not subulate. : .16

15 Petals falcate; lip acute with infolded sides. P- gratiosa

15’ Petals not falcate; lip truncate-retuse, without

infolded sides. P- odobeniceps

16 Petals broad; lobes of the lip capillary, erect. P- caprina

16’ Petals narrow; lobes of the lip narrowly acute,

infolded . P- crocodiliceps

17 Basal lobes of the lip small, erect. P- caniceps

IT Basal lobes of the lip infolded, as large as

the middle lobe. P • onagriceps

18 Lip suborbicular with short, acute, lateral lobes. P- vorator

18’ Lip not suborbicular.19

19 Lip truncate, lateral lobes erect, narrowly obtuse.20

19’ Lip obtuse, lateral lobes oblique, subfalcate.21

20 Lateral lobes above the middle,

with a pair of external lobules. P* membracidoides

20’ Lateral lobes below the middle,

without external lobules. P- condorensis

21 Lateral lobes broadly falcate, larger than the middle lobe. P. praecipua

21’ Lateral lobes oblique, erose, smaller than the middle lobe.22

22 Lip 3 mm long, deeply concave below the middle;

column longitudinally winged. P* anthrax

22’ Lip 5 mm long, not deeply concave below the middle;

column narrowly winged at the apex. P» duplex

ICONES PLEUROTIIALLIDINARUM

Pleurothallis anceps Luer, Selbyana 5: 159,1979.

Ety.: From the Latin anceps, “two-sided,” referring to the laterally compressed ramicaul.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls stout, erect,

sharply ancipitous above the base, 6-21 cm long, up to 6 mm deep at the leaf, with a tubular

sheath above the base and 2-3 sheaths at the base. Leaf rigid, coriaceous, erect, ovate,

acute, carinate externally, with more or less revolute margins, 5-11 cm long, 1.5-2.5 cm

wide, the base rounded, shallowly cordate, sessile, with the sides more or less shortly

decurrent on the ramicaul. Inflorescence a fascicle of solitary, successive flowers borne

from a reclining spathe 5-10 mm long at the base of the leaf; peduncle filiform, erect, 5-10

mm long; floral bract 5-10 mm long; pedicel 15-20 mm long; ovary subverrucose, 4 mm long;

sepals greenish white, dotted purple, subcarinate, the dorsal sepal narrowly ovate-triangu¬

lar, linear above lower quarter, acute, 10-13 mm long, 3-3.5 mm wide, the lateral sepals

completely connate into a synsepal similar to the dorsal sepal, 10-13 mm long, 3.5-4 mm

wide; petals white, dotted with purple, fleshy, narrowly linear-triangular, 10-12 mm long,

1.5 mm wide, semiterete above the middle with minutely serrate margins; lip white, suffused

and dotted with red, ovate, subacute, 4.5 mm long, 2 mm wide, the disc with a low, smooth,

rounded callus in the center, the base, truncate, broadly fixed to the column-foot; column

pink, stout, semiterete, 1 mm long, the anther and stigma subapical, the foot short, thick

with the apex of the ovary.

ECUADOR: Prov. of Carchi: epiphytic in forest

above Maldonado, alt. 1500 m, flowered in

cultivation 30 Sept. 1978 M. Madison et al.,

s.n. (Holotype: SEL); wet forest east of Mal¬

donado, alt. 1800 m, 17 Feb. 1989, S. Dalstrom

& T. Hoijer 1248 (MO). Prov. of Imbabura: epi¬

phytic in seasonally wet forest above Guadal

on Rio Blanco, alt. 1450 m, 20 Jan. 1987, C.

Luer, J. Luer, A. Hirtz & D. Bermudes 12449

(MO). Prov. of Pichincha: terrestrial on the

road embankment between Nanegalito and Gua-

lea, alt. 1500 m, 9 Aug. 1978, C. //. Dodson,

T. Dodson, A. Embree & R. Perry 6993 (SEL).

COLOMBIA: without locality, flowered in culti¬

vation by M. & O, Robledo at La Ceja, R. Esco¬

bar 1416,16 Oct. 1977, C. Luer 2056 (SEL).

This species is apparently endemic

in southern Colombia and northern Ecua¬

dor where it is occasionally encounter¬

ed. The deep, sharply laterally compres¬

sed ramicaul bears an erect, rigid leaf

with a carinate midrib and with revolute

margins. The dorsal sepal and synsepal

are narrowly ovate and similar; the

narrow, pointed petals are serrulate;

and the lip is ovate and simple.

SYSTEMATICS OF ANCIPITIA

Plate 1. Pleurolhallis anceps Luer

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Pleurothallis anthrax Luer & Escobar, Orquideologfa 14:130,1981.

Ety.: From the Greek anthrax , “charcoal,” in allusion to the anterior lobe of the lip.

Plant small to medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slen¬

der, erect, sharply ancipitous above the middle, 5-11 cm long, up to 3 mm deep at the leaf

with a tubular sheath below the middle and 2-3 sheaths at the base. Leaf rigid, coriaceous’,

erect, ovate, acute, 2.5-5 cm long, 1-2 cm wide, the base rounded, shallowly cordate, ses-

sile. Inflorescence a fascicle of solitary, successive flowers borne from a reclining

spathe 5 mm long at the base of the leaf; peduncle filiform, suberect to erect, 2.5-3 cm

long, floral bract 4-6 mm long; pedicel 10-20 mm long; ovary 3 mm long; sepals white, suf-

fused, dotted or mottled with purple below the middle, the dorsal sepal narrowly ovate

acute, concave, 10-11 mm long, 3-4 mm wide, the lateral sepals completely connate into a

T' ar K e , d 0 rS u' Sef>a1, 10-11 mm long ’ 3-4 mm wide expanded; petals white,

^H ttC l^| th P Urp ' e be 0W thc midd| e. fleshy, narrowly linear-triangular, 10 mm long, 1 mm

numi^ohn"^ ? b ? V K ‘ he ,™ ,ddle with minutely serrate margins; lip white, spotted with deep

purple, obovate-tnlobed, 2.5-3 mm long, 1.5-2.5 mm wide expanded, the apical lobe purple-

Ihe miHHU 6 ’ r° abrUptly aeu,e > eonvex, cellular-papillose, the lateral lobes near

with th^h’ih^ ’ ° b ' q r e ’ m ° re or lcss s ermlate, the base concave, truncate, articulated

mm lon ff b t U h bOUS apcx ° f th f column - foot ; column white, spotted with purple, semiteretc, 2

mm long, the margins serrulate, the anther and stigma subapical, the foot bulbous at the

COLOMBIA: Intend, of Putumayo: epiphytic in

cloud forest between San Francisco and Mocoa,

alt. 2200 m, 20 Jan. 1979, C. Luer ; J. Luer,

R. Escobar & O. Ospina ct al. 3724 (Holotype:

SEL); same area, alt. 2100 m, 27 Jan. 1987, C.

Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & O. Ospina 12544

(MO); Valle del Sibundoy, alt. 2300-2600 m, 15

Aug. 1977, collected by J. M. Serna, cultivat¬

ed by M. & O. Robledo at La Ceja, R. Escobar

1831 (JAUM), flowered 26 Jan. 1978, C. Luer

2333 (SEL).

This species is apparently endemic on

the eastern slopes of the Andes of

southernmost Colombia where it is not

uncommon. Vegetatively it is similar to

other species of the subgenus, but P.

anthrax is distinguished by pointed,

serrulate petals and a small lip with a

coal black middle lobe. The lateral

lobes may or may not be serrated.

SYSTEMATIC^ OF ANCIPITIA

Plate 2. Pleurothallis anthrax Luer & Escobar

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Pleurothallis caniceps Luer, Selbyana 7: 114,1982.

Ety.: From the Latin caniceps, “dog-headed,” referring to the appearance of the lip.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, sharply

ancipitous above the middle, 2.S-5.5 cm long, 2 mm deep at the leaf, with 2-3 sheaths at the

base. Leaf rigid, coriaceous, erect, elliptical, acute, 4-6.5 cm long, 1.3-2 cm wide, the

a^rlrf' I . n,loresce . nc « a fascicle °f solitary, successive flowers borne from

toin florfl h^l,% r; 1 T S *5* “ ° f the leaf; P eduncle suberect, 20-23 mm

rosv wWte whhlLt" 1 "’ Iong; , ped, “ 1 20 : 23 mm tong; ovary subcarinate, 4 mm long; sepals

c ° a Z To L lnnu ^s s P° ts - su bcarmate, the dorsal sepal narrowly ovate, acute, con-

to tL Ho i 8 ’ i 5 Wld n the ateral se P aIs completely connate into a synsepal similar

°* d ° rs ?‘ s< r pa '’ ° btuse ' 95 mm long, 4.5 mm wide expanded; petals whUe, fleshy

" ’ cel !“lar-glandular, narrowly linear-falcate, acute, 8.5 mm long, 1.25 mm wide- lip

mm lonT V' jffuSed and do,,ed red-purple, fleshy, shortly pubescent, 3-lobId 2.^5

exposed,th^^Tpubttcent*thick^vritlfthe*apexStheovaty!** 6 ' 2 mm '° ng ’ ^ ^

COSIA RICA: Prov. of Alajuela: epiphytic in

felled trees below the entrance to the Monte-

verde Preserve, alt. 1400 m, 24 June 1981 C

Luer & A. Luer 6811 (Holotype: SEL)

This species is apparently endemic in

Costa Rica where only one plant was

found on freshly cut trees along the

road before the entrance to the Monte-

verde Preserve. Pleurothallis caniceps

is distinguished by the elliptical,

cuneate leaves, gaping flowers and a

minute lip reminiscent of that of P.

crocodiliceps. Instead of the basal

lobes being inflexed and narrowly acute,

the lobes of P. caniceps are triangular

and erect, suggesting the ears of a dog.

SYSTEMATICS OF ANCIPITIA

Plate 3. Pleurothallis caniceps Luer

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Pleurothallis caprina Luer & Escobar, Orquideologfa 14: 138,1981.

Ety.: From the Latin caprinus , “like a goat,” referring to the appearance of the lip.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect,

sharply ancipitous, 8-17 cm long, up to 5 mm deep at the leaf, with 2-3 sheaths at the base.

Leaf coriaceous, erect, ovate, acute, 5-8 cm long, 2.5-4.5 cm wide, the base rounded, cor¬

date, sessile, the basal lobes indexed. Inflorescence a fascicle of solitary, successive

flowers borne from a reclining spathe 5-8 mm long at the base of the leaf; peduncle fili¬

form, ascending to erect, 3-5.5 cm long; floral bract tubular, 10-15 mm long; pedicel 3-5 cm

long; ovary 6 mm long; sepals fleshy, the dorsal sepal light orange, spotted with red-pur¬

ple, broadly ovate, concave, subacute, 12 mm long, 7 mm wide unspread, the lateral sepals

white, flecked with red-purple, completely connate into an elliptical, subacute, concave

synsepal, 13 mm long, 7 mm wide unexpanded; petals fleshy, pink, marked with red-purple,

broadly ovate, oblique, obtuse, 7 mm long, 5 mm wide, obtusely angled on the lower margin;

lip white, dotted with purple, fleshy, subovoid-trilobed, deflexed near the middle, with a

shallow cavity, the apex rounded, apiculate, 1.5 mm long, with narrowly falcate basal lobes,

2 mm wide across the lobes expanded, the base subtruncate, delicately hinged to the base of

the column; column white, dotted with red, stout, semiterete, 3.5 mm long, the anther sub-

apical, the stigma ventral, the base of the column pubescent, thickened with the apex of the

ovary. r

COLOMBIA: Dept, of Antioquia: Munic. of Urrao,

Rio Pab6n, alt. 2000-2200 m, collected by J.

M. Serna, cultivated in Medellin by A. Mejia,

R. Escobar 226 (Holotype: JAUM); flowered in

cultivation by M. & O. Robledo at La Ceja, 19

Oct. 1977, C. Luer 2093 (SEL); 19 Mar. 1989,

C.Luer 14272 (MO).

This unusual species is known by a

single collection from the Western Cor¬

dillera of Colombia. It is distinguished

by the spotted, concave dorsal sepal and

synsepal, broad petals, and a glabrous

lip with lateral lobes reminiscent of

that of P. crocodiliceps. Instead of

being inflexed, the aristate lobes are

erect like a pair of horns. The latter

can be appreciated only with a strong

magnifying glass.

SYSTEMATIC^ OF ANCIPITIA

Plate 4. Pleurothallis caprina Luer & Escobar

SYSTEMATIC? OF ANCIPITIA

Plate 5. Pleurotliallis condorensis Luer & Hirtz

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Pleurothallis crocodiliceps Rchb. f., Bonplandia 3:72,1855.

Ety.: From the Latin crocodiliceps , “crocodile-headed,” referring to the flower.

Syn.: Pleurothallis arietina Ames, Sched. Orch. 4: 16,1923.

Ety.: From the Latin arietinus , “like a ram,” referring to the appearance of the lip.

Syn.: Pleurothallis nelsonii Ames, Sched. Orch. 4: 22,1923.

Ety.: Named in honor of E. W. Nelson, who collected the plant.

Plant medium to large in size, epiphytic, shortly repent or loosely caespitose; roots

slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, sharply ancipitous above the middle, 10-25 cm long, up

to 6 mm deep at the leaf, with a bract below the middle and 2-3 sheaths at the base. Leaf

rigid, coriaceous, more or less spreading, ovate, acute, 6-12 cm long, 3-5.5 cm wide, the

base rounded, cordate, sessile. Inflorescence a fascicle of solitary, successive flowers

borne from a reclining spathe 1-1.5 cm long at the base of the leaf; peduncle filiform,

reclining, ascending to suberect, 1-3.5 cm lone; floral bract tubular, 6-8 mm long; pedicel

1.5-3 cm long; ovary 4-5 mm long; sepals fleshy, white to yellowish, with or without purple

spots, the dorsal sepal oblong, obtuse, concave, 9-14 mm long, 3.5-4.5 mm wide, the lateral

sepals completely connate into an oblong, obtuse, concave synsepal, 8-13 mm long, 4-5 mm

wide uncxpanded; petals fleshy, narrowly subfalcate, acute to narrowly obtuse, 8-13 mm

lone, 1-2 mm wide, semiterete to triquetrous and carinate above the subunguiculate base; lip

dark purple with the apex and lobes rose, 3-lobed, 1 5-2 mm long, 1.5-2 mm wide unexpanded,

pubescent, the middle lobe subovoid, thickened, with a cavity above the obtuse apex the

lateral lobes membranous, narrowly falcate-triangular, folded over the middle lobe in the

natural position, 4.5 mm wide across the lobes expanded, the base subtruncate, delicately

hinged behind a conical callus above the base of the column; column white, dotted and suf-

tused with purple, semiterete, 2.5-4 mm long, the anther subapical, exposed, the base of the

column thick with the apex of the ovary.

COLOMBIA: Old prov.of Ocana (Dept, of Santan¬

der del Norte): Agua de la Virgen, H. Wagener

s.n. (Holotype: W).

VENEZUELA: Dist. Fed.: between El Junquito

and Colonia Tovar, alt. 2200 m, Blaumann s.n..

MEXICO: State of Chiapas: Chicharras, alt.

3000-6000 ft., 6 Feb. 1896, E. W. Nelson 3763

(AMES, type of P. nelsonii ); Mt. Boquerdn

above Huixtla, alt. 1300-1800 m, 2 Mar. 1936,

O. Nagel 4302 (MO).

COSTA RICA: Prov. of Cartago: La Estrella, C.

//. Lankester & A. Sancho s.n. (AMES, type of

P. arietina ); east of Cachi, 5 Feb. 1979, T.

Croat 47076 (MO). Prov. of Guanacaste: Rincon

de la Vieja, Volcan Santa Maria, alt. 900-1200

m, 27 Jan. 1983, G. Da\'idse et al. 23419 (MO).

PANAMA: Prov. of Chiriquf: above Boquete, 20

Mar. 1977, J. P. Folsom 2187 (MO). Prov. of

Cocld: mountains beyond La Pintada, alt. 400-

600 m, 17 Feb. 1935, A. A. Hunter & P. H.

Allen 595 (MO); El Valle, 6 Mar. 1975, C. Luer

& H. Butcher 751 (SEL). Prov. of Veraguas:

Sept. 1976, C. Luer & R. Dressier 1136 (SEL).

P ,T, V , °[T U , ng “ rahua: , e | iphy,ic onsl °P es of v °'can Tungurahua, alt. 2400 m, Oct.

983, A. Hirtz 1324 (MO). Prov. of Zamora-Chinchipe: Loja-Zamora road, collected July 1975

flowercdm cultivation, 1976 C. Luer 1280 (SEL); wet forest near Sabanilla, alt. 1600 m,

fl alt iTmrn r (MO).Cordillera del Condor, east of Los Encuen-

tros, alt. 1500 m, 21 Jan. 1989, C. Luer, J. Luer, P. Jesup & A. Jesup 14032 (MO).

This species, first encountered in the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia, is

relatively frequent and variable in its wide distribution from southern Mexico

through Central America into Venezuela and through the Andes to southern

Ecuador. The sepals vary from snow white to yellow with purplish spots. The

narrow, fleshy petals vary from semiterete to more or less triquetrous with a

dorsal carina.

The lip, however, seems morphologically stable. It is so small that it can

be easily overlooked, leading to the impression that the lip is missing. Micro¬

scopically it is a fascinating, hairy, two-winged organ that undoubtedly acts

as some kind of a bait for a pollinator.

SYSTEMATICS OF ANCIPITIA

Plate 6. Pleurothallis crocodiliceps Rchb. f.

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Pleurothallis dunstervillei Foldats, Acta Bot. Venez. 3: 371, 1968.

Ely.: Named in honor of G. C. K. Dunsterville, distinguished author and illustrator of

Venezuelan orchids.

Plant large, epiphytic, shortly repent or loosely caespitose; roots coarse. Ramicauls

stout, erect, terete oelow the middle, more or less laterally compressed above the middle,

20-65 cm long, up to 4 mm deep at the leaf, with a tubular sheath above the middle and 2-3

sheaths at the base. Leaf rigid, coriaceous, erect to spreading, ovate, acute, carinate

externally, 8-16 cm long, 5-10 cm wide, the base cordate, sessile. Inflorescence a fascicle

a few to many solitary, simultaneous flowers borne from a reclining spathe 10 mm long at the

base of the leaf; peduncle filiform, erect, 1-2 cm long; floral bract 9-10 mm long; pedicel

1.5-3.5 cm long; ovary 4 mm long; sepals yellow to yellow-orange, dotted with red below the

middle, fleshy, the dorsal sepal narrowly ovate-triangular, linear and thickened above the

concave lower quarter, acute, 10-14 mm long, 3 mm wide, the lateral sepals completely con¬

nate into a synsepal similar to the dorsal sepal, 10-14 mm long, 4.5 mm wide; petals yellow,

fleshy, cellular-glandular to cellular pubescent, ovate in the basal fourth, narrowly linear

above, terete, acute, 10-14 mm long, 2.25-0.75 mm wide; lip white, ovate, acute, 2.5-5 mm

long, 1.75-2 mm wide, the margins erose, minutely pubescent, the disc filled below the mid¬

dle with a dark purple, low, rounded, pubescent callus, the base, truncate, with a minute,

pubescent auricle at either comer, broadly attached to the column-foot; column pink, stout,

semiterete, 1 mm long, the anther and stigma subapical, the foot short, thick, witn the apex

of the ovary.

VENEZUELA: State of Tachira: south of San

Vicente dc Revancha, alt. 2500-2700 m, J. A.

Stcycrmark, G. C. K. & E. Dunstenille 100843

(llolotype: VEN); cloud forest below Paramo de

Tama, alt. 2475-2550 m, July 1967, J. A. Stcy¬

crmark , G. C. K. & E. Dunsten’ille 98482

(VEN); Quebrada Agua Azul, 22 July 1979, J.

Stcycrmark & R. Liesncr 118301 (MO); Cerro San

Isidro, alt. 2300-2650 m, 13 Nov. 1982, G.

Davidse & A. Gonzales 22186 (MO).

COLOMBIA: Prov. of Narino: east of Ypiales

near La Victoria, alt. ca. 3000 m, 22 Feb.

1978, C. Liter, J. Luer & A. Hirtz 2744 (SEL).

ECUADOR: Prov. of Napo: epiphvtic in forest

south of Santa Barbara, alt. 2700 m, 6 Apr.

1985, C. Luer, J. Luer & A. Hirtz 11104 (MO);

north of Archidona, alt. 2330 m, 7 Oct. 1980,

T. Croat 50502 (MO). Prov. of Pichincha: "for¬

est on the eastern slope of the Andes at 9000

ft.," ca. 1853, Jameson s.n. (K). Prov. of

Zamora-Chinchipe: cloud forest above Vallado¬

lid, alt. 2700 m, 23 Mar. 1985, C. Luer, J.

Luer, A. Hirtz & W. Flores 10912 (MO).

PERU: Dept, of Cajamarca: Prov. of Cutervo,

alt. 2600 m, 10 Aug. 1987, C. Diaz & //. Osores

2609 (MO).

This robust species, the largest of

the subgenus, is widely distributed and

relatively frequent in Andean forests

from western Venezuela through Colom¬

bia into northern Peru. It varies from

the usual pattern seen in the subgenus by the ramicaul that is laterally com¬

pressed only near the apex, and the simultaneous appearance of the flowers.

A specimen of this species collected in Ecuador by Jameson, and a specimen

of a different species collected in Colombia by Hartweg, are mounted side by

side and labeled P. coriacardia in Lindley’s herbarium at K (Kew). A drawing

of the floral parts of Jameson’s collection is pasted at the bottom. Lindley

considered the two to be the same species in his Folia Orchidaceae (1859).

Reichenbach also believed the two to be the same when he described them asP.

coriacardia in 1854. In his herbarium now at W (Vienna) he has a tracing of

the plant of Jameson’s collection, but a copy of the floral parts of Hartweg’s

collection, and he cited Hartweg’s collection in his description. Hartweg’s

collection, excluding Lindley’s collection, is hereby designated as the lecto-

type of Pleurothallis coriacardia.

