Species Information - Tropidia gracilis

Tropidia gracilis Schltr. in K.Schum. & Lauterb., Nachtr. Fl. Deutsch. Schutzgeb. Südsee (1905) 95

Type: Schlechter 13869 (holo B, lost; iso BRI, K, NSW, W)

Synonyms:

Terrestrial, erect, slender, usually several-stemmed, 20-40 cm high; roots filiform, elongated, flexuose, glabrous. Stems usually unbranched, sometimes branched, slender, flexuose, leafy to the apex, at the base with a few cataphylls. Leaves patent or subpendent, linear or linear-lanceolate, sharply acute, narrowing towards the base, tightly clasping the stem, glabrous, veined, 7-17 cm long, 0.7-1 cm wide near the middle, the upper ones much smaller. Inflorescence terminal, densely several-flowered, short. Floral bracts linear-subulate, the lower ones surpassing the flowers, the upper ones shorter. Median sepal oblong, subacute, 0.7 cm long, near the middle 0.2 cm wide. Lateral sepals connate into a broadly oblong, in front shallowly incised synsepal, 0.7 cm long, 0.4 cm wide at the middle, at the base concave. Petals obliquely falcate, somewhat spreading, oblong, subacute, O.7 cm long, above the middle 0.2 cm wide. Lip in outline pandurate, 0.6 cm long, at the base saccate-bilobed, in the middle narrowed, with incurved margins, apical part ovate, acute, with undulate margins. Column subclavate; rostellum erect, keeled in front, apex notched; stigma only slightly raised. Anther at base cordate, apex obtusely acuminate, in front with a somewhat fleshy, obtuse median keel; pollinia clavate-pear-shaped; stipe linear, short, sparsely puberulous; viscidium minute. Ovary subcylindrical, glabrous, almost 0.4 cm long. (After Schlechter, 1905)

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