Prescottia oligantha

(Swartz) Lindley

Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl., 454. 1840.

Illustrated
Basionym: Cranichis oligantha Swartz Prodr., 120. 1788
Synonyms: Cranichis micrantha Sprengel Prescottia gracilis Schlechter Prescottia myosurus Reichenbach ex Grisebach Prescottia panamensis Schlechter
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 26. Treatment on page 520. Mentioned on page 517.

Plants to 40 cm, glabrous (except roots). Roots fasciculate, fingerlike, 3–8 mm diam., fleshy. Leaves 2–4; petiole 1–3 cm; blade elliptic to suborbiculate, 1.5–8 × 0.8–3 cm, base cuneate, margins entire, apex acute to rounded. Inflorescences slender; scape 12–31 cm, partially covered by sheathing bracts; spike to 17 cm, densely many-flowered; floral bracts ovate to lanceolate, clasping base of ovary, 1.5–4 mm, apex acuminate. Flowers minute, glabrous; sepals reflexed-spreading, pinkish, 1-veined, 1–2.2 × 1 mm; dorsal sepal reflexed, ovate, curled; lateral sepals adnate with lip forming short mentum, triangular to deltate, slightly larger than dorsal sepal; petals reflexed, white or pink, narrowly obovate to oblong, 1–1.5 × 0.5 mm; lip erect, white, basally auriculate, hoodlike, enclosing column, shallowly saccate, 1–2 mm, fleshy, apiculate; column adaxially adnate to sepal tube, minute (0.3 mm), apex winged; ovary sessile, 1.5–3.5 mm. Capsules erect, ellipsoid, 4 mm.


Phenology: Flowering Dec–early Mar.
Habitat: Hammocks
Elevation: 0–20 m

Distribution

V26 1058-distribution-map.jpg

Fla., Mexico, West Indies, Central America, South America (Galapagos Islands).

Discussion

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Prescottia oligantha"
James D. Ackerman +
(Swartz) Lindley +
Cranichis oligantha +
Fla. +, Mexico +, West Indies +, Central America +  and South America (Galapagos Islands). +
0–20 m +
Hammocks +
Flowering Dec–early Mar. +
Gen. Sp. Orchid. Pl., +
Illustrated +
Cranichis micrantha +, Prescottia gracilis +, Prescottia myosurus +  and Prescottia panamensis +
Prescottia oligantha +
Prescottia +
species +