SYSTEMATICS OF ANCIPITIA

Plate 7. Pleurothallis dunstervillei Foldats

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Pleurothallis duplex Luer & Escobar, Orquideologfa 16: 22,1983.

Ety.: From the Latin duplex , “double,” referring to the similarity of the dorsal sepal

and the synsepal to each other.

Plant small to medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender, fasciculate.

Ramicauls slender, erect, sharply ancipitous above the middle, 4-12 cm long, 2.5 mm deep at

the leaf, with a tubular sheath below the middle and 2-3 sheaths at the base. Leaf rigid,

coriaceous, erect, ovate, acute, carinate externally, 3.5-6 cm long, 1.3-2 cm wide, the base

rounded, subcordate, sessile. Inflorescence a fascicle of solitary, successive flowers borne

from a reclining spathe 5 mm long, above the base of the leaf; peduncle Filiform, erect, 10-

25 mm long; floral bract 4-5 mm long; pedicel 10-18 mm long; ovary 4-6 mm long; sepals light

yellow, flecked or spotted with purple, fleshy, concave, with a short, red pubescence with¬

in, the dorsal sepal narrowly ovate, narrowly obtuse, 9-11 mm long, 3-3.5 mm wide, the la¬

teral sepals completely connate into a synsepal similar to the dorsal sepal, 8.5-10.5 mm

long, 4 mm wide; petals light yellow, flecked or spotted with purple, fleshy, terete, nar¬

rowly linear, acute, 7.5-10 mm long, 0.8 mm wide, with microscopically serrulate margins;

lip white, suffused with purple above the middle, thick, elliptical-trilobed, acute, 5 mm

long, 2 mm wide, minutely serrulate, the lateral lobes below the middle, erect, membranous,

triangular, with the anterior margin serrate, the disc with a low callus above the basal

margin, the base subtruncate, hinged to the column-foot; column white, dotted with purple,

semiterete, winged at the apex, 3 mm long, the anther and stigma hooded, subapical, the foot

short, thick with the apex of the ovary.

COLOMBIA: Dept, of Norte de Santander: epi¬

phytic in forest between Abrego and Sardinata,

alt. 1730 m, 12 Nov. 1981, C. Luer , J. Luer,

R. Escobar & D. Portillo 6684 (Holotype: SEL);

Alto de Santa In6s, alt. 2200 m, 13 May 1982,

C. Luer &. R. Escobar 7833 (SEL).

This species is apparently endemic in

the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia

where it has been found on a few occa¬

sions. Vegetatively it is similar to the

other species of the subgenus, but it is

easily identified by the comparatively

large lip with a pair of triangular

lobes below the middle. The winged

column is unique in the genus.

SYSTEMATICS OF ANCIPITIA

Plate 8. Pleurothallis duplex Luer & Escobar

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Pleurothallis eumecocaulon Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 19.

187,1923.

Ety.: From the Greek eumecocaulon , “a stem of good length,” referring to the ramicaul.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, shortly repent or loosely caespitose; roots slender.

Ramicauls erect, slender, laterally compressed above the middle, 5-12 cm long, up to 1.5 mm

deep at the leaf, with a tubular bract below the middle and 2-3 sheaths at the base. Leaf

coriaceous, erect, narrowly ovate, acute, 3-7 cm long, 0.8-1.5 cm wide, the base cuneate to

rounded, shallowly cordate, sessile with the basal lobes more or less inflexed. Inflores¬

cence a fascicle of solitary, successive flowers borne from a reclining spathe 4-5 mm long

at the base of the leaf; peduncles 10-20 mm long; floral bract 3-5 mm long; pedicel 10-15 mm

long; ovary 3-4 mm long; sepals white, sometimes dotted with purple, subcarinate, glabrous,

the dorsal sepal narrowly ovate, obtuse, concave, 6-7 mm long, 3-3.5 mm wide, the lateral

sepals connate into an ovate, obtuse, concave synsepal, 6 mm long, 3.5 mm wide; petals

white, more or less fleshy, cellular papillose, narrowly linear-ovate to subfalcate, acute,

5-6 mm long, 1 mm wide; lip white, marked with purple, fleshy, ovate, subacute, 3-3.5 mm

long, 1.5 mm wide, the disc with a low, rounded, cellular-papillose callus filling most of

the area below the middle, and a smaller, similar callus above the middle, with a shallow

cavity between near the middle, the base subtruncate, broadly and inflexibly attached to the

thickened base of the column; column white suffused with purple, stout, semiterete, 1 mm

long, the anther apical, exposed, the stigma subapical, the foot thick, obsolescent, with

the apex of the column.

COSTA RICA: Prov. of Alajuela: above San

Ramon, alt. 1270 m, Jan. 1922, A. M. Brenes

232 (Ilolotype: CR); same area, alt. 1200 m, 2

Feb. 1979, T. Croat 46S19 (MO). Prov. of Gua-

nacaste: Montevcrde, alt. 1500 m, 21 Aug.

1984,/!. Gentry & W. Haber 48749 (MO); Rincon

de la Vieja, alt. 900-1200 m, 27 Jan. 1983, G.

Davidse, L. D. Gomez et al 23298 (MO).

PANAMA: Prov. of Bocas del Toro: forest be¬

tween Fortuna and Chiriqui Grande, alt. 1180

m, 17 Feb. 1985, C. Luer, J. Lucr, R. L. Dres¬

sier & K. Dressier 10623 (MO). Dept, of Code:

El Valle, alt. 600-1000 m, 8 Dec. 1938, P. H

Allen 1237 (MO); El Cope, alt. 2000 ft., 10

Jan. 1978, B. Hammel 786 (MO).

This species occurs frequently in

moist forests of Costa Rica and western

Panama. It is represented by numerous

specimens in many herbaria.

Pleurothallis eumecocaulon is dis¬

tinguished by the successive, long-pedi¬

cellate, white flowers sometimes marked

with purple. The narrow sepals are usually about 7 mm long. The petals are

subulate and cellular-glandular. The ovate lip, minutely fringed on the mar¬

gins, is thickened with a low, round callus below the middle and a low, purple

callus above the middle.

SYSTEMATICS OF ANCIPITIA

Plate 9. Pleurothallis eumecocaulon Schltr.

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Pleurothallis furcifera Luer, Selbyana 3:108,1976.

Ety.: From the Latin furcifer , “bearing a fork,” referring to the bifid lip.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, laterally

compressed above the middle, 5-7 cm long, 1.5 mm deep at the leaf, with a tubular sheath

above the base and 2-3 sheaths at the base. Leaf rigid, coriaceous, erect, narrowly ovate,

acute, 3-5 cm long, 0.8-1 cm wide, the base cuneate, sessile. Inflorescence a fascicle of

solitary, successive flowers borne from a reclining spathe 5 mm long, above the base of the

leaf; peduncle filiform, erect, 10-12 mm long; floral bract 3 mm long; pedicel 8-9 mm long;

ovary 2 mm long; sepals yellow-green, suffused with purple, fleshy, glabrous, concave, the

dorsal sepal oblong to subquadrate, obtuse, apiculate, 2 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, the lateral

sepals completely connate into a synsepal similar to the dorsal sepal, 2.25 mm long, 2 mm

wide; petals yellow-green, dotted with purple below the middle, oblong, hastate in the dis¬

tal third, the marginal angles acute, with the apex rounded, 2 mm long, 1.2 mm wide; lip

yellow, more or less oblong, 1.5 mm long, 1 mm wide, rounded and deeply concave below the

middle, forked above the middle into a pair of oblong, diverging lobes with rounded, minute¬

ly erose apices, the base truncate attached to the column-foot; column white, suffused with

pink, semiterete, 1 mm long, the anther and stigma subapical, the foot short, thick, obso¬

lescent with the apex of the ovary.

PERU: Prov. of Huanuco: near Tingo Maria,

collected by Janet Kuhn, flowered in cultiva¬

tion at J & L Orchids, Easton, CT., 20 Oct.

1975, C. Luer 598 (Holotype: SEL); flowered in

cultivation 12 Dec. 1988, C. Luer 13814B (MO).

This unusual species occurs in cen¬

tral Peru where it is presently known

from a single collection by Janet Kuhn

while traveling with Fred Fuchs and

companions. Divisions of this plant are

cultivated today in several collections.

Vegetatively this species is similar

to the others of the subgenus. The pet¬

als broadly expanded at the apex are

unique in the subgenus. The lip is con¬

cave with a bilobed apex. The column is

slender with an apical anther.

SYSTEMATICS OF ANCIPITIA

Plate 10. Pleurothallis fiircifera Luer

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Pleurothallis gratiosa Rchb. f., Bonplandia 2: 25,1854.

Ety.: From the Latin gratiosus , “full of pleasure,” referring to the graceful flowers.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect,

sharply ancipitous above the middle, 8-16 cm long, up to 4 mm deep at the leaf, with a bract

below the middle and 2-3 sheaths at the base. Leaf rigid, coriaceous, erect, elliptical,

obtuse, 4J5-6.5 cm long, 2.5-4 cm wide, the base rounded, cordate, sessile, with the basal

lobes more or less inflexed. Inflorescence a fascicle of solitary, successive flowers borne

from a reclining spathe 0.5-1 cm long at the base of the leaf; peduncle filiform, ascending

to subercct, 2.5-3 cm long; floral bract tubular, 5-6 mm long; pedicel 2.5-3.5 cm long;

ovary dark purple, 3 mm long; sepals fleshy, subcarinate, concave, white to pale rose, dot¬

ted and suffused with rose, the dorsal sepal ovate in the lower quarter, narrowly oblong

above, 13 mm long, 5 mm wide expanded, the lateral sepals completely connate into a synsepal

similar to the dorsal sepal, 13 mm long, 3 mm wide; petals white, dotted with purple,

fleshy, narrowly subfalcate, acute-acuminate, 11 mm long, 1 mm wide; lip dark purple with

the apex and lobes rose, 3-lobed, 1.75 mm long, 1 mm wide unexpanded, pubescent, the middle

lobe subovoid, thickened, with a cavity above the acute apex, the lateral lobes membranous,

obliquely falcate with filiform, uncinate apices at the base, inflexed over the middle lobe,

3 mm wide across the lobes expanded, the base subtruncate, delicately hinged to the base of

the column; column light rose, dotted with rose, stout, cylindrical, 2 mm long, the anther

apical, exposed, the stigma subapical, the base of the column thick with the apex of the

ovary.

VENEZUELA: “Caracas, 5000 ft.,” March, 1854,

//. Wagoner s.n. (Holotype: W). State of Ara-

guas: Choroni road, Nov. 1956, collected by G.

C. K. Dunsterville, 138B, flowered in cultiva¬

tion at El Hatillo, 26 July 1982, C. Luer 8096

(SEL).

This species, first of the subgenus

to be described, is apparently endemic

in the coastal range of Venezuela. The

sepals vary from white to light rose

with purplish spots. The narrow, pointed

petals are more or less falcate. The

tiny, pubescent lip is similar to that

of P. crocodiliceps , but the oblique,

inflexed, lateral lobes are broad with

the uncinate apices protruding from the

base of the lip. No doubt this intri¬

cate, insect-like lip is a lure for a

specific pollinator.

SYSTEMATICS OF ANCIPITIA

Plate 11. Pleurothallis gratiosa Rchb. f

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Pleurothallis harpago Luer, Selbyana 5:167,1979.

Ety.: From the Latin harpago, “a grappling hook,” referring to the uncinate lip.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. R ?^ a "' s .

laterally compressed above the middle, 5-13 cm long, up to 25 mm deep at the leaf, “

tubular bract P below the middle and 2-3 sheaths at the base .Leaf

ovate acute, 4-5 cm long, 1-1.7 cm wide, the base rounded, shallowly cordate, sessile with

the basal lobes inflexed. Inllorescence a fascicle of solitary, successive «°w«V bo

from a reclining spathe 3-5 mm long at the base of the leaf; peduncles 17-22 mm long flora

bract 3-4 mm long, pedicel 10-11 mm long; ovary 25 mm long; sepals white, the dorea^ P

with purple cells scattered within, ovate, narrowly obtuse, concave, 4 mm ,‘ on 8-®m wide,

the lateral sepals connate into an ovate, obtuse synsepal, 4 mm long, 25 mm wide, petals

white with short, purple pubescence and purple-ciliate margins, narrowly ovate, acu “’

mm long 1 mm wide; lip white, marked with purple, shortly purple-pubescent, ovate, concave,

fleshy, 3.25 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, the margins ciliate, the apex narrow, acute, inflexed

into a prominent, hooklike process, the the base truncate, fixed to the base of the column;

eolumnwhite with purple dots, semiterete, stout, 1 mm long the anther apical, exposed, the

stigma subapical, the foot obsolescent.

PANAMA: Prov. of Darien: Cerro Pirre, July

1977, collected by R. L. Dressier, flowered in

cultivation 20 Mar. 1978, C. Luer 2798 (SEL).

This species is apparently endemic in

the Darien province of Panama where it

has been collected but once by R. L.

Dressier. It is closely allied to P.

ewnecocaulon , but is distinguished by

smaller flowers with ciliated petals and

a ciliate lip with a prominent, incurv¬

ed, hooklike apex.

SYSTEMATIC^ OF ANCIPIT1A

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Pleurothallis inornate Luer & Hirtz, sp. nov.

Ely.: From the Latin inornaius, ‘‘unadorned,” referring to the simple flower-parts.

Inter species subgeneris AncipUiae Luer species haec habitu parvo, petalis erectis,

lafoello integro piano oblongo-ovato acuto differt.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots densely fasciculate, slender. Ramicauls

erect, slender, sharply ancipitous, 3.5-6 cm long, up to 1.5 mm deep at the leaf, with 2-3

tubular bracts near and at the base. Leaf coriaceous, more or less spreading, ovate, acute,

2.75-3 cm long, 1-1.2 cm wide, the base rounded, shallowly cordate, sessile. Inflorescence

a fascicle of solitary, successive, non-resupinate flowers borne from a reclining spathe 5-6

mm long at the base of the leaf; peduncles 2-3 mm long, within the spathe; floral bract 2-3

mm long; pedicel 34 mm long; ovary 3 mm long; sepals translucent light brown, the middle

sepal ovate, subacute, concave, 45 mm long, 2.75 mm wide expanded, 3-veined, the lateral

sepals connate into an ovate, concave synsepal 4.24 mm long, 2.5 mm wide unexpanded, 4-

veined, the obtuse apex minutely bifid; petals translucent yellow, erect, parallel to the

dorsal sepal, linear-oblong, acute, 4 mm long, 0.75 mm wide, 1-veined; lip yellow, oblong-

ovate, acute, 4 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, the disc flat with 3 slightly raised nerves, the base

truncate, shallowly transversely concave at the attachment to the column-foot; column

yellow, semiterete, 2 mm long, the anther subapical, exposed, the stigma subapical, the foot

thick, pedestal-like.

ECUADOR Prov.of Morona-Santiaga epiphytic

in cloud forest north of Gualaquiza, alt. 1700

m, 17 Feb. 1986, C Luer, J. Luer, A, Hirtz,

W. Flores A A. Embree 11873 (Holotype; MO);

same area, alt. 1800 m, 31 Jan. 1989, S.

Dalstrdm A T. Hdtjer 1220 (MO).

This species, apparently endemic in a

small area of southern Ecuador, is one

of the smallest of the subgenus. The

petals are held erect in the non-resupi-

nate flower parallel to the margins of

the dorsal sepal. Although this subgenus

is noted for the bizarre lips, the lip

of this species is simple as it is in P.

anceps and P. eumecocaulon , but pro¬

portionately large, nearly filling the

concavity of the synsepal.

SYSTEMATIC^ OF ANCIPITIA

Plate 13. Pleurothallis inomata Luer & Hirtz

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Pleurothallis instar Luer, Selbyana 3: 320, 1977.

Et yFrom the Latin instar , “a likeness,” referring to the similarity to P. eumccocaiilon.

Plant small to medium in size, epiphytic, shortly repent or toorty ***

slender. Ramicauls erect, slender, laterally compressed above the^middle, h ™J s ?v? c

to 1.5 mm deep at the leaf, with a tubular bract below the middle and 2-3 sheaths.at the

base. Leaf coriaceous, erect, narrowly ovate, acute, 3-4 cm long, 0 8-1.2 cm ^ the base

cuneate to rounded, shallowly cordate, sessile. Inflorescence a fascicle of solitary, sue

cessive flowers borne from a reclining spathe 4-5 mm long at the base of the leaf; P cdun ^s

10-20 mm long; floral bract 3 mm long; pedicel 10-15 mm long; ovary 3 mm long, sepals laven¬

der, suffused and mottled with purple, subcarinate, glabrous, the dorsal sepal ovate, acute,

concave, 4.5-5 mm long, 3 mm wide, the lateral sepals connate into an ovate, subacute, con¬

cave synsepal, 4-4.5 mm long, 3 mm wide; petals white, marked with purple, more or less

fleshy, cellular papillose, narrowly ovate, acute, 4.5 mm long, 1.5 mm wide; lip laven er,

marked with purple, fleshy, ovate, subacute, 3 mm long, 1.75 mm wide, the disc with a low,

rounded, cellular-papillose callus filling most of the area below the middle, flat above the

middle, the base subtruncate, broadly and inflexibly attached to the thickened base of the

column; column white suffused with purple, stout, semitcrete, 1 mm long, the anther apical,

exposed, the stigma subapical, the foot thick, obsolescent, with the apex of the column.

PANAMA: Prov. of Chiriqm: Cerro Hornito, alt.

1700 m, 15 Dec. 1976, C. Luer, A. Luer, R. L.

Dressier, N. H. Williams & F. L. Ste\>cnson

1385 (Ilolotype: SEL); confluence of Rio Hor¬

nito and Rio Chiriqui, alt. 1050-1100 m, 11

Nov. 1980, W. D. Stewns 18388 (MO); Quebrada

Los Chorros, alt. 1100 m, 18 Sept. 1984, //. W.

Churchill & A. Churchill 6064 (MO); near the

Fortuna dam, alt. 1100 m, 16 Feb. 1985, C.

Luer, J. Luer, R. L. Dressier & K. Dressier

10583 (MO).

This species is apparently endemic in

one area in western Panama where it is

locally common. It is very closely re¬

lated and similar to the frequent P.

eumecocaulon from Costa Rica and west¬

ern and central Panama. Pleurothallis

instar is distinguished by the smaller

habit with smaller leaves; smaller,

lavender, purplish mottled flowers; and

the lip lacking a callus on the apical

half.

SYSTEMATICS OF ANCIPITIA

r, ?

Plate 14. Pleurothallis instar Luer

1C0NES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Pleurothallis membracidoides Luer, Phytologia 47: 77,1980.

Ely.: Named for the resemblance of the lip to a trcehopper of the family Membracidae of

the order Homoptera of insects.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots fine, fasciculate. Ramicauls slen¬

der, erect, sharply ancipitous above the middle, 6-12 cm long, 3 mm deep at the leaf, with a

tubular sheath above the base and 2-3 sheaths at the base. Leaf rigid, coriaceous, erect,

ovate, acute, carinate externally, 45-6.5 cm long, 2-3 cm wide, the base obtusely cuneate

to rounded, sessile, with the sides decurrcnt on the ramicaul for 3-5 mm. Inflorescence a

fascicle of solitary, successive flowers borne from a reclining spat he 5 mm long, above the

base of the leaf; peduncle filiform, erect, 15 mm long; floral bract 5 mm long; pedicel 12-

17 mm long; ovary 3 mm long; sepals yellow, suffused with brown, fleshy, glabrous, concave,

the dorsal sepal narrowly ovate, narrowly obtuse, 9 mm long, 3.5 mm wide, the lateral sepals

completely connate into a synsepal similar to the dorsal sepal, 9 mm long, 4 mm wide; petals

yellow, brownish below the middle, fleshy, elliptical-subfalcate, acute, 7 mm long, 1.5 mm

wide, with minutely serrate margins; lip yellow-white above the middle, dark purple-brown

below the middle, thick, subquadrate-trilobed, 1.3 mm long, 1.25 mm wide, the anterior mar¬

gin truncate with a deftexed, obtuse apex, with a short, pointed tooth externally on either

side, the lateral lobes excel, membranous, narrowly obtuse, the disc with a pair of low,

rounded calli above the middle, the base rounded, transversely concave to accommodate the

apex of the column-foot, hinged beneath; column yellow-white, semiterete, 2.25 mm long, the

anther and stigma hooded, subapical, the foot short, thick, with the apex of the ovary.

COLOMBIA: Dept, of Narino: epiphytic in forest

north of Ricaurtc, alt. 1600 m, 3 Nov. 1979,

C Luer, J. Lucr, A. llirtz & K. Walter 45S0

(Holotype:SEL).

This species is apparently endemic in

southernmost Colombia. Vegetatively it

is similar to many of the other species

of the subgenus, but it is easily iden¬

tified by the tiny lip that resembles a

leafhopper.

SYSTEMATICS OF ANCIPITIA

Plate 15. Pleurothallis membracidoides Luer

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Pleurothallis niveoglobula Luer, Selbyana 1: 258,1975.

Ety.: From the Latin niveoglobulus , “a little, snow white ball,” referring to the flower.

Plant small to medium in size, epiphytic, densely caespitose; roots fine, densely fas¬

ciculate. Ramicauls erect, slender, laterally compressed above the middle, 3-11 cm long, up

to 2 mm deep at the leaf, with a tubular bract above the base and 2-3 sheaths at the base.

