Species Information - Mycaranthes hawkesii

Mycaranthes hawkesii (A.H.Heller) Rauschert, Feddes Repert. 94 (1983) 455

Type:

Synonyms:

• Eria bifalcis Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 1 (1912) 670 (non Lindl.)
  - Type: Schlechter 17853 (holo B, lost); para: Schlechter 18128 (B, lost)
• Mycaranthes bifalcis (Schltr.) Brieger in Schltr., Orchideen, ed. 3, I/A (1981) 662
• Eria hawkesii A.H.Heller, Lloydia 20 (1957) 130 (nom. nov.)

Basionym: Eria bifalcis

Epiphyte, erect or patent, 35- 70 cm long; rhizome very short; roots filiform, elongated, flexuose, glabrous, very thin; stems unbranched, usually curved, entirely covered with the closely appressed leaf-sheaths, terete, 0.5-0.9 cm diameter; leaves linear or lanceolate-linear, acute, coriaceous, glabrous, 10-20 cm long, 0.5-1.5 cm wide in the middle. Inflorescences terminal, 2-5 together, usually about as long as the upper leaves, rather densely many-flowered, peduncle stellate-finely tomentose with white hairs, with a few peduncle-scales which are similar to the bracts; bracts lanceolate, acuminate, usually longer than the flowers. Flowers erect-patent. Sepals ovate, obtuse, outside stellate-finely tomentose, 0.4 cm long. Lateral sepals at the base dilated along the front margin, mentum obtuse, short, 0.2 cm long. Petals obliquely elliptic, obtuse, glabrous, somewhat shorter than the sepals. Lip in outline suborbicular-quadrate, 0.35 cm long and as wide in the middle, at the base with an ovate, farinose-puberulous callus, in front of this with another oblanceolate callus which is decurrent up to the apex, in the middle on either side with a lanceolate-falcate, narrowly obtuse lamella, lateral lobes ovate-falcate, narrowly obtuse, mid-lobe very broadly rhomboid, shortly bilobulate, lobules in front truncate, subcrenulate, with a small apiculum in between. Column short, glabrous, median lobe of the clinandrium rounded, longer. Anther obreniform-cucullate, with a thick, very minutely papillose umbo. Ovary with pedicel subclavate, minutely stellate-finely tomentose, 0.5 cm long. (After Schlechter, 1911-1914, as Eria bifalcis Schltr.)

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