Psilochilus macrophyllus (Lindl.) Ames
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Authority
Ackerman, James D. 1995. An orchid flora of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 73: 1-203.
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Family
Orchidaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Species Description - Plants terrestrial, fleshy herbs. Roots fleshy, densely villous, 1-3 produced at each node of the rhizome and sometimes from the lower stem, 3-8 mm diam. Rhizomes fleshy, creeping. Stems purple, ascending from the creeping rhizome, erect, to 31 cm tall. Leaves 2-6 per stem; sheaths 1-3.5 cm long; blades sessile to short-petiolate, green with whitish longitudinal stripes above and purplish below, erect-spreading, somewhat stiff, plicate, ovate, acute, 3.5-6 cm long, 2-3 cm wide. Inflorescences terminal, erect; peduncle 1-6 cm long; raceme or sparsely branched panicle several-flowered; floral bracts broad, foliaceous, less than 1 cm long. Flowers erect, produced in succession, rarely if ever open in our plants. Pedicellate ovary ca. 15 mm long. Sepals greenish yellow, margins involute, linear-oblong, acute-acuminate, 12-15 mm long. Petals greenish yellow, linear, slightly shorter than the sepals. Lip mostly purple, long-cuneate, apically trilobed, ca. 12 mm long; lateral lobes acute to obtuse; middle lobe suborbicular extending beyond lateral lobes, crisped, erose; disc whitish with several distinct keels that extend to nearly the apex of the lip. Column purple below, white above, slender, about as long as the lip; pollinia mealy. Fruits erect; stip slender, ca. 1 cm long; capsule cylindrical, 2.5-3 cm long, beak short, stout.
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Discussion
1. Psilochilus macrophyllus (Lindley) Ames, Orchidaceae. 7: 45. 1922. Pogonia macrophylla Lindley, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 3, 1: 335. 1858. Type. C. Wright 615, from Cuba (holotype, K-L; isotypes, LE, photograph seen; AMES, PH not seen). Phenology & Pollination. Most plants bloom from late spring to fall. All mature flowers are self-pollinating and set fruit. I suspect that the flowers are cleistogamous because I have yet to see the buds open.
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Distribution
Central America, Mexico, tropical South America, and West Indies. Distribution in Puerto Rico. Collected from Adjuntas, Bayamon, Jayuya, Manati, Maricao, Ponce, San German, and Utuado. It has also been reported from the Luquillo Mountains (Rio Grande: Kasomenakis, 1988).Terrestrial in thick forest litter or clayey soil in shady sites of wet montane forests at higher elevations (700-1100 m); uncommon.
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