Leaf coriaceous, more or less spreading, ovate, acute, 1.5-4 cm long, 1-2 cm wide, the base

rounded, shallowly cordate, sessile. Inflorescence a fascicle of solitary, successive flow¬

ers borne from a reclining spathe 5-6 mm long at the base of the leaf; peduncle suberect, 4-

6 mm long; floral bract 2 mm long; pedicel 9-10 mm long; ovary 1.5 mm long; flowers minute,

subsphcrical, snow white, glabrous; sepals concave, only slightly spreading, the dorsal

sepal suborbicular, obtuse, 2 mm long, 1.6 mm wide, the lateral sepals connate into a sub-

orbicular synscpal similar to the dorsal sepal, 2 mm long, 2 mm wide; petals oblong-obovate,

oblique, subcarinate, the obtuse apex fleshy, 1.5 mm long, 1 mm wide; lip fleshy, broadly

ovate-cordate, obtuse, 1 mm long, 1 mm wide, the base broadly subtruncate, connate to the

base of the column; column stout, cylindrical, 1 mm long, the anther apical, the stigma

subapical, the foot obsolescent.

ECUADOR: Prov. of Pastaza: epiphytic in forest

west of Puyo along the Rio Pastaza, alt. 900

m, 25 July 1975, C. Lucr, G. Luer & S. Wilhelm

506 (Ilolotype: SEL); vicinity of Puyo, alt.

750-1000 m, Sept. 1939, A. F. Skutch 4539

(MO); north of Puyo, alt. 1000 m, 12 Apr.

1985, C. Lucr, J. Lucr, A. Hirtz & W. Flores

11208 (MO). Prov. of Morona-Santiago: north of

Gualaquiza, alt. 900 m, 27 Mar. 1985, C. Lucr,

J. Lucr, A. llirtz & W Flores 10981 (MO); Rio

Yunganza between Lim6n and Mendez, alt. 1000

m, 7 Feb. 1987, C. Lucr, J. Luer & A. Hirtz

12720 (MO). Prov. of Napo: west of Tena, alt.

600 m, 26 July 1975, C. Luer, G. Luer & S.

Wilhelm 507 (SEL). Zamora-Chinchipe: Cordill¬

era del Condor, epiphytic in cloud forest east

of Los Encuentros, alt. 1450 m, 18 May 1988,

C. Lucr, A. Hirtz, W. Flores, A. Andreetta &

W. Teague 13433 (MO).

This locally common and abundant

species, known to many hobbyists as

“snow ball,” is found at relatively

low altitudes on the eastern slopes of

the Andes of central and southern Ecua¬

dor. The tiny, white, globular flowers

arc produced continuously throughout

the year. The orbicular sepals are deeply concave and the simple lip is ovate.

SYSTEMATIC^ OF ANCIPITIA

Plate 16. Pleurolhallis niveoglobula Luer

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Pleurothallis odobeniceps Luer, sp. nov.

Ety.: From the Latin odobeniceps , “walrus-headed,” referring to the shape of the lip.

Species haec P. anthraci Luer & Escobar similis, sed labello minute papilloso oblongo

subtruncato leviter retuso cum lobis basalibus long-uncinatis differt.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender, densely fasciculate. Rami-

cauls erect, slender, sharply ancipitous, 6-11 cm long, up to 1.5 mm deep at the leaf, with

a tubular bract above the base and 2-3 sheaths at the base. Leaf coriaceous, suberect to

spreading, ovate, acute, 3.5-5.S cm long, 1.3-2.3 cm wide, the base rounded, shallowly cor¬

date, sessile. Inflorescence a fascicle of solitary, successive flowers borne from a re¬

clining spathc 3-4 mm long at the base of the leaf; peduncles 10-12 mm long; floral bract 6

mm long; pedicel 15 mm long; ovary 4 mm long; sepals fleshy, light purple, mottled with dark

purple, glabrous, the dorsal sepal narrowly ovate, acute, lightly acuminate above the mid¬

dle, concave below the middle, 9 mm long, 3 mm wide, 3-veined, the lateral sepals connate

into a narrowly ovate, narrowly subtruncate-retuse, concave synsepal, 9 mm long, 3 mm wide,

4-veincd; petals semiterete, light purple, cellular-glandular, linear-subulate, acute, 8.5

mm long, 0.75 mm wide; lip dark purple, densely short-pubescent above the middle, fleshy,

oblong, 2.5 mm long, 1 mm wide, the apex subtruncate, lightly retuse, the base with a pair

of membranous, narrowly uncinate, forwardly curved lobes, 1.5 mm long, the base subtruncate,

concave to accommodate the bulbous apex of the column-foot; column suffused with purple,

semiterete, longitudinally winged, 1 mm long, the anther subapical, the stigma ventral, the

foot short with a small, free, bulbous apex.

COLOMBIA: Dept, of Choco: epiphytic in wet

forest between Salgar and El Dauro, alt. 2280

m, 29 Sept. 1987, J. L. Zarucchi, A. E. Brant

& J. Betancur 5950 (Holotype: MO), C. Luer

illustr. 14371.

Vegetatively this species is very

similar to most of the other species of

the subgenus, particularly similar to P.

anthrax , but the lips of the two species

are different. The lip of P. odobeniceps

is thick, minutely pubescent, and oblong

with a broad, obscurely bilobed apex.

From the base a pair of long, slender,

membranous lobes curve forward like the

tusks of a microscopic walrus.

SYSTEMATIC^ OF ANCIPITIA

Plate 17. Pleurothaltis odobeniceps Luer

ICONES PLEUROTIIALLIDINARUM

Pleurothallis onagriceps Luer & Hirtz, sp. nov.

Ety.: From the Latin onagriceps , “donkey-headed,” referring to the shape of the lip.

Species haec P. crocodilicepis Rchb. f. affinis, sed sepalis acutis infra medium negro

punctatis et labelli alis late membranaceis plicatis differt.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots fine, densely fasciculate. Ramicauls

erect, slender, sharply ancipitous, 5-13 cm long, up to 2.5 mm deep at the leaf, with a

tubular bract above the base and 2-3 sheaths at the base. Leaf coriaceous, more or less

spreading, ovate, acute, 4.5-6 cm long, 2-2.5 cm wide, the base rounded, shallowly cordate,

sessile. Inflorescence a fascicle of solitary, successive flowers borne from a reclining

spathe 3-4 mm long at the base of the leaf; peduncles 10-15 mm long; floral bract 5-6 mm

long; pedicel 11-12 mm long; ovary 4-5 mm long; sepals fleshy, yellow, dotted with black

below the middle, the dorsal sepal narrowly ovate, acute, concave, 12 mm long, 4 mm wide

expanded, 3-veined, the lateral sepals connate into an ovate, acute, concave synscpal, 11 mm

long. 4.5 mm wide expanded, 4-veined; petals semiterete, yellow, erect, linear-oblong,

acute, 10-11 mm long, 1.5 mm wide; lip densely short-pubescent, fleshy, purple black, sub-

ovoid obtuse, with a subapical cavity, 1.75 mm long, 1.75 mm wide, with infolded broad,

membranous, rose colored wings that meet in the midline to cover the body of the lip, 4.5 mm

wide expanded the base subtruncate, shallowly concave with a slender, membranous attachment

h , C < 3 f T ded pr0CCSS at the base of the column ; ™lumn white with purple dots,

lesccnt^ C ’ 3 5 mm ° ng ’ thC 3nther SubapicaI ’ ex P osed > ^e stigma subapical, the foot obso-

ECUADOR: Prov. of Zamora-Chinchipc: Cor¬

dillera del Condor, epiphytic in cloud forest

east of Los Encuentros, alt. 1550 m, 18 May

1988, C. Luer, A. Hirtz, W. Flores, A. Andre-

etta & W. Teague 13459 (Holotype: MO).

This species, known from only one

collection in the Cordillera del Condor,

was discovered by Walter Teague. Vege-

tatively it is typical for the subgenus.

The flowers are most similar to those of

R crocodiliceps , but instead of white

and obtuse, the sepals are yellow, dot¬

ted with black below the middle and

acute. The tiny lip also shows a close

relationship, but instead of narrowly

pointed, the lateral lobes are broad and

membranous, and folded over the front of

the lip like a pair of large, hairy,

floppy ears.

SYSTEMATIC^ OF ANCIPITIA

Plate 18. Pleurothallis onagriceps Luer & Hirtz

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Pleurothullis praecipua Luer, Phytologia 46: 370,1980.

Ety.: From the Latin praecipuus , “peculiar,” referring to the unusual lip.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect,

sharply ancipitous above the middle, 5-16 cm long, 2 mm deep at the leaf, with a tubular

sheath below the middle and 2-3 sheaths at the base. Leaf rigid, coriaceous, erect, narrow¬

ly ovate, acute, carinate externally, more or less conduplicate, 3.5-5 cm long, 1.2-1.5 cm

wide, the base obtusely cuneate, sessile, with the sides decurrent on the ramicaul about 3

mm. Inflorescence a fascicle of solitary, successive flowers borne from a reclining spathe

4-5 mm long at the base of the leaf; peduncle filiform, erect, 2-2.5 cm long; floral bract 5

mm long; pedicel 1-1.5 cm long; ovary 4 mm long; sepals lavender to white with purple dots,

glabrous, fleshy, concave, the dorsal sepal narrowly ovate-triangular, acute, 10 mm long,

3.5 mm wide, the lateral sepals completely connate into a synsepal similar to the dorsal

sepal, 10 mm long, 4 mm wide; petals white, dotted with purple, fleshy, narrowly ovate-sub-

falcate, 9 mm long, 2 mm wide, with minutely serrate margins; lip white, transversely obo-

vate-trilobed, 3.5 mm long, 4.5 mm wide expanded, the apical lobe purple, thick, rounded,

shortly apiculate, with minutely serrulate margins, separated from the lateral lobes by a

deep sinus on either side, the lateral lobes erect, broadly rounded, oblique, with the apex

abruptly acute adjacent to the sinus, the disc with a small cavity on the anterior lobe,

externally with a pair of pointed calli on either side above the middle, the base broadly

cuneate, transversely grooved, delicately hinged to the column-foot; column white, slender,

arcuate, semiterete, 4.5 mm long, the anther and stigma subapical, the foot short, thick,

with the apex of the ovary.

ECUADOR Prov. of Napo: epiphytic in forest

north of Baeza, alt. 1650 m, 10 Oct. 1979, C.

Luer' r J- Luer & A. Hirtz 4484 (Holotype: SEL);

north of El Chaco, alt. 1800 m, 11 Jan. 1986,

S. Dalstront & T. Hoijer 1038 (MO). Prov. of

Morona-Santiago: epiphytic in forest along the

new road between Macas and Guamote, alt. 1750

m, 6 Feb. 1987, C. Luer, J. Luer & A. Hirtz

12704 (MO).

This species is apparently endemic in

eastern Ecuador. The three-lobed lip

immediately distinguishes it from its

allies. The middle lobe is rounded,

apiculate, thick, flat, minutely serru¬

late, and separated from the broadly,

rounded, oblique lateral lobes by a deep

sinus. Externally are a pair of short,

thick horns. The column is long for the

subgenus.

SYSTEMATICS OF ANCIPITIA

Plate 19. Pleurothallis praecipua Luer

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Pleurothallis solium Luer, Selbyana 7:123,1982.

Ety.: From the Latin solium , “an armchair,” referring to the appearance of the lip.

Plant small to medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ranucauls slen¬

der, erect, sharply ancipitous above the middle, 7-14 cm long, 2 mm deep at the leaf, with

2-3 sheaths at the base. Leaf rigid, coriaceous, more or less spreading to suberect, ovate,

acute, 3-4 cm long, 1.5-2 cm wide, the base rounded, subcordate, sessile. Inflorescence a

fascicle of solitary, successive flowers borne from a reclining spathe 4-5 mm long at the

base of the leaf; peduncle filiform, suberect, 10-15 mm long; floral bract 4 mm long; pedi¬

cel 7-10 mm long; ovary subcarinate, 3.5 mm long; sepals purple to dull yellow suffused with

purple, subcarinate, fleshy, glabrous, the dorsal sepal elliptical, obtuse, concave, 6.5 mm

long, 4 mm wide, the lateral sepals completely connate into a synsepal similar to the dorsal

sepal, obtuse, 6.5 mm long, 4 mm wide; petals purple or yellow, fleshy, oblong-spathulate,

5i mm long, 2 mm wide below the apex, the apex thickened, subverrucose, acute; lip purple

or yellow, fleshy, subquadrate-4-lobed, 2.5 mm long, 2 mm wide, the apex broadly cuneate or

obtusely sub-bilobed with a shallow sinus, with erect, subacute lateral lobes near the mid¬

dle, the disc concave medially, the base broadly truncate, attached to the base of the col¬

umn; column stout, semiterete, 2 mm long, the

obsolescent with the apex of the ovary.

ECUADOR: Prov. ofMorona-Santiago: epiphytic

in forest north of Gualaquiza, alt. 1200 m, 28

Feb. 1982, C. Luer & A. Andrcetta 7064 (Holo-

type: SEL); north of Gualaquiza, alt. 1800 m,

1 Feb. 1986, S. Dalstrom & T. Hdijer 1130

(MO).

This species is apparently endemic in

southeastern Ecuador where it has been

found on a few occasions. Vegetatively

it is similar to the other members of

the subgenus, but it is easily distin¬

guished by the four-lobed, subquadrate

lip that looks very much like a micro¬

scopic armchair.

anther and stigma subapical, the foot thick,

SYSTEMATICS OF ANCIPITIA

Plate 20. Pleurothallis solium Luer

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Pleurothallis tetragona Luer & Escobar, Orquideologia 14: 178,1981.

Ety.: From the Greek tetragonos , “quadrangular,” referring to the 4-edged ramicauls.

Plant small to medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slen¬

der, erect, sharply 4-angled above the base, 5-17 cm long, up to 3 mm deep at the leaf, with

a tubular sheath above the base and 2-3 sheaths at the base. Leaf rigid, coriaceous, erect,

elliptical, acute, 5-6.5 cm long, 2.8-3.8 cm wide, the base broadly cuneate to rounded,

decurrent on the ramicaul for 10-15 mm. Inflorescence a fascicle of solitary, successive

flowers borne from a reclining spathe 7-10 mm long above the base of the leaf; peduncle

filiform, ascending to erect, 2.5-3 cm long; floral bract 7-9 mm long; pedicel 2-2.5 cm

long; ovary 4 mm long; sepals yellowish white, glabrous externally, with purple, cellular

spiculate-pubescence internally, the dorsal sepal ovate and concave in the lower quarter,

narrowly linear above, acute, 15 mm long, 4 mm wide unexpanded, the lateral sepals complete¬

ly connate into a synsepal similar to the dorsal sepal, 15 mm long, 4 mm wide unexpanded;

petals yellowish white, covered by a red, cellular pubescence, suborbicular in the lower

quarter, abruptly contracted above into a narrowly linear, subulate apex, 15 mm long, 3.75

mm wide in the lower portion; lip white, dotted with purple, pandurate-trilobed, 4 mm long,

1 mm wide, the apex acuminate, acute, the basal lobes small, erect, narrowly triangular,

oblique, the base concave, truncate, broadly adherent to the base of the column; column

white, stout, semiterete, 1 mm long, the anther and stigma subapical, the foot thick and

pedestal-like with the apex of the ovary.

COLOMBIA: without locality or collector, cul¬

tivated by M. & O. Robledo at La Ceja, R

Escobar 983 (Holotype: JAUM), flowered 16 Oct.

1977, C. Luer 2057 (SEL).

This unique species is without known

close relatives, but its affinity with

the subgenus Ancipitia is without doubt.

The greatest deviation from the usual

vegetative pattern is the doubling of

the margins of the laterally compressed

ramicaul so that four, sharp edges are

created. It is treated in a monotypic

section. The inflorescence is compatible

with the subgenus.

Apparently P. tetragona is endemic

somewhere in Colombia. It is known from

a single collection without collection

data cultivated by Martha and Oscar

Robledo at La Ceja. So far, it is not

known to have been rediscovered.

SYSTEMATIC^ OF ANCIPITIA

Plate 21. Pleurothallis tetragona Luer & Escobar

ICONES PLEUROTIIALLIDINARUM

Pleurothallis viduata Luer, Phytologia 49: 221, 1981.

Ety.: From the Latin viduatus, “lost,” referring to the missing collection data.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect,

sharply ancipitous above the middle, 7-18 cm long, 6 mm deep at the leaf, with a tubular

sheath above the base and 2-3 sheaths at the base. Leaf rigid, coriaceous, erect, ovate,

acute, carinate externally, 7-9 cm long, 34.5 cm wide, the more or less conduplicate base

rounded, sessile, with the sides decurrcnt on the ramicaul for 8-20 mm. Inflorescence a

fascicle of solitary, successive flowers borne from a reclining spathe 5-6 m long, above the

base of the leaf; peduncle filiform, erect, 2.5-3.5 cm long; floral bract 7-8 mm long; pedi¬

cel 4.5-5 cm long; ovary 3 mm long; sepals white, lightly marked with purple, fleshy, gla¬

brous, concave, the dorsal sepal narrowly ovate, acute, 12 mm long, 5 mm wide, the lateral

sepals completely connate into a synsepal similar to the dorsal sepal, 11 mm long, 5.5 mm

wide; petals white with an irregular patch of purple below the middle, cellular-glandular,

narrowly ovate, oblique, acute, 9.5 mm long, 2.5 mm wide; lip dark red-purple, thick, sub-

orbicular, 1 mm long, 1 mm wide, the rounded margins thickened, the disc with a thick,

rounded, bilobed callus, the base subtruncate, hinged to the base of the column-foot; column

white, mottled with rose, semiterete, 2 mm long, the anther and stigma subapical, the base

of the column thickened with the apex of the ovaiy.

ECUADOR: without locality, cultivated at SEL,

flowered in cultivation 12 Nov. 1980, C. Lucr

5596 (Ilolotype: SEL); flowered in cultivation

by P. & A. Jesup in Bristol, CT., 12 Dec.

1988, C. Lucr 13797B (MO).

This species was collected in Ecua¬

dor, probably at a relatively low alti¬

tude on the eastern slopes of the Andes

between 1975 and 1977. Unfortunately,

the identification tag with more speci¬

fic locality data was lost.

The plant grows rapidly and it has

been divided repeatedly. It flowers

vigorously throughout the year. Vegeta-

tively it is similar to other species of

the subgenus, but it is easily identi¬

fied the white flowers with a purple

patch on the petals, and the tiny orbic¬

ular lip with a thick, rounded margin.

SYSTEMATIC^ OF ANCIPITIA

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Pleurothallis vorator Luer & VSsquez, Phytologia 46: 374,1980.

Ety.: From the Latin vorator , “a devourer,” in allusion to the appearance of the column

poised over the lip, as the head of an animal about to eat from a dish.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect,

sharply ancipitous above the base, 8-17 cm long, up to 4 mm deep at the leaf, with a tubular

sheath below the middle and 2-3 sheaths at the base. Leaf rigid, coriaceous, erect, ovate,

acute, carinate externally, 5.5-8 cm long, 2.5-3.5 cm wide, the base rounded, shallowly

cordate, sessile, conduplicate. Inflorescence a fascicle of solitary, successive flowers

borne from a reclining spathe 5-8 mm long at the base of the leaf; peduncle filiform, erect,

10-12 mm long; floral bract 6-8 mm long; pedicel 12-14 mm long; ovary subverrucose, 4 mm

long; sepals yellow-orange, minutely flecked with red-purple, fleshy, the dorsal sepal nar¬

rowly ovate, concave below the middle, acute, 9 mm long, 3 mm wide, the lateral sepals com¬

pletely connate into a synsepal similar to the dorsal sepal, 8.5 mm long, 4 mm wide; petals

yellow, dotted with purple below the middle, fleshy, terete above the middle, narrowly

linear-ovate, acute, 8 mm long, 1.3 mm wide; lip dull yellow to brown, mottled with purple,

subquadrate, shallowly concave, 2 mm long, 2 mm wide, with a small, marginal, acute, re-

trorsc tooth near the middle on both sides, the broadly obtuse apex with a pair of low calli

externally, and with a discrete but shallow concavity just inside the central margin, the

base truncate, with a pair of low, rounded calli, attached to the base of the column; column

mottled with purple, arcuate, semiterete, 2.5 mm long, the anther large, subapical, the

stigma ventral, the base thickened, pedestal-like with the apex of the ovary.

BOLIVIA: Dept, of La Paz: Prov. of Nor Yungas,

epiphytic in forest between Chuspipata and

Coroico, alt. 2800 m, 4 Feb. 1980, C. Luer, J.

Luer, R. Vdsquez & R. Lara 5223 (Holotype:

SEL); without locality, flowered in cultiva¬

tion by Dino Menato in Chulumani, 1 Feb. 1980,

C Luer 5046 (SEL).

This species is apparently endemic in

the Yungas of Bolivia. The ovate leaf is

conduplicate at the base. The gaping

flowers are yellow-orange with a very

small suborbicular, slightly concave lip

beneath an arcuate column with a seem¬

ingly oversized anther.

SYSTEMATICS OF ANCIPITIA

Plate 23. Pleurothallis vorator Luer & Vasquez

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

REFERENCES

Baumann, P. & K. Baumann, 1988. Das Geheimnis der Orchideen. Hofmann und Campe

Hamburg, 104,118,119,132,134.

Luer, C A., 1986. leones Pleurothallidinarum III. Systematics of Pleurothallis. Monogr.

Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 20: 29.

INDEX TO SCIENTIFIC NAMES

Pleurothallis 1

subgen. Acianthera

sect. Sicariae 2

subgen. Ancipitia 1,2,14,46

sect. Ancipitia 1,3,4

sect. Tetragona 1,3,4

subgen. Arthrosia 2

subgen. Scopula 1

Pleurothallis anceps 2,3,4,6, Plate 1., 30

anthrax 5,8, Plate 2., 38

arietina 1,16

caniceps 5,10, Plate 3.

caprina 5,12, Plate 4.

condorensis 1,5,14, Plate 5.

coriacardia 18

crocodiliceps 1,2,5,10,12,16, Plate 6., 26,40

dunstervillei 1,4,18, Plate 7.

duplex 5,20, Plate 8.

eumecocaulon 1,4,22, Plate 9., 28,30 32

furcifera 4,24, Plate 10.

gratiosa 1,5,26, Plate 11.

harpago 4,28, Plate 12.

inornata 1,4,30, Plate 13.

instar 4,32, Plate 14.

membracidoides 5,34, Plate 15.

nelsonii 1,16

niveoglobula 4,36, Plate 16.

odobeniceps 1,5,38, Plate 17.

onagriceps 1,5,40, Plate 18.

praecipua 5,42, Plate 19.

solium 4,14,44, Plate 20.

tetragona 3,4,46, Plate 21.

viduata 4,48, Plate 22.

vorator 5,50, Plate 23.

