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(Last Modified On 2/8/2013)
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(Last Modified On 2/8/2013)
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Species
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DICHAEA MORRISII Fawcett & Rendle
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PlaceOfPublication
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Jour. Bot. 48:107. 1910.
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Synonym
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Epithecia Morrisii Schltr. in Orchis 9:26. 1915. Dichaea Bradeorum Schltr. in Fedde Rep. Sp. Nov. Beih. 19:154. 1923.
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Description
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Epiphytic herbs, the erect or pendulous stems up to about 40 cm. tall, enveloped in the very broad, conduplicate bases of the distichously imbricating leaves, the plants superficially resembling some of the pseudobulbless Maxillarias. Leaf blades articulated to the sheathing bases and ultimately deciduous below, elliptic-oblong to broadly ligular, obtuse and minutely apiculate, subcoriaceous, 3-7 cm. long and 0.8-1.5 cm. wide. Inflorescences 1-flowered scapes, about 8 mm. long, produced from the upper leaf axils, the peduncle provided at the apex with 2 large spathaceous bracts which completely envelop and conspicuously exceed the ovary. Flowers large for the genus, the sepals and petals pale green striped deep lavender, the lip deep lavender. Sepals lanceolate, acuminate, slightly concave, the margins minutely ciliate, about 11-15 mm. long and 5-7 mm. wide, the lateral sepals rather oblique and a little broader than the dorsal sepal, with a rather indistinct central keel on the outer surface. Petals subequal to the dorsal sepal, lanceolate, acuminate, slightly concave, about 10-12 mm. long and 3.5-4 mm. wide, the margins minutely ciliate. Lip fleshy, the linear-oblong, slightly arcuate claw narrowed at the base and affixed to the very short column foot, the blade dilated and 3-lobed, more or less anchoraeform, the lateral lobes short to elongate, ligular to subular, sometimes falcately triangular-linear, usually more or less retrorse in natural position, the mid-lobe rather narrowly triangular, usually reflexed, acute or shortly acuminate, minutely papillose on both sufaces, the entire lip (including the claw) about 9-10 mm. long and 5-6 mm. wide. Column very stout, the lateral margins narrowly winged, 4-6 mm. long, the clinandrium very broad, with serrulate margins, the under-surface of the column with a subquadrate, puberulent, slightly emarginate, infra-stigmatic ligule, the base of the column produced into a very short foot. Capsule densely setose.
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Distribution
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Jamaica, Santo Domingo, Costa Rica, and Panama.
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Specimen
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COCLE: hills north of El Valle de Anton, 1000 m., Allen 2874. CHIRIQUI: vicinity Bajo Chorro, 6000 ft., Davidson 221.
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Note
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Apparently a very variable species. The collection cited above from El Valle de Anton is rather atypical in the narrower leaves and the much reduced lateral lobes of the lip.
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