Psychilis macconnelliae Sauleda

  • Authority

    Acevedo-Rodríguez, Pedro & collaborators. 1996. Flora of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 78: 1-581.

  • Family

    Orchidaceae

  • Scientific Name

    Psychilis macconnelliae Sauleda

  • Description

    Species Description - Cespitose, epiphytic or occasionally terrestrial herb to 1.8 m tall; roots numerous from short stout rhizomes, 3-4 mm thick; pseudobulbs cylindrical to pyriform, to 18 cm long. Leaves 2-4, stiff, 10-28 x 0.8-3 cm, coriaceous, linear-oblong, margins minutely toothed. Flowers showy, of various shades of red to lavender, sometimes blotched, in short racemes, produced near apex of scapes 0.5-1.5 m long on older shoots; floral bracts scarious, ovate, acuminate, 1-3 mm long. Sepals oblong-oblanceolate, obtuse, 15-20 x 4-7 mm; petals linear-oblanceolate, obtuse, 1.5-2 cm long, 3-4 mm wide; lip with dark lines, trilobed, attached to basal half of the column, lateral lobes entire, obovate, erect, flanking the column, 12 x 8-10 mm , middle lobe obcordate, deeply notched; callus basal, bifid, elliptic, situated beneath the column; free portion of the lip with 3 parallel ribs, 2-2.8 X 1.5-2.6 cm; column straight, 5-9 mm long; pollinia yellow; pedicellate ovary slender, 2-3 cm long. Capsule ellipsoid, 2-3.2 cm long.

  • Discussion

    Note: This species has been incorrectly referred to as Epidendrum bifidum Aubl. or as Epidendrum papilionaceum Vahl by many authors in the West Indies. Epidendrum bifidum, with its homotypic synonym E. papilionaceum, is a species restricted to Haiti

  • Distribution

    Common on small trees and shrubs in moist or dry regions, usually very near the ocean. Salt Pond (A759), East End (A1819). Also reported from St. Croix, St. Thomas, Anegada, Tortola, and Virgin Gorda; St. Kitts and Puerto Rico.

    Puerto Rico South America| Saint Kitts and Nevis South America| Virgin Gorda Virgin Islands South America| Tortola Virgin Islands South America| Anegada Virgin Islands South America| Saint Thomas Virgin Islands of the United States South America| Saint Croix Virgin Islands of the United States South America|