SYSTEMATICS OF THE SUBGENUS SCOPULA

GENUS PLEUROTHALLIS (ORCHIDACEAE)

ABSTRACT

The subgenus Scopula Luer of the genus Pleurothallis R. Br. is defined. A key to

the species is given. Each species is described and illustrated with a black and

white drawing, and a distribution map is included for each.

New species:

Pleurothallis aspergillum Luer & Hirtz

Pleurothallis tetroxys Luer

Professor Reichenbach described the first species of Pleurothallis attribut¬

able to this subgenus in 1888. He chose the felicitous epithet scoparum for

the resemblance of the tufted inflorescence at the tip of the leaf to a broom.

In his description he indicated Lindley’s section Aggregatae. At that time,

this species with the brushlike fascicle of pedicels apparently emerging from

the apex of the leaf was unique in Pleurothallis. Reichenbach had received

specimens from the professional collector Eduard Klaboch who cited two collec¬

tions (in 1875 and 1884) from different localities in Ecuador, and one from

Consul Lehmann.

A personally penned letter including a watercolor painting to Reichenbach

from F. C. Lehmann on stationery of the German Consulate in Popay&n, Colombia,

concerning this species as well as some other problems, is present in the

Reichenbach herbarium at W (Vienna). A liberal translation by Fritz Hamer of

the intriguing letter is as follows:

Popay^n, 15 June 1888

Highly esteemed Sir:

On 31 December 1877, you called my attention to a Pleurothallis which produces

flowers near the apex of the leaf, and of which I herewith enclose on the following

page a facsimile of the outline you sent me at that time. I have tried to get

information from Klaboch about the place of origin of that species, and during one

of my numerous visits (to Ecuador) I searched that region with great patience,

always with a negative result.

Today I allow myself to direct your attention to a species which, accor ing to

the marginal sketch (the watercolor painting) and the enclosed specimen, does not

have the flowers near the apex but right at the apex. The plant grows on roc s

which are periodically flooded at the foot of the Ecuadorian Western Cordihera,

about 500 meters above sea level, 1000 meters lower than the one mentioned by

Klaboch.* f

Since I cannot believe that the same identity exists between the species ot

which you sent a sketch and my species, I therefore feel no mora o igation

make the plant which I found on my last trip to Ecuador known to you in t e ^ a y

I do today. However, my always cultivated indulgence obliges me to te >ou a u

this one, because you called my attention to the existence of sue a creation,

whether the plant of Klaboch and mine are identical or not.# I specifically mention

that I have not informed any of my orchid-collaborators of the existence of thi

species be it by letter or specimen, and shall not do so before my coming visit

next spring. You therefore have time until the beginning of Apn - in case i

species arouses your interest - to describe and publish it. / ter c i j

mentioned, I shall render very detailed sketches as well as specimens to m y *

orators and insist that the species be published immediately if you av

so in the meantime. + . , , . T

As you so evasively avoided my former requests to return the sketches I sent to

you since 1880, I beg you today to hold in readiness the noted sketches SOd _

specimen of each species - a right I have reserved in many of my letters directe d

to youL I ThaTfetch them either personally on ny next voyage in Apnl or through

an authorized person.

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

On my next-to-last trip to Ecuador I have made many very enlightening discover¬

ies which are especially important for the geographical distribution of orchids. I

found on one of the upper tributaries of the Amazon in southern Ecuador Odonto-

glossum vexillarium, a variety with small, very intensely colored flowers. Also a

Masdcvallia ephippium and, judging from the plant, also Odontoglossum wallisii and

many others. The most interesting is a small Restrepia with comparatively large,

yellow and red maculated, long-pilose flowers. The leaves are also covered with a

gray tomentum.'' The number of Masdevallias which seem to be new to me is seven.

On my last trip in October and November to Sittowal in Guayas I contracted a bad

dysentery which kept me in bed for over a month, and nearly let me join the great

number. It is only for a few days now that I can leave the bed and work a few hours

daily at my desk.

Yours respectfully,

^ (signed) F. C. Lehmann

To Prof. Dr.

11. G. Rcichcnbach

Hamburg

•'Phc plant does also grow at 1500 meters above sea level (3000-4000 feet).

#Lehmann was misled by an inaccurate sketch. Reichcnbach’s sketches of the flowers

of both collections reveal that they are the same.

+ Rcichcnbach did indeed publish this species as Pleurothallis scopanwi before the

year was out, but without mentioning Lehmann’s collection. Reichcnbach died

that following spring on 6 May 1889.

* Drcss/crella hirsutissima (C. Schweinf.) Lucr.

A second species attributable to the subgenus Scopula did not come to the

attention of an orchid taxonomist for a century until one was discovered in

Colombm and described by Mariano Ospina H. in a new genus (Colombiana) in

thlrd and fourth species from southern Colombia were added in 1980,

and the fifth and sixth are added herewith.

The subgenus Scapula was proposed in 1986 to accommodate these peculiar

species. Four of the six presently known species are found in Colombia, three

o , u Cm sym P a,nc ln ^e vicinity of the La Planada Science Center in the

southwesternmost department of Narino. Two others are endemic in Ecuador. All

are primarily epiphytic in wet forests of the western slopes of the Andes of

o ombia and northern Ecuador at various altitudes between 750 and 2700 meters

above sea level.

thr ^fl S f X T CiCS SU ^ CnUS ^copula are easily recognized vegetatively by

cll,p"cal o, narrowly elliptical leaves with a tuft of single-flowered

i f | C L , S C |T Cr V n ^ ncar a P ex fr° m the median sulcus opposite of

what looks like the nudnb on the do,sum. The leaves actually arc exceedingly

ong decnrreu, o,, the ratnicaul. The free portion of the ramicaul below the

annnliic CFC C r 0, ? SUa ^ s ^® r t er than the leafy portion above. Neither

a • nf #i? r ^ SC1SS1 ,? r ! a ^ Cr lS P resent * N° leafless ramicauls occur with

for years ° ^ ^ ^ caves a PParently persisting and flowering continuously

4/i c ini tin- n ° rescence suggests some relationship with Pleurothallis subgenus

ipXconnT" f “ d “ “ of ™8le-n„wered peduncles, lateral

sepa ls^„.«e mto a synsepal petals large and often acute, a piously

S™ a„ 1 T ,' CO ‘ U,n " " lh an « subapical anther and

distinguishessubgenusrbicrptdo. VeBMa " ,ely lhe shar P ly anci P il0 “ ' amicaul

SYSTEMATICS OF SCOPULA

Pleurothallis subgenus Scopula Luer, leones Pleurothallidinarum III, Monogr.

Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 15: 76,1986.

Type: Pleurothallis garayana (Ospina) Luer, Selbyana 1: 90,1975.

Ety.: From the Latin scopula, “a little broom,” referring to the brushlike fascicle of

peduncles near the apex of the leaf.

Syn.: Colombiana Ospina, Orquidcologia 8: 230, 1974.

Type: Colombiana garayana Ospina, Orquidcologia 8: 232, 1974 = Pleurothallis garayana

(Ospina) Luer.

Ety.: Named for Colombia, the country of origin of the species.

Plants medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender, fasciculate. Ramicauls

slender, erect, terete, partially engulfed by the decurrent leaf, without an abscission

layer or an annulus, the free portion below often shorter than the leafy portion above, with

a tubular sheath below the middle and another one or two at the base. Leaf coriaceous, el¬

liptical to narrowly elliptical, acute to subacute, the base long-decurrent on the ramicaul.

Inflorescence a fascicle of successive, single-flowered peduncles emerging below the apex of

the leaf, subtended by a small spathe; sepals membranous, the middle sepal uppermost, free

from the laterals, the lateral sepals completely connate into a synsepal; petals of nearly

similar size, more or less thickened, sometimes minutely ciliate; lip smaller than the

sepals and petals, entire to fimbriate, 1-, 2-, or 3-lobed, the base delicately hinged or

articulated to the column-foot; column, semiterete, the anther and rostellum apical to sub-

apical, the pollinia 2, with small caudicles and viscidium, the stigma entire, apical to

subapical, the base of the column united to the apex of the ovary without forming a foot, or

sometimes forming a rudimentary foot.

KEY TO THE SPECIES OF SUBGENUS SCOPULA

1 Flowers widely spread, comparatively large,

the sepals more than 6 mm long.

r Flowers subglobose, comparatively small,

the sepals less than 4 mm long.

2 Lip ovate, coarsely fimbriate

2’ Lip not coarsely fimbriate ..

P. scoparum

3 Lip transversely bilobed, the apex retuse... P- garayana

y Lip not transversely bilobed.^

4 Lip ovate, acute, obtusely angled below the middle. P* aspergillum

4’ Lip cuneate, truncate. tetrox y s

5 Leaf up to 1.5 cm wide; flowers purple; lip not lobed. P- ruscaria

5’ Leaf usually 2-3 cm wide; flowers yellow; lip 3-lobed. P- penicillata

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Pleurothallis aspergillum Luer & Hirtz.

Pleurothallis garayana (Ospina) Luer.

Pleurothallis penicillata Luer ...

Pleurothallis ruscaria Luer.

Pleurothallis scoparum Rchb. f.

Pleurothallis tetroxys Luer.

Plate 1.

Plate 2.

Plate 3.

Plate 4.

Plate 5.

Plate 6.

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Pleurothallis aspergillum Luer & Hirtz, sp. nov.

Ety: From the Latin aspergillum, “a brush used for sprinkling,” in allusion to the

brushlike tuft of peduncles at the apex of the leaf.

Inter species subgcneris Scopulae Luer species haec petalis falcatis ciliatis et labello

rhombiformi eroso subacuto distinguitur.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots densely fasciculate, slender. Rami-

cauls slender, erect, the free portion with a tubular sheath below the middle and 2 others

tl rJ >aSC ’ o m J° ng f° thC b3SC 0f the Ieaf * Leaf crect > coriaceous, narrowly ellip-

tical-linear, acute, 8-15 cm long, 0.4-0.8 cm wide, the base narrowly cuneate, long-decur^

mm i™„ m ‘ CaU J', Infl " rescence a fascicle of successive, single-flowered peduncles 9-12

^' 0 " g ' l 0 *™**" ? apCX ° f thC leaf ’ subtended b y a spathe 5 mm long; floral bract

ovate concave T? °" < 2-5 mm ,0ng; sepals white ’ S labrous > ,he dorsal se pal

S SC ’ mm l0 " g ’ 3 mm wde “"expanded, the lateral sepals corn-

petals thick wh'i?e° /It° V a . e ’ ^ ncave ’ acute synsepal 7 mm long, 4 mm wide unexpanded;

acute* finelv' ciliate' ^ purp,e in the middle third ’ "arrowly ovate-falcate

b^ ’c~ 25 mm loT , s ng ' 15 T r de; Iip whi,e ’ ° range at the ba ^, ovate-rhom-

u, e nC h V ' u ,r' n t T ^ thC marginS cd 'ate-er 0 se, the apex acute, minutely

l fh ged ,'° a " ° bSOlcScent column-foot; column white, semi-

bous, pubescent, essentially?^ ap ’ eXPOSed ’ the S,igma apical - ,he base sli g ht, y bul '

ECUADOR: Prov. of Esmeraldas: epiphytic in

cloud forest west of Lita, alt. 750 m, 18 Jan.

tr £ J jUer ' 1 Luer ‘ C H - Dodson, A.

rlirtz, D. Benzing <£ D. Bcmutdes 12368 (Holo-

tjjpe: MO; Isotypcs: K, QCNE); same area west

J255(MO) FCb 1989 ’ S Da!srrdm & T. Hoijer

Pleurothallis aspergillum is locally

abundant in the dense, wet forest of low

altitudes in the northwestern Occidente

of Ecuador, and is the second species of

the subgenus to be found in Ecuador. It

is distinguished from the other species

of the subgenus by the white flowers

with a dark purple band covering the

middle third of the ciliate petals, and

an ovate-rhomboid lip with minutely

ciliate-erose margins.

SYSTEMATICS OF SCOPULA

Plate 1. Pleurothallis aspergillum Luer & Hirtz

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Pleurothallis garayana (Ospina) Luer, Selbyana 1: 90, 1975.

Ety: Named in honor of Leslie A. Garay, at that time curator of the AMES herbarium.

Syn.: Colombiana garayana Ospina, Orquideologia 8: 232,1974.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots densely fasciculate, slender. Rami-

cauls slender, erect, the free portion with a tubular sheath below the middle and 2 others

at the base, 5-10 cm long to the base of the leaf. Leaf erect, coriaceous, narrowly ellip¬

tical-linear, acute, 8-18 cm long, 1-1.3 cm wide, the base narrowly cuneate, long-decurrent

on the ramicaul. Inflorescence a fascicle of successive, single-flowered peduncles 5-9 mm

long, 5-9 mm below the apex of the leaf, subtended by a spathe 5 mm long; floral bract 3-4

mm long; pedicel 5-8 mm long; ovary 3.5 mm long; sepals white, suffused with rose below the

middle and with a few purple spots near the base, glabrous, the dorsal sepal ovate, concave,

narrowed above the middle, obtuse, 9 mm long, 5 mm wide expanded, the lateral sepals com¬

pletely connate into an ovate, concave, synsepal 9 mm long, 5.5 mm wide expanded, narrowed

above the middle to the obtuse apex; petals thickened at the base, red-purple with flecks of

darker purple, white at the apex, cellular-glandular, ovate, acute, 9 mm long, 3.25 mm wide;

lip white, suffused with red-purple at the base, transversely bilobed, concave, 3 mm long,

4.5 mm wide expanded, the anterior margin microscopically-erose, the lateral lobes broadly

rounded, the apex broadly rctuse, the subtruncate base hinged to an obsolescent column-foot;

column white, semiterete, 3 mm long, the anther and the stigma subapical, the base slightly

bulbous, pubescent with red hairs, essentially footless.

COLOMBIA: Dept, of Antioquia: Quebrada “El

Oro,” alt. ca. 1800 m, M. Ospina 752 (Holo-

type: herb. M. Ospina); same area, epiphytic

along Rio El Oro, alt. 2700 m, 1 May 1984, C.

Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 10076

(MO). Dept, of Choco: San Jose del Palmar,

alt. 2000 m, purchased from a collector, flow¬

ered in cultivation at Colomborqu ideas, 5 Mar.

1989, C. Luer 14104 (MO).

Pleurothallis garayana was first found

in the Western Cordillera of northern

Colombia by Dr. Mariano Ospina H., of

Bogota. More recently it has been found

in the Western Cordillera of central

Colombia. It differs from the others in

the subgenus by the broadly bilobed lip.

SYSTEMATICS OF SCOPULA

Plate 2. Pleurothallis garayana (Ospina) Luer

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Pleurothallis penicillata Luer, Phytologia 47: 78, 1980.

Ety.: From the Latin penicillatus , “like a painter’s brush,’’ in allusion to the appear¬

ance of the fascicle of peduncles at the apex of the leaf.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots densely fasciculate, slender. Rami-

cauls slender, erect, with a tubular sheath below the middle and 2 others at the base, 7-19

cm long to the base of the leaf. Leaf erect, thinly coriaceous, elliptical, acute, lightly

acuminate, 5-12 cm long, 2-3 cm wide, the base narrowly cuneate, long-decurrent on the rami-

caul. Inflorescence a fascicle of successive, single-flowered peduncles 7-8 mm long, 5-10

mm below the apex of the leaf, subtended by a spathe 5 mm long; floral bract thin, 3-4 mm

long; pedicel 11-16 mm long; ovary 2-3 mm long; flowers small, subglobose; sepals yellow,

glabrous, the dorsal sepal ovate, concave, subacute, 3 mm long, 2.25 mm wide, the lateral

sepals completely connate into an ovate, obtuse synsepal 3.5 mm long, 2.5 mm wide unexpand¬

ed, deeply concave below the middle producing an inflated mentum; petals slightly thickened,

subcarinate externally, ovate, lightly constricted above the middle, the acute obtuse, apic-

ulate, 3.5 mm long, 2 mm wide; lip yellow, 3-lobed, 1.3 mm long, 1 mm wide unexpanded, the

middle lobe convex, lightly channeled, ovate-triangular, acute, the lateral lobes basal,

oblique, subacute, the base subtruncate-concave, hinged to the base of the column; column

light yellow, scmitcrete, essentially footless, 1 mm long, the anther and stigma subapical,

exposed.

COLOMBIA: Dept, of Narino: Munic. of Ricaurte,

epiphytic in cloud forest north of Ricaurte,

alt. 1600 m, 3 Nov. 1979, C. Luer, J. Luer ; A.

Him & K. Walter 4610 (Ilolotype: SEL); same

area, cultivated at the La Planada Science

Center, 25 Jan. 1987, C. Luer 124S6 (MO).

Dept, of Valle de Cauca: Munic. of Choco:

Galapago, collected 27 Apr. 1983 by the Posa¬

das et al., flowered in cultivation at Colom-

borquideas, 5 Mar. 1989, C. Luer 14105 (MO).

Pleurothallis penicillata occurs

locally on the western slopes of the

Andes of Colombia. It is distinguished

from the other members of the subgenus

by the broader leaves and the small,

yellow, subglobose flowers. The synsepal

is deeply inflated. The lip is three-

lobed with the middle lobe convex and

acute, and with the basal lobes oblique.

SYSTEMATICS OF SCOPULA

2 mm

Plate 3. Pleurothallis penicillata Luer

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Pleurothallis ruscaria Luer, Phytologia 47: 79,1980.

Ety.: From the Latin ruscarius, “like a broom,” ( niscum , a shrub from which brooms were

made) referring to the tufted inflorescences.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots densely fasciculate, slender. Rami-

cauls slender, erect, with a tubular sheath below the middle and 2 others at the base, 7-16

cm long to the base of the leaf. Leaf erect, thinly coriaceous, narrowly elliptical, acute,

7-10 cm long, 1-1.5 cm wide, the base narrowly cuneate, long-decurrent on the ramicaul.

Inflorescence a fascicle of successive, single-flowered peduncles 2.5^1 mm long, 1-2.5 cm

below the apex of the leaf, subtended by a fugacious spathe 5 mm long; floral bract 4-5 mm

long; pedicel 5-7 mm long; ovary 1.75 mm long; flowers small, subglobose; sepals purple,

glabrous, the dorsal sepal broadly ovate, concave, obtuse, 3.5-4.5 mm long, 3.5-4 mm wide

expanded, the lateral sepals completely connate into a broadly ovate, concave, obtuse syn-

scpal 3.5-4.5 mm long, 2.75-3.75 mm wide; petals purple, oblong-obovate, curved, acute,

subcarinate, glabrous, minutely erose above the middle, 3.75-4.5 mm long, 1.5-1.75 mm wide;

lip purple, entire, obovate, concave, 2.5 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, the apex subtruncate, erose,

apiculate, the base thickened, hinged to the base of the column; column purple, stout, semi-

terete, footless, 1 mm long, the anther and stigma subapical, exposed.

COLOMBIA: Dept, of Narino: Munic.of Ricaurte:

epiphytic in cloud forest above Ricaurte, alt.

1600 m, 3 Nov. 1979, C. Luer, J. Luer, A.

Him & K. Walter 4611 (Holotype: SEL); same

area, cultivated at the La Planada Science

Center, 25 Jan. 1987, C. Luer 12498 (MO).

ECUADOR: Prov. of Carchi: wet forest east of

Maldonado, alt. 1800 m, 17 Feb. 1989, S. Dal-

strom <£ T. Hdijcr 1254 (MO).

Pleurothallis ruscaria is apparently

endemic in southwesternmost Colombia

and neighboring Ecuador. It is distin¬

guished from the other members of the

subgenus by the tufted inflorescence

often farther (about 2 cm) from the apex

of the leaf, and the small, purple,

subglobose flowers. The dorsal sepal and

the synsepal are similar, ovate and

concave, the petals are erose and acute;

and lip is concave and apiculate.

SYSTEMATICS OF SCOPULA

Plate 4. Pleurothallis ruscaria Luer

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Pleurotliullis scoparum Rchb. f., Flora 71:153, 1888.

Ely.: From the Latin scoparum, “of brooms,” referring to the dense fascicle of peduncles

at the apex of the leaf.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots very slender, numerous, densely

fasciculate. Ramicauls slender, erect, 5-19 cm long, with a tubular sheath above the base

and another at the base. Leaf erect, coriaceous, narrowly elliptical, acute, 7-16 cm long,

0.8-2 cm wide, the base narrowly cuneate, long-decurrent on the ramicaul. Inflorescence a

fascicle of successive, single-flowered peduncles 5-8 mm long, 3-5 mm below the apex of the

leaf, subtended by a fugacious spathe 2-3 mm long; floral bract 4-5 mm long; pedicel 7-12 mm

long; ovary 3 mm long; sepals white to rose, dotted with purple, glabrous, the dorsal sepal

ovate, concave below the middle, 8-9 mm long, 3 mm wide, narrowed near the middle to an

acute apex, the lateral sepals completely connate into an ovate, concave, narrowly obtuse

synsepal, 7-9 mm long, 3 mm wide; petals rose, dotted with purple, elliptical below the

middle, 7-8 mm long, 2 mm wide, narrowed above the middle into a thickened, subulate apex,

the margins minutely ciliate; lip white, ovate, acute, 2.5 mm long, 2 mm wide, with a dark

purple, central, cellular-glandular callus, the margins fimbriate, the base truncate, hinged

to the base of the column; column purple, semiterete, 1.25 mm long, the base pedestal-like

with the apex of the column, the anther and stigma apical.

