Psychilis monensis Sauleda

  • 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

    Psychilis monensis Sauleda

  • Description

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    Species Description - Plants epiphytic or lithophytic, caespitose herbs. Roots numerous from short, stout rhizome, 3-4 mm diam. Pseudobulbs cylindrical or pyriform, to 10 cm long. Leaves 1-3, rigid, coriaceous, entire, to 18 cm long, 2 cm wide. Scapes terminal, erect, stiff, partially concealed by tightly clasping, tubular, scarious sheaths, to 1.2 m long. Inflorescences racemose, on older shoots secondary racemes sometimes appearing below the original; floral bracts scarious, ovate, acuminate, 1-3 mm long. Flowers clustered, produced sequentially, resupinate; sepals, petals, and lateral lobes of lip yellow-green, midlobe of lip white to lavender, lip veins dark lavender. Pedicellate ovary slender, 2-3 cm long. Dorsal sepal elliptic-oblanceolate, 1.4-1.6 cm long, 4-5 mm wide; lateral sepals oblong-oblanceolate, 1.3-1.8 cm long, 5-6 mm wide. Petals spatulate to linear-oblanceolate, 1.4-1.6 cm long, 2-3 mm wide. Lip adnate to lower half of column, trilobed; lateral lobes elliptic-obovate, 6-7 mm wide, ca. 10 mm long; middle lobe flabellate, deeply emarginate; basal callus elliptic to subquadrate, disc with 5 parallel ribs; free portion of lip 18-22 mm long, 14-18 mm wide. Column ca. 1 cm long; pollinia 4, hard, waxy. Fruits ellipsoidal.

  • Discussion

    Phenology & Pollination. Flowering occurs throughout the year but probably peaks seasonally during the spring and summer. Like other members of the genus Psychilis, the flowers are pollinator-dependent. The flowers have no pollinator reward; visits are rare; and fruit set is low (Ackerman, 1989a). Taxonomic Notes. In the literature, specimens of Psychilis monensis have been referred to Encyclia bifida, E. krugii, Epidendrum papilionaceum, or E. brittonianum (see discussion under P. macconnelliae).

  • Distribution

    General Distribution. Endemic to Puerto Rico.

    Puerto Rico South America|