Trichosalpinx

• Authority

  Ackerman, James D. 1995. An orchid flora of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 73: 1-203.

• Family

  Orchidaceae

• Scientific Name

  Trichosalpinx

• Description

  Genus Description - Plants sympodial, epiphytic or lithophytic, caespitose to scandent herbs. Roots velamentous. Stems numerous, slender, erect, covered by lepanthiform sheaths (see below), unifoliate. Leaves articulate, apical, conduplicate, coriaceous. Inflorescences terminal, delicate, racemose, rarely 1-flowered. Flowers small. Lateral sepals free or connate. Petals entire to fimbriate. Lip simple or trilobed, often fimbriate. Column elongate, winged; column foot present and usually well developed; stigma subapical to ventral; anther apical to ventral, operculate; pollinia 2, hard, waxy. Fruit a capsule.

• Discussion

  Trichosalpinx Luer, Phytologia 54: 393. 1983. Type species. Trichosalpinx ciliaris (Lindley) Luer based on ciliaris Lindley of Mexico, Central America, Trinidad, and northern South America to Peru. A neotropical genus of about 90 species. The generic name refers to the ciliated ribs and margins of the trumpetlike sheaths of the secondary stems. C. A. Luer (1983) proposed to segregate from Pleurothallis those species with Lepanthes-like stems. This is an easily recognized feature where the stems are enclosed by imbricating, ribbed, tubular sheaths dilated above to oblique ostia, and with the ribs and thickened margins of the ostia usually ciliate or scabrous. This type of sheath is known as lepanthiform. Trichosalpinx differs from Lepanthes by its elongate, winged and footed column. Special Literature. C. A. Luer, 1983, 1986a.