ECUADOR: Prov. of Azuay: near Naranjal, alt.

3000 ft., 1875, E. Klaboch s.n. (Holotype: W);

Prov. of El Oro: near Santa Rosa, alt. 3-4000

ft., 1884, E. Klaboch s.n. (W). Prov. of Pi-

chincha: west Andes, alt. ca. 500 m, F. C.

Lehmann s.n. (W); terrestrial on the road

embankment between Quito and Santo Domingo,

alt. 1600 m, 2 Feb. 1963, C. //. Dodson & L. B.

Thicn 2218 (MO, SEL); road to Malatos between

Chiriboga and Santo Domingo, alt. 1300 m, Jan.

1989, A. Hinz 3961B (MO), C. Luer illustr

14366.

Only one specimen consisting of one

leaf and the stem is present on Reichen-

bach’s herbarium sheet of the type-spec¬

imen at W (Vienna), and two separate

collections by Eduard Klaboch are noted.

The first mentioned locality is given as

the holotype above. Reichenbach’s draw¬

ing of the floral parts is dated 1885,

but since that date is later than either

of the localities given, it is of no

help in determining from which locality

the type-specimen was obtained. A second

drawing dated 1888 on the same sheet is from the later collection by Consul

Lehmann.

Apparently this species is distributed locally on the western slopes of the

Andes of central Ecuador at altitudes between 500 and 1600 meters above sea

level. It is vegetatively similar to the other five species of the subgenus,

but it is readily distinguished by the pink-spotted flowers with a shaggy-fim-

briate lip. ^

SYSTEMATICS OF SCOPULA

Plate 5. Pleurothallis scoparwn Rchb. f.

ICONES PLEUROTTLALLIDINARUM

Pleurothallis tetroxys Luer, sp. nov.

Ety.: From the Greek tetroxys, “with four sharp points,” referring to the narrow, point¬

ed sepals and petals.

Inter species subgeneris Scopulae Luer species haec petalis subulatis, glandulosis et

labello cuneato concavo apice truncato eroso distinguitur.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots densely fasciculate, slender. Rami-

cauls slender, erect, with a tubular sheath below the middle and 2 others at the base, 5-8

cm long to the base of the leaf. Leaf erect, coriaceous, narrowly elliptical-linear, acute,

8-13 cm long, 0.7-1 cm wide, the base narrowly cuneate, indistinctly petiolate, long-decur¬

rent on the ramicaul. Inflorescence a fascicle of successive, single-flowered peduncles 5-8

mm long, 10-15 mm below the apex of the leaf, subtended by a spathe 5 mm long; floral bract

4-5 mm long; pedicel 6-10 mm long; ovary 3 mm long; sepals and petals red-brown with the

apices yellow, the dorsal sepal elliptical and concave below the middle, narrowly linear and

obtuse above the middle, 12 mm long, 4 mm wide unexpanded, the lateral sepals completely

connate into an ovate synsepal 11.5 mm long, 5 mm wide unexpanded, concave below the middle,

acuminate and narrowly obtuse above the middle; petals elliptical below the middle, glandu¬

lar cellular-pubescent, with 3 darker veins, 11 mm long, 2.5 mm wide, the acute apex long-

attenuate; lip brown, darker brown centrally, oblong-cuneate, concave, 4 mm long, 2 mm wide,

the truncate apex erose, the base rounded and concave to articulate with the bulbous base of

the column; column cream, semiterete, 3 mm long, the anther subapical, exposed, the stigma

subapical, the under surface of the column pubescent, bulbous at the base, essentially foot¬

less.

COLOMBIA: Dept, of Narino: Munic. of Ricaurte:

collected near La Planada, alt ca. 1800 m,

flowered in cultivation at the Orquideario by

J. Orejuela, 25 Jan. 1987, C. Luer 12497

(Holotype: MO).

Pleurothallis tetroxys is one of

three species of the subgenus that are

sympatric in the wet forest of south¬

western Colombia in the vicinity of the

La Planada Science Center. The other

two species, P. penicillata and P.

ruse aria were discovered in the same

area in 1979.

This species is distinguished from

the others of the subgenus by the brown

flowers with acuminate, yellow apices of

the sepals and petals. The lip is cune¬

ate with a thin, erose, truncate, apical

margin. The base is concave to accommo¬

date the bulbous base of the essentially

footless column. The “ball and socket”

articulation is reminiscent of that seen

in the genus Barbosella Schltr.

SYSTEMATIC? OF SCOPULA

5 cm

5 mm

Luer

Plate 6. Pleumthallis tetroxys

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

REFERENCES

Luer, C. A., 1986. leones Pleurothallidinarum III. Systematics of Pleurothallis. Monogr.

Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 20: 76.

Ospina, M., 1974. Colombiana : un nuevo genero en la subtribu Pleurothallideae. Orquideologi'a

8: 229-232.

INDEX TO SCIENTIFIC NAMES

Barbosella 66

Colombiana 54,55

Colombiana garayana 55, 58

Dresslerella hirsutissima 54

Masdevallia ephippium 54

Odontoglossum vexillarium 54

wallisii 54

Pleurothallis 53

subgen. Ancipitia 54

subgen. Scopula 53, 54, 55, 56, 66

sect. Aggregatae 53

Pleurothallis aspergillum 53,55, 56, Plate 1.

garayana 55, 58, Plate 2.

penicillata 55, 60, Plate 3., 66

ruscaria 55, 62, Plate 4., 66

scoparum 54, 55,64, Plate 5.

tetroxys 53, 55,66, Plate 6.

Restrepia 54

SYSTEMATICS OF THE GENUS

TRISETELLA (ORCHIDACEAE)

ABSTRACT

A history of Trisetella Luer is given and the genus is described. A key to

the sections and species is given. Each species is described and illustrated with

a black and white drawing. The specimens cited in the distributions are only a few

for the more frequent species from various localities. A distribution map is in¬

cluded for each species.

New taxa:

Trisetella sect. Fissura Luer, sect. nov.

Trisetella sect. Trisetella

Trisetella subsect. Calvicaulis Luer, sect. nov.

Trisetella subsect. Trisetella

Trisetella cordeliae Luer, sp. nov.

Trisetella fissidens Luer & Hirtz, sp. nov.

Trisetella nodulifera Luer & Hirtz, sp. nov.

Trisetella sororia Luer & Andreetta, sp. nov.

Trisetella struniosa Luer & Andreetta, sp. nov.

The first species of this genus known to botanical science was described by

Reichenbach in 1876 as Masdevallia triaristella. Recognizing this “little

curiosity,” as he described it, as something very different from the other

species of the genus Masdevallia , he immediately indicated a new subdivision,

Triaristellae , stopping short of erecting a new genus. All subsequent authors

were satisfied to follow his decision until 1978, even though generic differ¬

ences existed.

In 1876, the genus Masdevallia was in great demand among hobbyists and

horticulturists. Reichenbach added his M. triaristella to the growing list of

the immensely popular species probably because of the habit of the plant with

short ramicauls, and the flowers with sepaline tails, there being no other

genus then in existence to accommodate it.

Reichenbach described a total of five species of the genus in Masdevallia.

The species are so distinctive that Kranzlin recognized all of them in the

section Triaristellae in his monograph on Masdevallia in 1925, but he also

included a species of Barbosella Schltr. Later Schlechter and Schweinfurth

each added another epithet to Masdevallia for species of Trisetella.

The section Triaristellae of Masdevallia was first recognized as a g e ^ u ^ y

Brieger in 1976, but the chosen name Triaristella was already occupied by a

fossil spore. The name Trisetella was substituted in 1980.

The species of the genus are closely allied, all seemingly derived r ^ m one

frequent, variable and widely distributed species-complex recognize ere as

Trisetella triglochin. This species-complex is found throughout the range o

the genus from Central America through the Andes and the lower a titu es o

Amazonian Venezuela, Brazil, and Bolivia. . , ,

Within the T. triglochin complex some variations in the size o t e ea

and flowers, and the lengths and thicknesses of the tails must be acceptable.

Unfortunately, some intermediate specimens exist between t e . tngoc ur

complex and some of the other recognized species, such as . tnans e

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

which make positive identification often difficult. In her monograph on the

genus Masdevallia in 1896, in which she included three species of Trisetella ,

Woolward was already aware of this problem.

Vcgetatively all the species are small to very small, the leaves of most of

the species being very narrow, sometimes semiterete. The leaves of all species

are borne by abbreviated ramicauls. The slender peduncles, borne laterally

from low on the ramicaul with an annulus, may be smooth, faintly verrucose, or

coarsely verrucose and wiry. Faintly verrucose peduncles are seen in some

populations of species characterized by smooth peduncles.

The inflorescence is a congested, successively few-flowered raceme. The

dorsal sepal is shallowly connate to the lateral sepals, and the apex is pro¬

duced into a tail. Except for one species (7. hoeijeri ), the lateral sepals

are completely connate into a more or less concave synsepal. In most species

the tails of the lateral sepals emerge from the lateral margins near or below

the apex. These tails suggested the tusks of a wild boar to Reichenbach. The

tails of others emerge at the apex. In some populations of the T. triglochin

complex the tails emerge from either the apex or below the apex. In some popu¬

lations the tails are more or less thickened above the middle, even sometimes

clavate.

The petals are small and membranous, about the size of the column they

flank. The lips of all the species are basically similar with a pair of low,

longitudinal carinae on the disc. The base of the lip is cleft with basal

lobes protruding backward to either side of the compressed, keel-like column-

foot. The delicate, membranous hinge is between the tip of the front surface

of the column-foot and the base of the lip in the cleft between the basal

lobes. The column is semiterete with the ventral anther hooded. The minute,

granular tip of the pair of pollinia protrudes above the edge of the rostellar

flap that separates the clinandrium from the stigma. The stigma is entire and

large occuping most of the ventral surface of the column.

The flowers of all the species are resupinate. As with most other pleuro-

thallids, the resupination does not result from a twisting of the pedicel and

ovary, but from a “backward” bending of the pedicel to place the lip lower¬

most in the flower.

Today the total number of recognized species stands at 20. Four species are

known from Central America, four from Colombia, 15 from Ecuador, at least four

from Peru, and populations of the variable and widely distributed T. triglochin

complex occur also in Amazonian Venezuela, Brazil and Bolivia. Each population

of the latter varies to some degree from the next. These are all treated herein

as geographical variations of T. triglochin to avoid chaos among the old names

as well as a flood of new descriptions based on combinations of variable, minor

features. Those populations that differ significantly from the T. triglochin

complex have been maintained as species.

Two sections have been recognized, the unique T. hoeijeri with its spreading

lateral sepals being segregated into a section of its own. All the other spe¬

cies are extremely closellyallied, apparently with common genes flowing back

and forth among them. On the basis of the peduncle being smooth or rough the

latter are separated into two subsections.

SYSTEMATICS OF TRISETELLA

Trisetella Luer, Phytologia 47: 57, 1980.

Type: Masdevallia triaristella Rchb. f., Gard. Chron. 6: 226,1876.

Ety.: From the Latin trisetellus , “with three little bristles,” referring to the hair-

like tails of the three sepals.

Syn.: Masdevallia sect. Triaristellae Rchb. f., Gard. Chron. 6: 226, 1876.

Triaristella Brieg., Die Orchideen 449, 1976, nom. invalid.

Triaristella Brieg. ex Luer, Selbyana 2: 205, 1978, non V. S. Malyavkina 1949.

Triaristellina Rauschert, Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 94: 459, 1983, nom. illcg.

Plants perennial, very small to medium in size, delicate, epiphytic, rarely lithophy-

tic, caespitose, the rhizome very short between ramicauls; roots slender. Ramicauls erect to

ascending, slender, non-pseudobulbous, much shorter than the leaf, unifoliate, partially or

completely enclosed by 2 to 3 thin, imbricating sheaths at the base, the inflorescence

emerging laterally with an annulus from near the base. Leaf erect, coriaceous to thickly

coriaceous, smooth, green or dark green, sometimes suffused or spotted with purple, ellipti¬

cal to narrowly elliptical, linear to terete, the apex acute to subacute, shallowly notched

with a mucro in the sinus, the base narrowly cuneate, or gradually narrowed below, with or

without a petiole. Inflorescence a succession of single, resupinate flowers in a few-flow¬

ered, congested raceme, borne by a slender, smooth or verrucose peduncle, longer or shorter

than the leaf, with a bract below the middle; floral bracts thin, tubular, imbricating,

pedicels slender, longer or shorter than the floral bract; ovary smooth to verrucose, tri-

valvate; sepals conspicuous, more or less membranous, variously shaded with yellow and pur¬

ple, smooth to minutely pubescent or ciliate, the dorsal sepal ovate, connate in varying

degrees to the lateral sepals to form a sepaline cup, the apex long-attenuate, often cla-

vate, the lateral sepals usually connate into a considerably larger synsepal with the apices

more or less abruptly contracted into slender or clavate tails, the tails emerging from the

margin at or more often below the apex; petals small, inconspicuous, about as long as the

column or lip, more or less membranous, oblong, ovate to elliptical, acute, obtuse to trun¬

cate or tridentate; lip rigid, oblong, ovate, elliptical to subpandurate, the apex subacute,

obtuse to rounded, more or less thickened and smooth, the disc with a pair of longitudinal

calli, smooth to verrucose, the base cordate, cleft, with the basal lobes flanking the col¬

umn-foot, hinged in the cleft; column semiterete, the anther ventral, more or less hooded,

the rostellum retrorse, the pollinia 2, yellow, obovoid, with elastic, more or less granular

caudicles, the stigma large and ventral, the base of the column developed into a column-foot

with the apex of the ovary and extended beyond the ovary, the foot laterally compressed and

fitted between the basal lobes of the lip.

Trisetella sect. Fissura Luer, sect. nov.

Type: Trisetella hoeijeri Luer, Lindleyana 1: 192, 1986.

Ety.: From the Latin fissura , “a cleft,” referring to the spreading instead of connate

lateral sepals.

Sepala lateralia libera patentiaque.

This section is distinguished by the free, widely spread, lateral sepals

with apical tails. Only one species from southern Ecuador is known.

Trisetella sect. Trisetella

Type: Masde\’allia triaristella Rchb. f., Gard. Chron. 6: 266, 1876.

This section contains all the rest of the species of the genus. The later-

al sepals are connate, at least up to the middle, into a more or less scaphoid

synsepal. The tails often emerge from the margins below the apex. The petals

and lips are vary little. Two subsections, based on the integument of the pe¬

duncle, i.e., whether or not it is scabrous, are recognized.

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Trisetella sect. Trisetella subsect. Trisetella

Type: Masdevallia triaristella Rchb. f., Gard. Chron. 6: 266,1876.

This subsection consists of six species distinguished by the slender, wiry,

coarsely verrucose peduncles that are rough to touch. Lightly or microscopical¬

ly verrucose peduncles that are nearly smooth to touch occur in several species

included in the “smooth-stemmed” subsection ( Calvicaulis ).

Trisetella sect. Trisetella subsect. Calvicaulis Luer, sect. nov.

Type: Trisetella gemmata (Rchb. f.) Luer = Masdevallia gemmata Rchb. f., Gard. Chron. 2,

294, 1883

Ety.: From the Latin calvicaulis, “a smooth stem,” referring to the peduncle that is smooth to

touch.

Pcdunculi calvi vel levitcr verrucosi.

This subsection, consisting of the rest of the genus, is distinguished by

peduncles that are essentially smooth to touch. The peduncles of some species,

or the populations of some species with smooth peduncles, are lightly, minute¬

ly, or indistinctly verrucose.

EPITHETS PUBLISHED IN TRISETELLA

Trisetella abbreviata Luer

Trisetella andreettae Luer

Trisetella cordeliae Luer

Trisetella didyma (Luer) Luer

Trisetella dressleri (Luer) Luer

Trisetella escobarii Luer

Trisetella fissidens Luer & Hirtz

Trisetella gemmata (Rchb. f.) Luer

Trisetella hirtzii Luer

Trisetella hoeijeri Luer

Trisetella huebneri (Schltr.) Luer = Trisetella triglochin

Trisetella nodulifera Luer & Hirtz

Trisetella pantex (Luer) Luer

Trisetella regia Konigcr

Trisetella scobina Luer

Trisetella sororia Luer & Andreetta

Trisetella strumosa Luer & Andreetta

Trisetella tenuissima (C. Schweinf.) Luer

Trisetella triaristella (Rchb. f.) Luer

Trisetella trichaete (Rchb. f.) Luer = Trisetella triglochin

Trisetella tridactylites (Rchb. f.) Luer = Trisetella triglochin

Trisetella triglochin (Rchb. f.) Luer

Trisetella vittata (Luer) Luer

SYSTEMATICS OF TRISETELLA

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Trisetella abbreviate! Luer.

Trisetella andreeltae Luer.

Trisetella cordeliae Luer.

Trisetella didyma (Luer) Luer.

Trisetella dressleri (Luer) Luer.

Trisetella escobarii Luer.

Trisetella fissidens Luer & Hirtz.

Trisetella gemmata (Rchb. f.) Luer.

Trisetella hirtzii Luer.

Trisetella hoeijeri Luer.

Trisetella nodulifera Luer & Hirtz.

Trisetella pantex (Luer) Luer.

Trisetella regia Koniger.

Trisetella scobina Luer.

Trisetella sororia Luer & Andreetta.

Trisetella stramosa Luer & Andreetta.

Trisetella tenuissima (C. Schweinf.) Luer.

Trisetella triaristella (Rchb. f.) Luer.

Trisetella triglochin (Rchb. f.) Luer.

Trisetella vittata (Luer) Luer.

Plate 1.

Plate 2.

Plate 3.

Plate 4.

Plate 5.

Plate 6.

Plate 7.

Plate 8.

Plate 9.

Plate 10.

Plate 11

Plate 12.

Plate 13

Plate 14.

Plate 15.

Plate 16.

Plate 17.

Plate 18., 19.

Plate 20., 21.,

22., 23., 24.

Plate 25.

anther cap clinandrium

Figure 1. Details of the column.

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

KEY TO THE SECTIONS, SUBSECTIONS AND SPECIES

OF TRJSETELLA

Section Fissura

1’ Lateral sepals free to the base, widespread. T. hoeijeri

* * *

1 Lateral sepals connate into a synsepal...2

2 Peduncles smooth to lightly verrucose.... 8

Section Trisetella

Subsection Triaristella

2’ Peduncles coarsely verrucose.3

3 Synsepal broadly expanded, obtuse. T. cordeliae

y Synsepal narrowly elongate, more or less acute.4

4 Tails of the lateral sepals approximate, produced at the apex. T. didytna

4’ Tails of the lateral sepals produced laterally below the apex.5

5 Synsepal with a large, deep, retrorse mentum. T. strumosa

5’ Synsepal with a shallow mentum.6

6 Lip with 2 calli. T. triaristella

6’ Lip with more than 2 calli.7

7 Lip with 3 calli. T. regia

T Lip with 4 calli. T. scobina

Subsection Calvicaulis

8 Tails originating from the apices of the lateral sepals.9

8’ Tails originating laterally from below the apices

of the lateral sepals.12

9 Apices of the lateral sepals acute, continuous with the tails.10

9’ Apices of the lateral sepals obtuse, the tails

originating from the sides of the apices.11

10 Plant very small, the leaves up to 2 mm wide;

sepals together with tails less than 8 mm long. M. tenuissima

10’ Plant medium in size, the leaves more than 3 mm wide;

sepals together with tails more than 12 mm long. T. vittata

11 Synsepal narrowly oblong, more than 12 mm long. T. andreettae

11 Synsepal broadly oblong, less than 8 mm long. T. dressleri

SYSTEMATICS OF TRISETELLA

12 Mature leaves less than 2 cm long, up to 1.5 mm wide;

mentum of the synsepal essentially absent to deep.13

12’ Mature leaves more than 2 cm long; up to 5 mm wide

mentum of the synsepal more or less prominent.16

13 Lip with denticulate calli

13’ Lip with non-denticulate calli

14 Synsepal ciliate; lip concave below the middle. T. fissidens

14’ Synsepal not ciliate; lip not concave below the middle. T. hirtzii

15 Synsepal with very shallow or absent mentum. T. abbreviate

15’ Synsepal with a prominent mentum. T. triglochin

16 Leaves large, up to 7 cm long, 5 mm wide;

peduncles shorter than the leaves.

16’ Mature leaves less than 7 cm long, less than 4 mm wide;

peduncles usually longer than the leaves.

17 Mentum of the synsepal below the middle, deeply concave,

the synsepal broadly convex above the middle;

carinae of the lip bluntly toothed.

17’ Not the above features.

18 All three sepaline tails forwardly directed;

lip ovate, distinctly narrowed above the middle .

. T. gemmate

.19

IQ I ir» ncinHurotP an aniral pallnc . flOdilUfcra

iy Lip panaurate wiin an apicai canub .

Lip noi panuuraie wiin an apicai ..

20 Raceme up to 7-flowered; tails of the sepals

.... T. sororia

20’ Raceme 2- to 3-flowered; tails of the sepals

slender, sometimes thickened toward the apex.

.. T. triglochin

T. pantex

.18

T. escobarii

.17

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Trisetella abbreviata Luer, Phytologia 47: 82,1980.

Ety.: From the Latin abbreviate, “shortened,” referring to the short vegetative and

floral parts.

