Psychilis macconnelliae Sauleda
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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 tough, usually caespitose epiphytes, occasionally growing terrestrially. Roots numerous from short stout rhizomes, 3-4 mm diam. Pseudobulbs cylindrical to pyriform, to 18 cm long. Leaves 2-4, stiff, coriaceous, linear-oblong, margins minutely toothed, 10-28 cm long, 0.8-3.0 cm wide. Scapes terminal, erect, stiff, partially covered by tubular scarious sheaths, 0.5-1.5 m long. Inflorescences short racemes, 1 to few lateral racemes produced near apex of scape on older shoots; buds and flowers clustered, produced sequentially; floral bracts scarious, ovate, acuminate, 1-3 mm long. Flowers showy, of various shades of red to lavender, sometimes blotched, resupinate. Pedicellate ovary slender, 2-3 cm long. Sepals oblong-oblanceolate, obtuse, 1.5-2 cm long, 4-7 mm wide. 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 obovate, erect, flanking the column, 12 mm long, 8-10 mm wide; 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 cm long, 1.5-2.6 cm wide. Column straight, 5-9 mm long; pollinia yellow. Fruits ellipsoidal, 2-3.2 cm long.
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Discussion
3. Psychilis macconnelliae Sauleda, Phytologia 65: 18. 1988. Type. Sauleda & Sauleda 7785, from N E side of Water Isle, U.S. Virgin Islands (holotype, NY; isotypes, FTG, US, USF, not seen). Phenology & Pollination. Plants may flower throughout the year but most commonly in the spring. Flowers require the services of unknown pollinators to set fruit but do not offer rewards. Fruit set is low. Taxonomic Notes. Plants of our region have been variously identified as either Encyclia bifida (Aublet) Britton & Wilson, Epidendrum papilionaceum Vahl, or E. brittonianum A. D. Hawkes, the latter two names based on the same material as the former (Dressier, 1964; Withner, 1967). Sauleda (1988) noted that Psychilis bifida (Aublet) Sauleda is a species restricted to the northern regions of Haiti and that the "bifida" of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands represents a distinct species, P. macconnelliae.
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Distribution
British Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, St. Kitts, and U.S. Virgin Islands. Distribution in Puerto Rico. Reported from Culebra, Fajardo, San Juan, Vieques, and Yabucoa. Distribution in the Virgin Islands. Known from Anegada, St. Croix, St. John, St. Thomas, Tortola, and Virgin Gorda. Habitat. On small trees and shrubs in moist or dry regions at low elevations (to 100 m ) , usually very near the ocean; generally uncommon.
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