Plant very small, epiphytic, densely caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect, 1-2

mm long, enclosed by 2-3 thin, tubular sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, narrowly linear,

semiterete, acute, 10-20 mm long, 1.5-2 mm wide. Inflorescence a succession of single flow¬

ers (2-3) borne in a congested raceme by a filiform, erect, smooth to faintly scabrous

peduncle 30-40 mm long, with a bract below the middle, from low on the ramicaul; floral

bracts 2-3 mm long; pedicel 5-6 mm long; ovary 1.5 mm long, faintly verrucose; dorsal sepal

yellow with 3 thin, red veins, with the dorsal vein verrucose externally, transversely

ovate, concave, 4 mm long, 5 mm wide, connate to the lateral sepals for 2 mm to form a sepa-

line cup, the obtuse apex conduplicate, contracted into an erect, yellow tail 12 mm long,

slightly thickened toward the apex; lateral sepals purple, connate 16 mm to the apices into

a narrowly oblong lamina 16 mm long, 4 mm wide, more or less flat without forming a mentum,

the obtuse apices approximate, contracted laterally 3 mm below the apex into slender, pur¬

ple, subapical tails 4 mm long; petals translucent yellow, suffused with purple medially,

oblong, 2 mm long, 0.6 mm wide, the truncate apex with an abrupt apiculum; lip red, ovate, 2

mm long, 1 mm wide, the apex obtuse, thickened, the disc with a low pair of longitudinal

calli, channeled centrally, the base cordate-cleft, hinged to the short, compressed apex of

the column-foot; column yellow, suffused with red, semiterete, 2 mm long, the foot 1 mm

long.

ECUADOR: Prov. of Zamora-Chinchipe: epiphy¬

tic in cloud forest between Loja and Zamora,

alt. ca. 1500 m, collected by Janet Kuhn,

flowered in cultivation at J & L Orchids,

Easton, Ct., 16 Nov. 1977, C. Luer 2209 (IIolo-

type: SEL); Nambija, southeast of Zamora, alt.

1200 m, May 1985, A. Him 2571 (MO).

Trisetella abbreviata is apparently

endemic in the wet forests of southeast¬

ern Ecuador where it has been found on

several occasions. It is notable for

the very small, narrowly terete leaves;

a twice taller, subscabrous peduncle;

flowers with a short dorsal sepal with

an erect, slightly thickened tail; a

flat, non-gibbous, non-ventricose syn-

sepal with short tails below the apex;

and minute petals and lip. These slight

differences seem sufficient to maintain

this species distinct from the variable

and frequent T. triglochin.

SYSTEMATIC^ OF TRISETELLA

Plate 1. Trisetella abbreviata Luer

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Trisetella andreettae Luer, Lindleyana 1: 186, 1986.

Ety.: Named in honor of Padre Angel Andreetta, Salesian father, presently of Paute, Ecua¬

dor, who discovered this species.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect, 2-3 mm long, en¬

closed by 2-3 loose, tubular sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, finely mottled with purple

beneath, narrowly elliptical, subacute, 15-24 mm long, 3 mm wide. Inflorescence a succes¬

sion (2-5) of single flowers borne in a congested raceme by a slender, erect to suberect,

smooth (microscopically subverrucose) peduncle 30-40 mm long, with a bract near the base,

from low on the ramicaul; floral bracts 3-4 mm long; pedicel 6-7 mm long; ovary 1.5 mm long,

verrucosc; dorsal sepal yellow with 3 brown veins, minutely ciliate, transversely ovate,

concave, 4 mm long, 5.5 mm wide, connate to the lateral sepals for 2.5 mm to form a sepaline

cup, the obtuse apex contracted into a tail 10 mm long, the tail thickened at the apex;

lateral sepals purple with a yellow margin, minutely ciliate, minutely red-pubescent within,

connate 14 mm into a narrowly oblong lamina 15 mm long, 6 mm wide at the expanded slightly

concave base, 2.5 mm wide at the apex, the obtuse apices contracted apically into slender,

yellow tails 4 mm long, the mentum broad, shallow, obtuse; petals translucent yellow, suf¬

fused with purple medially, oblong, 3.25 mm long, 1 mm wide, the obtuse apex with a minute

apiculum; lip red-brown, oblong-ovate, 3.6 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, the apex obtuse, thickened,

the disc with a low pair of longitudinal calli, channeled centrally, the base cordate-cleft,

hinged to the short, compressed apex of the column-foot; column green, suffused with purple,

semiterete, 3.5 mm long, the foot 1 mm long.

ECUADOR: Prov. of Morona-Santiago:epiphy¬

tic in rain forest near Rio Calagras, alt.

1600 m, 19 Sept. 1980, C. Luer, J. Luer, A.

Andreetta et al., 5505, (Ilolotype: SEL).

Vegetatively this species is similar

to T. triglochin Rchb. f., but the flow¬

ers have only a shallow, obtuse mentum.

Both the yellow dorsal sepal and the

red-purple synsepal of T. andreettae

bordered in yellow are minutely ciliate.

The tail of the dorsal sepal is clavate,

and the tails of the synsepal are apical

(not lateral) and short. However, the

degree of thickening of the apex of the

dorsal sepal and the length of the tails

of the lateral sepals is variable in

many species of the genus. The petals,

lip, and column are not remarkably dif¬

ferent from its relatives. Although

slight, the differences seem sufficient

to maintain this species distinct from

the common T. triglochin.

Trisetella andreettae is locally abundant in tall forests along streams near

Rio Calagras in the Oriente of Ecuador, where it was first discovered by Padre

Andreetta and companions between 1978 and 1980 when the road to Gualaquiza

was under construction.

SYSTEMATICS OF TRISETELLA

Plate 2. Trisetella andreettae Luer

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINAE

Trisetella cordeliae Luer, sp. nov.

Ety.: Named in honor of Cordelia Head Webb of J & L Orchids, Easton, CT., who discovered

this species.

Planta parva flore grandi, pedunculo scarbroso foliis crassis anguste linearibus longi-

ore, ovario verrucoso, sepalis lateralibus in laminam latum obtusum connatis cum mento

parvo, sepalorum caudis clavatis et labello quinquecarinato.

Plant small, epiphytic, densely caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls 4-5 mm long,

enclosed by 2-3 thin, tubular sheaths. Leaf erect, fleshy, linear, semiterete, acute, 2.5-

3 cm long, 1.5 mm wide. Inflorescence a succession of a few single flowers borne in a con¬

gested raceme by an erect, slender, verrucose peduncle 5-5.5 cm long, with a bract below the

middle, from low on the ramicaul; floral bracts 5-6 mm long; pedicel 5-6 mm long; ovary 2 mm

long, verrucose; dorsal sepal yellow-orange, minutely ciliate on the margins, transversely

ovate, concave, 5 mm long, 8 mm wide expanded, connate to the lateral sepals for 3 mm to

form a gaping, sepaline cup, the obtuse apex conduplicate, abruptly contracted into a slen¬

der, erect, terete, clavate tail 13 mm long; lateral sepals yellow-orange, suffused with

purple above the middle, minutely short-pubescent, 13 mm long, connate 13 mm, into an ob¬

long, widely expanded lamina, 9 mm wide, with a shallow mentum above the base, the apex

rounded, abruptly contracted laterally 4 mm below the apex into slender, clavate tails 7-8

mm long; petals translucent yellow, with a purple midvein, oblong, 2.75 mm long, 0.9 mm

wide, the apex truncate-tridentate; lip purple with the apex yellow, oblong-ovate, 3.25 mm

long, 15 mm wide, the apex subacute, the disc with 5 longitudinal calli: a central pair of

rounded calli above the base, flanked to either side by another, low, longitudinal callus,

each with an acute, erect process near the middle, the fifth callus midline near the middle,

the base cordate-cleft, hinged to the compressed apex of the column-foot; column purple,

semiterete, 3 mm long, the foot channeled, 1 mm long.

PERU: Dept, of Huanuco: Debesorea nearTingo

Maria, alt. 1800 m, epiphytic on large, felled

tree, collected out of flower 1 Oct. 1987 by

C. Head, W. Turey & M. Arias, flowered in cul¬

tivation at J & L Orchids at Easton, CT. 188-

290, June 1988, C. Luer 13729 (Holotype: MO).

Vegetatively this large-flowered

species is indistinguishable from most

of the other members of the genus. The

peduncle is lightly but distinctly sca¬

brous except near the apex. The lateral

sepals are connate into a broadly ex¬

panded synscpal with a rounded apex with

lateral, diverging, clavate tails. The

petals arc not remarkable, but five

longitudinal calli course down the lip.

An acute, erect process is present near

the middle of the lateralmost pair of

calli.

SYSTEMATICS OF TRISETELLA

Plate 3. Trisetella cordeliae Luer

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Trisetella didyma (Luer) Luer, Phylologia 47: 57,1980.

Bas.: Masde\'allia didyma Luer, Phytologia 39: 195,1978.

Ety.: From the Greek didymos , “doubled, twinned,” in reference to the pair of approxi¬

mate tails of the lateral sepals.

Syn.: Triaristella didyma (Luer) Luer, Selbyana 2: 205,1978.

Syn.: Triaristellina didyma (Luer) Rauschert, Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 94: 459, 1983.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect, 2-4 mm long, en¬

closed by 2-3 thin, tubular sheaths. Leaf erect, thickly coriaceous, dark green, speckled

and suffused with purple beneath, narrowly elliptical, subacute to acute, 25-45 mm long, 3^1

mm wide. Inflorescence a succession (2-3) of single flowers borne in a congested raceme by

a slender, erect to suberect, verrucose peduncle 4.5-9 cm long, with a bract near the base,

from low on the ramicaul; floral bracts 3-4 mm long; pedicel 4 mm long; ovary 2 mm long,

subverrucose with undulate carinae; dorsal sepal yellow, suffused with purple, with the

midvein subcarinate-verrucose, transversely ovate, concave, 6 mm long, 6 mm wide, connate to

the lateral sepals for 2 mm to form a sepaline cup, the obtuse apex contracted into a slen¬

der, erect, yellow tail 16-20 mm long; lateral sepals heavily suffused and veined in purple,

connate ca. 18 mm into a narrowly ovate lamina 20-25 mm long, 6 mm wide at the expanded

slightly concave base, 3 mm wide at the apex, the subacute apices approximate, contracted

into slender, yellow tails 4 mm long, the mentum broad, shallow, obtuse; petals translucent

yellow, suffused with purple medially, oblong, acute, 3.5 mm long, 1 mm wide; lip purple,

ovate, 4-15 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, the apex rounded, thickened, the disc with a low pair of

longitudinal, subundulate, subverrucose calli, channeled centrally, the base cordate-cleft,

hinged to the short, compressed apex of the column-foot; column green, suffused with purple,

scmitcrcte, 4 mm long, the foot 1.5 mm long.

ECUADOR: Prov. of Zamora-Chinchipc: epi¬

phytic along the road between Loja and Zamora,

alt. ca. 1700 m, May 1973, collected by B.

Malo, flowered in cultivation at Tarqui near

Cuenca, 14 July 1977, C. Luer 1705 (Holotype:

SEL); epiphytic in cloud forest south of

Zamora toward Zumba, alt. 1450 m, 27 Mar.

1985, C. Luer, J. Luer, A. Hirtz & W. Flores

10967 (MO); wet forest south of Zamora, alt.

1500 m, 27 Jan. 1989, S. Dalstrom & T. Iioijer

1207 (MO). Prov. of Loja: epiphytic in cloud

forest south of Yangana, alt. 2500 m, May

1981, flowered in cultivation 23 Dec. 1981, C.

Luer, J. Luer & D. D Alessandro 6788 (SEL).

This species is relatively frequent

in the wet forests of southern Ecuador

where it was first discovered and culti¬

vated by Benigno Malo in 1973. The

comparatively large, broad leaves are

flecked with purple beneath, and the

peduncle is coarsely verrucose. The

slender tail of the dorsal sepal stands

erect. The lateral sepals are very

narrow and connate to near the apices.

Continuing in the same plane from the apices protrudes a parallel pair

of approximate, straight tails.

SYSTEMATIC'S OF TRISETELLA

Plate 4. Trisetella didyma (Luer) Luer

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Trisetella dressleri (Luer) Luer, Phytologia 47: 57,1980.

Bas.: Masdevallia dressleri Luer, Selbyana 3: 20,1976.

Ety.: Named in honor of Dr. Robert L. Dressier, investigator of the flora of Panama, who

has been long familiar with this species.

Syn.: Triaristella dressleri (Luer) Luer, Selbyana 2: 203,1978.

Syn.: Triaristellina dressleri (Luer) Rauschert, Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 94: 459, 1983.

Plant very small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect, 2A mm long,

enclosed by 2-3 thin, tubular sheaths. Leaf erect, thickly coriaceous, narrowly elliptical,

acute, narrowly cuneate below into the base, 10-18 mm long, 3-4 mm wide. Inflorescence a

succession of single flowers borne in a congested raceme by a slender, erect, smooth pedun¬

cle 25-40 mm long, with a bract near the base, from low on the ramicaul; floral bracts 3 mm

long; pedicel 5-6 mm long; ovary 1 mm long; dorsal sepal yellow, lightly suffused with red

along the veins, minutely ciliate along the free margins, transversely ovate, concave, 4 mm

long, 4-4.5 mm wide, connate to the lateral sepals for 2 mm to form a sepaline cup, the

obtuse apex contracted into a slender, subclavate, erect tail 4 mm long; lateral sepals red-

purple, connate 6 mm into a deeply concave, oblong, obtuse lamina 6 mm long, 6 mm wide ex¬

panded, with a broad mentum, the tails thick, yellow-greenm, 2.5 mm long, produced at the

apex; petals translucent yellow, suffused with purple medially, oblong, 2.3 mm long, 0.6 mm

wide, the apex truncate, minutely apiculate; lip maroon, ovate, 3 mm long, 1.3 mm wide, the

apex narrowly obtuse, the disc with a low pair of longitudinal calli, the base cordate-

cleft, hinged to the short, compressed apex of the column-foot; column green, suffused with

red, semiterete, 2 5 mm long, the foot 1 mm long.

PANAMA: Prov. of Panama: epiphytic along the

Altos de Pacora road, alt. 650 m, 4 March

1976, C. Luer, L Luer, P. Taylor & R. L.

Dressier 730 (Holotype: SEL); Cerro Jefe, alt.

900 m, 15 Oct. 1967, R. L. Dressier 3090 (MO);

same area, F L Stevenson 9575-1 (SEL). Prov.

of Cocld: cloud forest above El Valle, alt.

1000 m, 15 Aug. 1971, H. Wiehler 71273a (SEL).

This small species, closely allied to

the T. triglochin complex, is locally

abundant in eastern Panama where it has

been known to Dressier for many years.

It is characterized by the very small

habit with proportionately broad leaves;

small flowers with a broad, deep, boat-*

shaped synsepal with a pair of short,

thick, apical tails.

Plate 5. Trisetella dressleri (Luer) Luer

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Trisetella escobarii Luer, Lindleyana 1:188,1986.

Ely.: Named in honor of Rodrigo Escobar Restrepo of Medellin, Colombia, who discovered

this species.

Plant large for the genus, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls 4-5 mm long,

enclosed by 2-3 loose, tubular sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, narrowly linear, subacute,

3-7.5 cm long, 4-5 mm wide. Inflorescence a succession of single flowers borne in a con¬

gested raceme by a slender, smooth, erect peduncle 3-5 cm long, with a bract near the mid¬

dle, from low on the ramicaul; floral bracts 3 mm long; pedicel 5 mm long; ovary 1.5 mm

long, the ribs subundulate; dorsal sepal yellow with 3 purple veins, transversely ovate,

concave, 6 mm long, 6.5 mm wide, connate to the lateral sepals for 3 mm to form a gaping,

scpalinc cup, the obtuse apex contracted into an erect, stout, more or less thickened, yel¬

low-green tail 7 mm long; lateral sepals red-purple with darker veins, connate 7 mm into an

oblong, shallowly concave lamina 10.5 mm long, 9 mm wide, the obtuse apices contracted

laterally below the apex into subapical, stout tails 4-5 mm long, the mentum broad, shallow,

obtuse, near the middle; petals yellow, suffused with purple below the middle, broadly

oblong, 3.5 mm long, 1.75 mm wide, the truncate apex erose with a short apiculum; lip dark

red-purple, ligulate, 4.5 mm long, 1.75 mm wide, the apex subacute, thickened, the disc with

a low pair of longitudinal, undulate calli, the base cordate-cleft, hinged to the short,

compressed apex of the column-foot; column green, suffused with purple, semiterete, 4 mm

long, the foot 2 mm long.

COLOMBIA: Dept, of Norte dc Santander: epiphy¬

tic in cloud forest, Alto dc Santa Inez, alt.

2100 m, 13 May 1984, C. Lucr, J. Luer, R.

Escobar & E. Valencia 10324 (Holotypc: MO);

same area, 13 May 1982, C. Luer, R. Escobar &

& D. Portillo 7853 (SEL).

This species, vegetatively the larg¬

est of the genus, is closely related to

the widely distributed and variable T.

triglocliin complex, but T. escobarii is

readily identified by the combination of

long leaves up to 5 mm wide, smooth

peduncles shorter than the leaves, a

yellow dorsal sepal with three purple

stripes, red-purple lateral sepals with

short, subapical tails, broad petals,

and an oblong lip with undulate carinae.

Trisetella escobarii is locally abundant

in wet, cloud forests around Santa Inez

in the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia.

SYSTEMATIC^ OF TRISETELLA

Plate 6. Trisetella escobarii Luer

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Trisetella fissidens Luer & Hirtz, sp. nov.

Ety.: From the Latin fissidens , “a cracked tooth,” referring to the jagged, toothlike

processes on the lip.

Inter species generis Trisetellae Luer species haec habitu parvo foliis anguste semi-

teretibus, sepalis ciliatis, sepalo dorsali proportione parvo cum caudam capillari leviter

incrassatam, sepalorum caudis capillaribus, labello infra medium concavo carinis supra medi¬

um irregulatcr dentatis distinguitur.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect, 2-3 mm long, en¬

closed by 2-3 thin, tubular sheaths. Leaf erect, thickly coriaceous, semiterete, channeled,

narrowly elliptical to linear, acute, 15-20 mm long, 1-1.5 mm wide. Inflorescence a succes¬

sion of single, purple flowers borne in a congested raceme by a slender, erect, smooth pe¬

duncle 25-35 mm long, with a bract below the middle, from low on the ramicaul; floral bracts

3-4 mm long; pedicel 5 mm long; ovary 2 mm long, subverrucose; dorsal sepal minutely cili-

ate, transversely ovate, concave, 3 mm long, 4 mm wide expanded, connate to the lateral

sepals for 1.25 mm to form a gaping sepaline cup, the apex obtuse, conduplicate, contracted

into a more or less reflexed, slender tail 9 mm long, slightly thickened toward the apex;

lateral sepals ciliate, minutely pubescent within, connate into an oblong, concave, obtuse

lamina 11 mm long, 6 mm wide expanded, the tails slender, 7 mm long, emerging laterally 2 mm

below the apex; petals translucent, membranous, oblong, 2 mm long, 1.75 mm wide, the apex

truncate, apiculate, microscopically erose; lip ovate, 3 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, concave below

the middle with thin margins, the apex narrowly obtuse, thick with the margins decurvcd, the

disc with a pair of carinae with, irregular, acute teeth above the middle of the lip, chan¬

neled centrally, the base cordate-cleft, hinged to the compressed apex of the column-foot;

column semiterete, 2 mm long, the foot 0.75 mm long.

ECUADOR: Prov. of Napo: “Hollin-Loreto,”

alt. 1000 m, Nov. 1988, A. Hirtz 3924 (Holo-

type: MO), C. Luer illustr. 14368

This species was recently discovered

in the Oriente of Ecuador by Alexander

Hirtz. Although it is similar to the

ubiquitous T. triglochin complex, T.

fissidens is distinguished by the pro¬

portionately small dorsal sepal with a

slender tail slightly thickened near the

apex; ciliate sepals with the slender

tails of the lateral sepals not thicken¬

ed; and an ovate lip thinly concave in

the lower half with a few irregular,

pointed teeth on the carinae above the

middle.

SYSTEMATICS OF TR1SETELLA

Plate 7. Trisetella fissidens Luer & Hirtz

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Trisetella gemmata (Rchb. f.) Luer, Phytologia 47: 57,1980.

Bas.: Masde\ allia gemmata Rchb. f., Gard. Chron. 19: 294,1883.

Ely.: From the Latin gemmatus , “with buds, or gems” in reference “to the hundreds of

purple, neatly light-breaking papillae, which stand by crowds on the anterior

parts of the sepals, and a few on the lip.”

Syn.: Triaristella gemmata (Rchb. f.) Luer, Selbyana 2: 205, 1978.

Syn.: Triaristellina gemmata (Rchb. f.) Rauschert, Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 94: 459, 1983.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect, 3-5 mm long, en¬

closed by 2-3 thin, tubular sheaths. Leaf erect, thickly coriaceous, faintly mottled with

purple beneath, narrowly elliptical, acute to subacute, 3-5 cm long, 3^4 mm wide. Inflores¬

cence a succession (2-5) of single flowers borne in a congested raceme by a slender, erect,

smooth peduncle 4-6 cm long, with a bract below the middle, from low on the ramicaul; floral

bracts 4-5 mm long; pedicel 6-7 mm long; ovary 2 mm long, subverrucose; dorsal sepal orange

with thin, brown veins, triangular, concave, 6 mm long, 6.5 mm wide expanded, connate to the

lateral sepals for 2 mm to form a gaping sepaline cup, the subacute apex contracted into a

slender, forwardly directed tail 20 mm long; lateral sepals red-purple, yellow toward the

base, minutely red-pubescent within, connate 15 mm into an elliptical, concave, obtuse lami¬

na 17 mm long, 11 mm wide expanded, the subacute apices approximate, contracted 1-2 mm below

the apex into slender, yellow, forwardly directed tails 14 mm long; petals translucent yel¬

low, faintly suffused with rose medially, elliptical, 3.5 mm long, 2 mm wide, the obtuse

apex minutely tridcnticulate; lip red-brown, ovate, 5 mm long, 2.5 mm wide at the base, the

1 mm wide at the rounded, thickened apex, the disc with a low pair of subverrucose, longitu¬

dinal calli, channeled centrally, the base cordate-cleft, hinged to the compressed apex of

the column-foot; column greenish white, semiterete, 3.5 mm long, the foot suffused with

rose, 1.5 mm long.

COLOMBIA: without locality or collector, cul¬

tivated by J. O'Brien s.n. (Holotype: W).

Dept, of Antioquia: Munic. of Valdivia, Friso-

lera, alt. 1700-1900 m, collected by J. M.

Serna, 1974, cultivated by M. & O. Robledo at

La Ceja, flowered in cultivation 5 Oct. 1977,

C. Luer 1915 (MO, SEL).

This species was cultivated in Eng¬

land by Mr. James O’Brien in 1881, and a

flowering specimen was forwarded to

Professor Reichenbach in Hamburg. Its

origin was unknown, but it is now known

to be rare and local in the Central

Cordillera of Colombia. In his publica¬

tion of this species in 1883 Reichenbach

describes the plant in every detail,

comparing the sepals with microscopic,

purple papillae to those of his spectac¬

ular Masdevallia veitchiana.

The comparatively large flowers of

Trisetella gemmata are readily distin¬

guished by the cymbiform synsepal,

broadly concave near the middle, and studded within by a minute, red, glandular

pubescence. The petals are elliptical, and the lip is ovate, broadest at the

base and narrowest at the apex.

SYSTEMATICS OF TRISETELLA

Plate 8. Trisetella gemmata (Rchb. f.) Luer

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Trisetella hirtzii Luer, Lindleyana 1: 190,1986.

Ety.: Named in honor of Alexander C. Hirtz of Quito, Ecuador, who discovered this species.

Plant small, epiphytic, densely caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect, 4-5 mm long,

enclosed by 2-3 loose, tubular sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, narrowly obovate, obtuse,

13-17 mm long, 3-4 mm wide. Inflorescence a succession of single flowers borne in a congest¬

ed raceme by a very slender, smooth, erect peduncle 20-25 mm long, with a bract near the

base, from low on the ramicaul; floral bracts 3 mm long; pedicel 2 mm long; ovary 2 mm long,

the ribs shortly fimbriate; sepals bright rose, glabrous, the dorsal sepal transversely

ovate, concave, 4 mm long, 5 mm wide, connate to the lateral sepals for 2 mm to form a gap¬

ing, sepaline cup, the acute free portion microscopically ciliate, the obtuse apex contract¬

ed into an erect, slender, orange tail 11 mm long, the lateral sepals connate 9 mm into an

oblong lamina 10.5 mm long, 5.5 mm wide, slightly concave, the transversely obtuse apices

contracted laterally into slender white tails 10 mm long, the mentum broad, shallow, near

the middle; petals translucent white, oblong, 2.75 mm long, 1 mm wide, the truncate apex

erose with an acute apiculum; lip red-brown, oblong-ovate, 3.25 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, the

apex obtuse, thickened, the disc with a low pair of longitudinal calli each with a small,

acute, uncinate tooth below the middle, channeled centrally, the base cordate-cleft, hinged

to the short, compressed apex of the column-foot; column white, semiterete, 2.75 mm long,

the foot 1 mm long.

ECUADOR: Prov. ofMorona-Santiago: epiphytic

in wet forest, Cordillera del Condor, east of

Los Encuentros, alt. 1500 m, C. Luer, J. Luer,

A. Embree, A. Hirtz & W. Flores 11914 (IIolo-

type: MO); Cordillera del Cutucu, forest along

the new road between Mendez and Morona, alt.

950 m, 18 Jan. 1989, C. Luer, J. Luer, P.

Jesup, A. Jesup & A. Hirtz 13982 (MO).

Although closely related to the T.

triglochin complex, this very colorful,

small-flowered species is easily identi¬

fied by the relatively broad, obovate

leaves; a shortly fringed ovary; bright

rose sepals with an orange tail of the

dorsal sepal and white tails of the

lateral sepals; and a pair of small,

uncinate processes on the calli of the

lip.

Trisetella hirtzii has been found

recently several times in the isolated

cordilleras of the Condor and Cutucu of

southeastern Ecuador where it is appar¬

ently endemic.

SYSTEMATICS OF TRISETELLA

Plate 9. Trisetella hirtzii Luer

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Trisetella hoeijeri Luer & Hirtz, Lindleyana 1: 192, 1986.

Ety.: Named in honor of Thomas Hoijer of Jarfalla, Sweden, who first discovered this species.

Plant small, epiphytic, densely caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect, 3-4 mm

long, enclosed by 2-3 loose, ribbed, tubular sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, narrowly

linear, acute, 20-27 mm long, 2-2.5 mm wide. Inflorescence a succession of single flowers

borne in a congested raceme by a very slender, smooth, suberect peduncle 4-6 cm long, with a

bract near the base, from low on the ramicaul; floral bracts 3 mm long; pedicel 2 mm long;

ovary 13 mm long, the ribs minutely erose; sepals glabrous, crystalline silvery-white, the

dorsal sepal ovate, concave, 4 mm long, 4 mm wide, connate to the lateral sepals for 1 mm to

form a gaping, sepaline cup, the acute free portion contracted into an erect, slender, white

tail 20 mm long, the lateral sepals with 3 thin, red, longitudinal veins, oblong, spreading,

ca. 15 mm long, 3 mm wide, connate basally for 2 mm, the acute apex contracted into a slen¬

der, white tail nearly as long, the total length of the lateral sepal 28 mm; petals trans¬

lucent white with purple suffusion medially, oblong, 2 mm long, 0.8 mm wide, the truncate

apex erose with an acute apiculum; lip white, flecked with red, suffused with red at the

apex, oblong-ovate, 2.8 mm long, 1.2 mm wide, the apex obtuse, thickened, the disc with a

low pair of longitudinal calli below, channeled centrally, the base cordate-cleft, hinged to

the keel-like apex of the column-foot; column white, suffused with purple, semiterete, 2 mm

long, the foot 1 mm long.

ECUADOR: Prov. of Morona-Santiago: epiphytic

in cloud forest north of Gualaquiza, alt. 1800

m, 17 Feb. 1986, C. Luer, J. Luer, A. Ernbree,

A. Hirtz & W. Flores 11979 (Holotype: MO);

same area, Jan. 1986, S. Dalstrom & T. Hoijer

1126 ( MO).

This spectacular little species was

first discovered by the team of Hoijer

and Dalstrom in a remote cloud forest

above a tiny village north of Gualaquiza

in the Oriente of Ecuador. Although in

habit not unlike many of the other spe¬

cies of the genus, the flower of T.

hoeijeri is unique. The lateral sepals

are oblong, free and widely spread, and

the color is silvery white with three

thin, red lines on each. The habit of a

flowering plant is reminiscent ofMasde-

vallia picturata Rchb. f.

SYSTEMATICS OF TRISETELLA

Plate 10. Trisetella hocijeri Luer

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Trisetella nodulifera Luer & Hirtz, sp. nov.

Ely.: From the Latin nodulifer, “bearing a nodule,” in reference to the apex of the lip.

Inter species generis Trisetellae Luer species haec pedunculo glabro, scpalorum caudis

longi-capillaribus et labello apice nodulifero differt.

Plant small, epiphytic, densely caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls 3-5 mm long, en¬

closed by 2-3 thin, tubular sheaths. Leaf erect, thickly coriaceous, semiterete, channeled,

narrowly elliptical to linear, acute, 2.5-4 cm long, 2-2.5 mm wide. Inflorescence a succes¬

sively few-flowered, congested raceme borne by a slender, smooth, erect peduncle 4-6 cm

long, with a bract below the middle, from low on the ramicaul; floral bracts 3-4 mm long;

pedicel 5 mm long; ovary 1.5-2 mm long, lightly verrucose; dorsal sepal yellow, suffused

with tan, microscopically ciliate on the margins, transversely ovate, concave, 4 mm long, 5-

7 mm wide, connate to the lateral sepals for 2-2.5 mm to form a gaping, sepaline cup, the

obtuse apex conduplicate, contracted into an erect, more or less reflexed, slender, terete,

yellowish tail 20-25 mm long; lateral sepals red-brown, connate into an oblong, acute, lon¬

gitudinally concave or boat-shaped lamina 19-21 mm long, 6-9 mm wide expanded, the apices

contracted laterally, 3 mm below the apex into subapical, slender tails 12-15 mm long;

petals translucent greenish white with a purple midvein, oblong, 2.5-3 mm long, 1-1.5 mm

wide, the apex truncate, apiculate; lip red, or white suffused with red, subpandurate, 3-4

mm long, 1.5 mm wide, the apex rounded with a prominent nodule on the dorsum, the disc with

a low pair of longitudinal calli, channeled between, the base cordate-cleft, hinged to the

compressed apex of the column-foot; column green, semiterete, 3-3.5 mm long, the foot 1 mm

long.

ECUADOR: Prov. of Morona-Santiago: Cor-

dillcramm del Cutucu, epiphytic along the new

road east of Mendez to Morona, alt. 900 m, 19

Jan. 1989, A. Hirtz, A. Andrcetta & S. Ortega

4120 (Ilolotypc: MO), C. Luer illustr. 14367.

PERU: Dept, of Amazonas: B. Wurstle 1342,

flowered in cultivation in Spielberg, 13 Sept.

1982, C. Luer 8139 (SEL).

In appearance this species is similar

to Trisetella triaristella with large

flowers with long, slender, tails, but

the peduncle is smooth instead of ver¬

rucose. The most distinguishing feature

is the subpanduriform lip with a con¬

spicuous, rounded callus on the center

of the rounded apex.

This species is known from southeast¬

ern Ecuador in the Cordillera del Cutucu

and Amazonian Peru.

SYSTEMATIC^ OF TRJSETELLA

Plate 11. Trisetella nodulifera Luer & Hirtz

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Trisetella pantex (Luer) Luer, Phytologia 47: 57,1980.

Bas.: Masdevallia pantex Luer, Phytologia 39: 218,1978.

Ety.: From the Latin pantex , “a paunch,” in allusion to the protruding, belly-like syn-

sepal.

Syn.: Triaristella pantex (Luer) Luer, Selbyana 2: 206,1978.

Syn.: Triaristellina pantex (Luer) Rauschert, Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 94:459,1983.

Plant very small, epiphytic, densely caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls 2-3 mm long,

enclosed by 2-3 thin, tubular sheaths. Leaf erect, thickly coriaceous, linear to narrowly

obovate, semiterete, acute to subacute, 1.5-3 cm long, 2-3 mm wide, dark green, mottled with

purple on the back. Inflorescence a succession of single flowers borne in a congested ra¬

ceme by a slender, minutely subverrucose, erect to suberect peduncle 2-3.5 cm long, with a

bract near the middle, from low on the ramicaul; floral bracts 2-3 mm long; pedicel 3-5 mm

long; ovary 1.5 mm long, subverrucose; dorsal sepal yellow, mottled with purple, minutely

ciliate on the margins, transversely obovate, concave, 4 mm long, 6 mm wide, connate to the

lateral sepals for 3.5 mm to form a widely patent, saccate, sepaline cup, the transversely

obtuse apex conduplicate, abruptly contracted into an erect, stout, more or less thickened,

yellow tail 7 mm long; lateral sepals purple, connate 7 mm into an oblong synsepal, deeply

concave below the middle, convex above the middle, 9 mm long, 7 mm wide, the rounded apices

contracted laterally below the apex into subapical, stout tails 3 mm long, the mentum broad,

saccate, below the middle; petals yellow, suffused with rose near the middle, oblong, 3 mm

long, 1 mm wide, the truncate apex erose with a short apiculum; lip dark deep rose, ovate, 3

mm long, 1.5 mm wide, the apex narrowly obtuse, thickened, the disc with a low pair of lon¬

gitudinal, bluntly toothed calli, convex centrally, the base cordate-cleft, hinged to the

short, compressed apex of the column-foot; column green, suffused with rose, semiterete, 3

mm long, the foot 1.5 mm long.

ECUADOR: Prov. of Zamora-Chinchipe: epi¬

phytic in cloud forest above Valladolid, alt.

2600 m, collected July 1975 by W. Teague, L.

Figueroa & D. Welisch, flowered in cultivation

by M. & O. Robledo at La Ceja, Colombia, 27

Sept. 1977, C. Luer 1854 (Holotype: SEL; Iso¬

type : JAUM); above Valladolid, alt. 2000 m,

18 Mar. 1984, C. Luer, S. Dalstrom, T. Hdijer,

D. D’Alessandro & J. Kuijt 9600 (MO); cloud

forest, Cordillera del Condor, alt. 1450 m, 19

Feb. 1986, C. Luer, J. Luer, A. llirtz, IV.

Flores <fc A. Embree 11931 (MO).

This floriferous little species is

widely distributed but local in the

moist forests of southern Ecuador where

it was first collected by Walter Teague

and companions. It is easily identified

by the broad sepals forming a widely

gaping cup with the synsepal inflated,

concave, and protruding behind. Above

the middle (in the lower part of the

flower) the synsepal bulges conspicuous¬

ly forward, the two short tails emerging

from the sides of the rounded apex. The

low lamellae of the lip are provided with a few, blunt teeth.

SYSTEMATICS OF TRISETELLA

Plate 12. Trisetella pantex (Luer) Luer

100

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Trisetella regia Koniger, Selbyana 5: 296,1981.

Ety.: From the Latin regius , “regal,” in reference to the huge size of the flower.

Plant large in size for the genus, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls

erect, 2-4 mm long, enclosed by 2-3 thin, tubular sheaths. Leaf erect, thickly coriaceous,

narrowly semiterete, lightly sulcate, acute, 3-7 cm long, 2-2.5 mm wide, dark green. Inflo¬

rescence a succession of single, large flowers borne in a congested raceme by a slender,

erect, densely scabrous peduncle 15-20 cm long, with a bract below the middle, from low on

the ramicaul; floral bracts thin, imbricating, 4-5 mm long; pedicel verrucose, 9-13 mm long;

ovary verrucose, 4-5 mm long; dorsal sepal yellow, suffused with brown, ovate, concave, 5

mm long, 5 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1.5 mm to form a gaping,

sepaline cup, the subacute apex contracted into an erect, slender, yellow tail 4-5 cm long;

lateral sepals dark red-purple, minutely pubescent within, completely connate into an oblong

lamina 40 mm long, 6 mm wide expanded, shallowly gibbous at the base, the apex narrowly

obtuse, minutely retuse, the tails slender, 2.5 cm long, produced laterally 5 mm below the

apex; petals translucent yellow-white with a purple midvein, more or less oblong, 4 mm long,

1 mm wide, 13 mm wide at the dilated base, the apex acute, shortly acuminate; lip purple,

ovate, 4.5 mm long, 1.75 mm wide, the apex narrowly obtuse, thickened, the disc with a pair

of longitudinal carinae and a smaller, central carina, the base cordate-cleft, hinged to the

compressed apex of the column-foot; column light yellow green, semiterete, 4 mm long, the

foot rose, 13 mm long.

PERU: Dept, of Amazonas: between Chacha-

poyas and Leimebamba, alt. 2500 m, August

1978, W. Koniger, H. Koniger & B. Wiirstle K-7

(Holotype: SEL), C. Luer illustr. 5252.

Trisetella regia is indeed the king

of the genus. It was discovered in

northern Peru by W. Koniger et al. From

among very narrow, semiterete leaves,

long, stiff, raspy peduncles bear a

flower huge for the genus.

It is very closely allied to T.

scobina from nearby southern Ecuador.

The leaves of T. regia are longer and

narrower, and the peduncles, sepals and

tails are also longer, but otherwise

essentially the same. The lip of T.

regia has the usual pair of longitudinal

calli, but they flank a single, central

carina, instead of a small pair as in T.

scobina.

SYSTEMATIC^ OF TRISETELLA

101

Plate 13. Trisetella regia Koniger

SYSTEMATICS OF TRJSETELLA

103

Plate 14. Trisetella scobina Luer

104

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Trisetella sororia Luer & Andreetta, sp. nov.

Ety.: From the Latin sororius, “like a sister,” referring to the close relationship of

this species to others in the genus.

Inter species generis Trisetellae Luer species haec pedunculo glabro plurifloro foliis

angustissimis longiore, sepalo dorsali transverse ovato cum cauda brevi crassa clavata,

synsepalo oblongo concavo cum caudis brevibus crassis infra apicibus, petalis ellipticis

tridentatis, labello ovato bicarinato distinguitur.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect, 6-11 mm

long, enclosed by 2-3 thin, tubular sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, narrowly linear-terete,

acute, the base epetiolate, 3-4.5 cm long, 2 mm wide. Inflorescence a succession of single

flowers borne in a congested several-flowered raceme by a slender, erect, smooth peduncle 5-

6 cm long, with a bract near the base, from low on the ramicaul; floral bracts 3 mm long;

pedicel 4-5 mm long; ovary 2 mm long, verrucose; dorsal sepal yellow-orange, microscopically

ciliate along the free margins, transversely ovate, concave, 4.5-5 mm long, 6 mm wide, con¬

nate to the lateral sepals for 2.5 mm to form a sepaline cup, the transversely obtuse apex

contracted into an erect, clavate tail 5 mm long; lateral sepals purple, microscopically

cellular-glandular, connate 9 mm into a deeply concave, oblong, obtuse lamina 9 mm long, 6

mm wide expanded, with a broad mentum below the middle, the tails produced laterally, below

and 2 mm from the apex, the tails yellow-orange, stout, subclavate, 4 mm long; petals trans¬

lucent yellow, elliptical, 2.5 mm long, 1 mm wide, the apex truncate, tridentate; lip dark

purple, ovate, 3.5 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, the apex narrowly obtuse, the disc with a low pair

o longitudinal calli, the base cordate-cleft, hinged to the short, compressed apex of the

column-foot; column green, semiterete, 3 mm long, the foot 1 mm long.

ECUADOR: Prov. of Morona-Santiago: Valle del

Paute, alt. 2200 m, collected by A. Andreetta

& M. Portilla, flowered in cultivation at

Paute, 16 May 1988, C. Luer 13381 (Holotype:

MO). ^

This species is closely allied to the

ubiquitous T. triglochin complex, but

the general appearance varies so far

from those taxa accepted in the complex,

that I believe it should be recognized

at the specific level.

The racemes produce at least seven

flowers successively, those of T. tri-

glochin produce only two or three. The

ovary is verrucose; the sepals are short

and broad with short, clavate tails. In

common with T. triglochin are the terete

leaves, smooth peduncles, and the pe¬

tals, lip and column.

SYSTEMATICS OF TRJSETELLA

105

Plate 15. Trisetella sororia Luer & Andreetta

106

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Trisetella strumosa Luer & Andreetta, sp. nov.

Ety.: From the Latin strumosus , “with a goiter,” referring to the very large mentum.

Planta paiva flore grandi, pedunculo scarbroso foliis crassis anguste linearibus longi-

ore, ovario verrucoso, sepalis lateralibus in mentum profundum maxissimum connatis et sepal-

orum caudis clavatis. r

Plant small, epiphytic, densely caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls 3-7 mm lone,

enclosed by 2-3 thin, tubular sheaths. Leaf erect, fleshy, linear, semiterete, acute, 2.5-

m long, 1.5-2 mm wide. Inflorescence a succession of a few single flowers borne in a

thr g midHl ra f Ceme | by a " slender ' verrucose peduncle 7-10 cm long, with a bract below

2 h 5 f OW °" !. he ram,caul; noral bracts 34 mm 'one pedicel 6-8 mm long; ovary

vetsd^otovate Ve c^ C0Se: , Sepa ! y ellow -° ran g< : . minutely ciliate on the margins, trans-

mm m ’ 6 T long ’ 9 mm wide expanded, connate to the lateral sepals for 4

ua«ed mio \ S TJ’ SCpalme C “ P ’ ,hc ,ransv ersely obtuse apex conduplicate, abruptly con-

vXw-oml sultd’ T’ y dlow tail 12 ’ 15 mm long; lateral sepals

tone connate mm am a P , Urpe at> ° Ve the m ' dd,e ’ minute| y short-pubescent, 18-19 mm

svnfeMllOmm^e , A b3Sal me "' Um ^ mm dee P’ into an ovate . acute

cd'taufrallv ?5 mm LT l '° W ' 5 mm expanded above ’ ,he a P« ^ abruptly contraet-

ccnt yeltow wfth a n^? W h ^ L"*° Slender - clavate ,ails 10 '°"g; petals translu-

demam- lio ml!hm^ UrP hi midvein, oblong, 3.5 mm tong, 1 mm wide, the apex truncate-tri-

disc with a pair oTt'an 4 mm Ion & 15 mm wide, the apex narrowly obtuse, the

Hanked to chher^Lde ’bv^nnfh ’ a fP rox ma,e - '°"gitudinal calli centrally above the base,

to "he comDressed ' to T 1 l0ngi,udinal ca »^ ‘he base cordate-cleft, hinged

channclcd l5mni,r g ^'“-"-foot; column yellow, semiterete, 3.5 mm long,’,he foot

ECUADOR; Prov. of Morona-Santiago: Co

ddlera del Condor, epiphytic in forest ea

of Chuchumbletza, alt. 1650 m, 21 May 1988 t

t"’ W F, ° res ’ A - And ™"° <*’>

7cagMc7i55-/(Holotype: MO; Isotypes K QCNE

collected by A. Andreetta & M. Portilla, Hov

ered in cultivation at Paute, 16 May 1988 <

Luer 13380 (S EL). ’

Vegetatively this large-flowered

species is very much like most of the

other members of the genus. The long

peduncle is scabrous except near the

apex. The mentum of the synsepal is

extraordinarily large, so large that it

protrudes posteriorly. The sepaline

tails are clavate. The petals and lip

are not remarkably different from those

of T triaristella except for the pair

of tall, central carinae.

SYSTEMATICS OF TRISETELLA

107

Plate 16. Trisetella strumosa Luer & Andreetta

SYSTEMATIC^ OF TRISETELLA

109

Plate 17. Trisetella tenuissima (C. Schweinf.) Luer

SYSTEMATICS OF TRISETELLA

111

Plate 18. Trisctella triaristella (Rchb. f.) Luer

112

ICONICS PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

5 cm

3 mm

Plate 19. Trisetella triaristella (Rchb. f.) Luer

SYSTEMATIC^ OF TRISETELLA

113

Trisetella triglochin (Rchb. f.) Luer, Phytologia 47: 58,1980.

Bas.: Masdevallia triglochin Rchb. f., Gard. Chron. 2: 648,1877.

Ety.: From the Latin triglochin, “with three barbs,” in reference to the sepaline tails.

Syn.: Masdevallia tripeta Rchb. f., Gard. Chron. 2: 648, 1877, nomen nudum.

Ety.: Possibly a printer’s error for triseta.

Syn.: Masdevallia tridactylites Rchb. f., Gard. Chron. 1: 784,1883.

Ety.: From the Greek tridactylos, “with three fingers,” referring to the three, clavate

tails of the sepals.

Syn.: Masdevallia trichaete Rchb. f., Gard. Chron. 2: 360, 1883.

Ety.: From the Greek trichaete, “three hairs,” referring to the slender sepaline tails.

Syn.: Masdevallia triseta Rchb. f. ex Krzl., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 34: 201, 1925.

Ety.: From the Latin triseta, “three awns,” referring to the tails of the sepals.

Syn.: Masdevallia huebneri Schltr., Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 62(2): 88, 1925.

Ety.: Named in honor of its discoverer, Herr Hiibner.

Syn.: Masdevallia alien 'd L. O. Wms., Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 27: 273, 1940.

Ety.: Named in honor of Paul H. Allen who collected the plant described.

Syn.: Triaristella huebneri (Schltr.) Luer, Selbyana 2: 205, 1978.

Syn.: Triaristella trichaete (Rchb. f.) Luer, Selbyana 2: 206, 1978.

Syn.: Triaristella tridactylites (Rchb. f.) Luer, Selbyana 2: 206, 1978.

Syn.: Triaristella triglochin (Rchb. f.) Luer, Selbyana 2: 206, 1978.

Syn.: Trisetella huebneri (Schltr.) Luer, Phytologia 47: 57, 1980.

Syn.: Trisetella trichaete (Rchb. f.) Luer, Phytologia 47: 58, 1980.

Syn.: Trisetella tridactylites (Rchb. f.) Luer, Phytologia 47: 58, 1980.

Syn.: Triaristellina huebneri (Schltr.) Rauschert, Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 94: 459, 1983.

Syn.: Triaristellina trichaete (Rchb. f.) Rauschert, Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 94: 459, 1983.

Syn.: Triaristellina tridactylites (Rchb. f.) Rauschert, Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 94: 459, 1983.

Syn.: Triaristellina triglochin (Rchb. f.) Rauschert, Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 94: 459, 1983.

Plant small, epiphytic, densely caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls 2-6 mm long, en¬

closed by 2-3 thin, tubular sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, sometimes suffused and mottled

with purple beneath, narrowly elliptical to linear, often semiterete, more or less sulcate,

acute, 2-7 cm long, 1-4 mm wide. Inflorescence a successively few-flowered, congested raceme

borne by a slender, smooth to slightly scabrous, erect to suberect peduncle 2-9 cm long,

with a bract below the middle, from low on the ramicaul; floral bracts 2-4 mm long; pedicel

2-7 mm long; ovary 1.5-2 mm long, lightly verrucose; dorsal sepal yellow, yellow-orange,

orange-brown, red-brown to purple, minutely ciliate or erose on the margins, transversely

ovate, concave, 3-6 mm long, 4-6.5 mm wide, connate to the lateral sepals for 1.5-3 mm to

form a gaping, sepaline cup, the obtuse apex conduplicate, contracted into an erect, slen¬

der, terete, sometimes thickened or clavate, yellowish tail 6-15 mm long; lateral sepals

purple, red-brown to orange-brown, connate 8-20 mm into an oblong, acute to obtuse lamina 8-

21 mm lon^ 5-11 mm wide expanded, the apices contracted laterally, usually below the apex

into subapical, slender, terete, sometimes thickened or clavate tails 3-12 mm long, concave

below the middle or above the base into a broad, obtuse mentum; petals translucent yellow,

suffused with purple medially, oblong to oblong-ovate, 2-3.5 mm long, 0.5-1.-5 mm wide, the

apex truncate, erose to tridenticulate; lip purple, narrowly oblong-ovate, 2.5-1 mm long, 1-

15 mm wide, the apex obtuse to rounded, thickened, the disc with a low pair o longitudmal

calli, the base cordate-cleft, hinged to the compressed apex of the column-foot, column

yellow, suffused with red or purple, semiterete, 2.5-4 mm long, the foot 1-- mm long.

ECUADOR: Prov. of Pastaza: Rio Pastaza and Rio Topo, alt.5500 ft., June 1877, F.C.

68 (Ilolotype: W); along Rio Pastaza between Rio Negro and Mera, alt. 1500 m, 28 ^ar_ 1984,

C. Luer, FbalsL,, T. Hoijer & J. Kuij, 9777 (MO). Prov. of Morona-Santiago. al . £00

collected by B. Malo, flowered in cultivation at Tarqut near Cuenca, 20 July 1977, C Luer

1757 (SEL); below Paute, collected by A. Andreetta, flowered m culbvanon m Cuenca TS

Sect 1980 C Luer 5577 (SEL); along Rio Calagras north of Gualaquiza, alt. 1650 m, 4 No .

C Luer R Escobar * D. D'ltessandro 8286 (SEL) tall fo£.north of aU f

msn rn IS Tan 1989 C Luer J. Luer, P. Jesup, A. Jesup & A. Hirt± 13904 (MU). Prov. ot

Napo: north of Bacza, alt. 1500 m, 10 Aug. 1978, C Luer, LLuer, Vsep^

3201 (MO, SEL). Prov. of Zamora-Chinchipe: between Loja and ^mora, alt. 14W m, 29 Sept.

1961, C. H. Dodson & L. Thien 813 (MO, SEL); above Valladolid, alt. 1900 m, C. Luer, J.

114

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Liter, A. Him & W. Flores 10844 (MO); Cor¬

dillera del Condor east of Paquisha, alt. 1200

m, 19 Feb. 1986, C. Liter, J. Liter, A. Him,

W. Flores & A. Embrce 11927 (MO).

COSTA RICA: without locality, June 1883, im¬

ported by W. Lee s.n. (type of Af. tridactyli¬

tes: W). Prov. of Alajuela: near San Ramon,

1875, Af Endres 260 (W); same area, alt. ca.

1200 m, 13 July 1983, R. Escobar & K. Anderson

2783 (CR, JAUM, SEL). Prov. of Cartago: near

San Cristobal, alt. 1800 m, 22 June 1981, C.

Liter, A. Liter & L. D. Gomez 6369 (SEL); below

Empatme, alt. ca. 1900 m, 14 Sept. 1979, C.

Liter, J. Liter & K. Walter 4825 (SEL). Prov. of

Heredia: Vara Blanca, alt. 1860 m, Mar. 1938,

A.FSkittch 3717 (K, MO).

PANAMA: Prov. of Coc \6: vicinity of El Valle,

alt. 600-1000 m, 8 Dec. 1938, P. H. Allen 1230

(Type of Af. allenii: MO). Prov. of Veraguas:

above Santa Fe, alt. ca. 700 m, 5 Sept. 1976,

C. Liter & R. Dressier 1150 (SEL).

COLOMBIA: without locality, flowered in cul¬

tivation by M. & O. Robledo at La Ceja, 13

Nov. 1977, C. Liter 2189 (SEL). Dept, of Antio-

?not : ^ u " ,c - of Cocorn lithophytic along a quebrada of Rio Cocorna, alt. 1600 m, 24 Apr.

Teague 14322 (MO) ^ SamC 2 ° ^ 1989 ’ C Lutr ' 1 Luer ' R Escobar & W

pnon Z n ELA: T„ F Amazonas: Wo Pasimoni, alt. 250 m, Sept. 1966, G. C. K. Dunstcrville 9.

7- ? Cp ' °' )0 A / “ a i : W - Kom S er et al - flowered in cultivation in Miinchen, 3 Sept.

L n i wtTr 28 (SE , L t^ C P',° f Pasco: ° xa P am P a . headwaters of Rio Tunqui, alt. 1800 m,

Jan. 1984,/?. Foster et al. 7721 (MO).

i 5c , pt ' of Cochabamba: Prov. of Chapare: forests near Villa Tunari, alt. 500 m, 23

' II duu ^'^ uer & ^ Vcisquez 4932 (SEL). Dept, of Santa Cruz: near Santa Cruz,

1977,C. d /^CT ZW^SEL)" n ° Wered cul,iva,ion at J & L Orchids, Easton, CT„ 13 Nov.

“?■ d ° Ama “ Rl ° Mocura . May, G. Hiibner42 (Type ofW. huebneri: B?); near Sao

(SEL) dC CaCh ° e,ra ’ 21 ° ct ' 1978, M - Madison, H. Kennedy, O. Monteiro & P. Braga 6555

V-

j •

•

V c.

\ "1

__1

VJTk

f \p

The first description of a species attributable to this widely distributed

and variable species-complex was that of Masdevallia triglochin by Reichenbach.

It was the second species of the genus to be described. Reichenbach had already

received herbarium specimens collected by F. C. Lehmann along the Rio Pastaza

in Ecuador when he was presented with a flowering plant from the same source by

his friend Stuart Low in England.

Reichenbach described the peduncles of T. triglochin as merely “slender,”

but Woolward stated that they were “studded with minute asperities.” Kranzlin

described them as verrucose. However, an examination of the holotype at W

(Vienna) reveals that the asperities are so slight that the peduncles could be

called smooth. Plants collected at the type-locality today produce peduncles

that vary from very slightly verrucose to smooth.

A few years later plants were imported by W. Lee of Downside, Leatherhead,

ng an , possibly from Costa Rica. Reichenbach suggested that this species was

e same as another he had from Costa Rica from Lehmann, and described it as

Masdevallia tridactylites . He distinguished it (from the first two species, M.

nanstella and M. triglochin) by the smooth peduncle and smaller flowers with

, J h . C ( taiIs of , the se P als in the illustration of the type-specimen of M. tri-

tyhtes are clavate; those of M. trichaete, published soon thereafter and of

SYSTEMATIC^ OF TRISETELLA

115

unknown origin, are slender and no. elevate. The relarive .hickness of .he

tails, however, is variable throughout the range. difference

There is no specific difference, nor even a constant, trivial dilterence,

among the numerous populations distributed through Central America and the

Andes including the varying thicknesses of the tails, there is no significant

difference in the Central American taxa described as W ; ' nd ^nto and M

trichaete, and populations of South American taxa described as M. tnglochm

116

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

and M. huebneri.

leav T' riglochin species-complex is recognized by the thick, narrow

senaTu^f^ m00t ^ pe( * unc * e (occasionally slightly or sparsely scabrous), a syn-

usnaliv „ f ? mentu , m bel ow the middle, and with tails of the lateral sepals

clavafe ’ ° ° nger ^ an tbe The tails vary from slender to thickened to

svn^pnai^ ^ a ^ 10us Populations. The tails usually emerge below the apex of the

u occasionally they emerge from the lateral margin of the apex,

SYSTEMATIC^ OF TRISETELLA

117

oth positions sometimes occurring in the same populatiomThe petals are more

r less oblong with the truncate apex variably toothed. The lip is ovaie and

icarinate, relatively constant in all the forms.

Each population varies to some degree from the next. There also appears to

e some intergrading between populations of T. triaristella and T. tnglochin

oth in Central America and in the Andes.

118

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

In Zr tZ W TT? ° f thC Vari3ble ’ inter S ra( l' n g characters of the species,

to vlTfu genus Masdevallia in 1896, she reduced M. tridactylites

one of theT 'Tf ' ^ paintin S identifled as Stella is

one ot the many forms of T. triglochin.

e etheMn S !l RiCa ^ typiCa ‘ 71 trianStella and T - rtglochin grow to-

reaches us p “ k in ■

SYSTEMATICS OF TRISETELLA

119

The T. triglochin complex is relatively frequent and widely distributed from

Costa Rica through Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Amazonian

Brazil and Venezuela. The flowers of some populations in Colombia are probably

the largest, while the flowers of some populations in Bolivia are probably the

smallest. Within the range of this species-complex, very closely allied spe¬

cies can be recognized. Intergrading among the various taxa often makes posi¬

tive determinations impossible.

120

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Trisetella vittata (Lucr) Luer, Phytologia 47: 58,1980.

Bas.: Masdwallia vittata Luer, Phytologia 39: 233,1978.

Ety.:From the Latin vittatus , “longitudinally striped,” in reference to the prominently

striped sepals.

Syn.: Triaristella vittata (Luer) Luer, Selbyana 2: 206,1978.

Syn.: Triaristellina vittata (Luer) Rauschert, Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 94: 459,1983.

Plant small, epiphytic, densely caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls 2-5 mm long, en¬

closed by 2-3 thin, tubular sheaths. Leaf erect, thickly coriaceous, bluish green, purplish

beneath, narrowly elliptical, acute to subacute, 20-33 cm long, 5-7 mm wide. Inflorescence

a succession of 2-3 single flowers borne in a congested raceme by a slender, smooth, erect

peduncle 3^ cm long, with a bract near the middle, from low on the ramicaul; floral bracts

3-5 mm long; pedicel 5 mm long; ovary 1-2 mm long; dorsal sepal yellow with 3 prominent

purple veins, transversely ovate, concave, with minutely ciliate margins, 3-4 mm long, 5.5-6

mm wide, connate to the lateral sepals for 2-3 mm to form a sepaline cup, the transversely

obtuse apex abruptly contracted into an erect, stout, terete yellow tail 5-6 mm long;

lateral sepals red-purple, prominently striped with darker red-purple along the veins,

minutely red-pubescent within, connate 4-5 mm into an oblong, bifurcated, concave lamina 7-8

mm long, 7 mm wide expanded, the acute apices contracted into stout, yellow tails 3-5 mm

long the mentum broad, deep, obtuse, near the middle; petals translucent, suffused with

purple medially, oblong-ovate, 2.75 mm long, 1 mm wide, the truncate apex tridentate; lip

red-purple, ovate, 3-3.5 mm long, 1.25 mm wide, the apex rounded, thickened, the disc with

wo ow pairs of longitudinal calli, the base cordate-cleft, hinged to the compressed apex

ot the column-foot; column purple, semiterete, 3 mm long, the foot 1.5 mm long.

ECUADOR: Prov. of Azuay: western slopes of the

Andes, alt. 1900 m, Aug. 1974, collected by B.

Malo, flowered in cultivation at Tarqui near

Cuenca, 20 July 1977, C. Luer 1756 (Holotype:

SEL). Prov. of Pichincha: Rio Tandayapi near

Mindo, collected by A. Hirtz, flowered in

cultivation 5 Mar. 1980, C. Luer 5209 (SEL);

cloud forest along the road between Quito and

Tandapi, alt. 2100 m, 31 Mar. 1984, C. Luer

S. Dalstrom, T. Hoijer, J. Kuijt & A. Hirtz

9S18 (MO); cloud forest between Calacali and

La Liberia, alt. 2100 m, 7 Apr. 1984, C. Luer ;

S. Dalstrom, T. Hdijer & A. Hirtz 10008 (MO).

This little species is widely dis¬

tributed on the western declivities of

the Andes of central Ecuador where it

has been found on several occasions. It

is easily recognized by the prominently

purple-striped sepals with the short,

thick tails of the lateral sepals pro¬

duced from the apices.

SYSTEMATICS OF TRISETELLA

Plate 25. Trisetella vittata (Luer) Luer

122

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

REFERENCES

Dressler, R. L., 1981. The orchids: natural history and classification. Harvard University

Press, Cambridge.

Kranzlin F., 1925. Monographic der Gattungen Masdevallia, Lothiania, Scaphosepalum, Crypto-

phoranthus & Pseudoctomcria. Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 34: 197-201.

Luer, C. A., 1978. New combinations in Triaristella. Selbyana 2: 205-206.

-1980. Trisetella , a new name in the Pleurothallidinae. Phytologia 47: 57-57.

- 1986. leones Pleurothallidinarum I. Systematics of the Pleurothallidinae.

Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 15: 69.

Mohr, H. 1984. Die Gattung Trisetella Luer. Die Orchidee, Teil 1, 35: 52-56, Teil 2, 89-92.

Woolward, F., 1896. The genus Masde\>allia.

INDEX TO SCIENTIFIC NAMES

Barbosella 69

Masdevallia 69,70,118

sect. Triaristellae 68, 71

Masdevallia allenii 113

butcheri 108

didyma 82

dressleri 84

gemmata 72,90

huebneri 113,116

pantex 98

picturata 94

tenuissima 108

triaristella 69,71, 72,110,114, 118

trichaete 113,114,115

tridactylites 113,114,115,118

triglochin 113,114, 115

tripeta 113

triseta 113

vcitchiana 90

vittata 120

Triaristella 69, 71

Triaristella didyma 82

dressleri 84

gemmata 90

huebneri 113

pantex 98

reichenbachii 110

tenuissima 108

trichaete 113

tridactylites 113

triglochin 113

vittata 120

Triaristellina 71

Triaristellina didyma 82

dressleri 84

gemmata 90

huebneri 113

pantex 98

tenuissima 108

triaristella 110

trichaete 113

tridactylites 113

triglochin 113

vittata 120

Trisetella 69, 70, 71, 74, 88, 96,104

sect. Fissura 69, 71, 74

sect. Trisetella 69, 71, 74

subsect. Calvicaulis 69, 72, 74

subsect. Trisetella 69, 72, 74

Trisetella abbreviata 73, 75, 76, Plate 1.

andreettae 73, 74, 78, Plate 2.

cordeliae 69, 73, 74, 80, Plate 3.

didyma 73, 74, 82, Plate 4.

dressleri 73, 74, 84, Plate 5.

escobarii 73, 75, 86, Plate 6.

Fissidens 69, 73, 75, 88, Plate 7.

gemmata 72, 73, 75, 90, Plate 8.

hirtzii 73, 75, 92, Plate 9.

hoeijeri 70, 71, 73, 74, 94, Plate 10.

huebneri 113

nodulifera 69, 73, 75, 96, Plate 11.

pantex 73, 75, 98, Plate 12.

regia 73, 74,100, Plate 13., 102

scobina 73, 74, 100,102, Plate 14, 110

SYSTEMATIC^ OF TRISETELLA

123

Trisetella sororia 69, 73, 75, 104, Plate 15.

strumosa 69, 73, 74, 106, Plate 16.

tenuissima 73, 74, 108, Plate 17.

triaristella 69, 73, 74, 96,102, 106, 110, Plates 18., 19., 117,118

trichaete 113

tridactylites 113

triglochin 69, 70, 73, 75, 76, 78, 84, 86, 88, 92,104,113,

Plates 20., 21., 22., 23., 24., 116,117,118,119

vittata 73, 74, 120, Plate 25.

124

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

ADDENDUM TO PORROGLOSSUM

The following new species of Porroglossum Schltr. has been identified since

the publication of Systematics of Porroglossum in leones Pleurothallidinarum

No. 4 in 1987, and the addenda in No. 5 in 1988.

Porroglossum jesupiae Luer, sp. nov.

Ely.: Named in honor of Ann Laucr Jesup of Bristol, Ct., who discovered this species.

Species haec P. dactylo Luer similis, sed foliis obovatis obtusis, flore resupinato, se-

palorum caudis erectis guttatis longioribus et labello majore differt.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls blackish, slender,

erect, 5-10 mm long, enclosed by 2-3 tubular sheaths. Leaf erect, thickly coriaceous, fine¬

ly vcrrucosc, 3-6 cm long including a petiole 1-2 cm long, the blade elliptical-obovate,

obtuse, 11-16 mm wide, the base cuneatc into the slender petiole. Inflorescence a congested,

successively few-flowered raceme, the flowers resupinate, borne by an erect, smooth, slender

peduncle 7-8.5 cm long, with 3 closely applied, distant bracts, from low on the ramicaul;

floral bracts tubular, imbricating, 4-7 mm long; pedicel 4-7 mm long; ovary twisted 180°,

pitted, 4.5 mm long; sepals purple with darker veins, glabrous, the middle sepal ovate,

deeply concave, 9 mm long, 5 mm wide unexpanded, connate to the lateral sepals for 5 mm, the

acute apex contracted into a thick, ascending tail 8 mm long, yellow with purple spots, the

lateral sepals transversely oblong, 6 mm long, 8 mm wide, connate to each other 5 mm behind

the free apex of the column-foot, the broadly obtuse apices abruptly contracted into thick,

erect, tails 12 mm long, also yellow with purple spots; petals yellow, ovate-oblong, 4.5 mm

long, 1-3 mm wide, narrowed below the thickened apex, both margins with an acute process in

the middle third; lip lowermost, white, suffused with purple at the base, with purple mark¬

ings above the base, ciliate on anterior margins, the blade obovate, thick, truncate, 6 mm

long, 4 mm wide, the lateral angles rounded, the apex a short, acute, sulcate apiculum,

pubescent within the sulcus, the base with a low, pyramidal callus, deflexed below into a

straplike claw bent with tension around the free apex of the column-foot; column stout,

semiterete, 2.5 mm long, the foot 5 mm long.

ECUADOR: Prov.ofMorona-Santiago: epiphytic

in felled tree in a pasture beside the road

above Rio Calagras, alt. 1550 m, 19 Jan. 1989,

C. Luer, J. Luer, P. Jesup & A. Jesup 14007

(Holotype: MO).

This species of section Torta y was

discovered growing on a mossy old log in

a cow pasture by Ann Jesup. It is simi¬

lar to P. dactylum and P. dalstroemii,

but P. jesupiae is readily distinguished

by the larger, resupinate flower with

long, erect, spotted tails of the later¬

al sepals. The ovary of all three of

these allied species is twisted 180°,

placing the lip lowermost in the flower!

e lip remains uppermost in the other

^vo species, probably from an additional

backward bending of the pedicels.