Species Information - Rhomboda alticola var. finisterrae

Rhomboda alticola (Schltr.) Ormerod var. finisterrae Ormerod, Orchadian 11 (1995) 334

Type: Sayers NGF 19761 (holo LAE)

Synonyms:

Rhizome creeping, 0.4 cm thick, with fleshy villose roots at the nodes. Stem erect, 6-10 cm long by 0.4 cm thick, 3-5 leaved apically. Leaves thinly subcoriaceous, obliquely ovate-elliptic, shortly acuminate; blade 4-5.5 by 2.1-2.6 cm, petiole 0.5-0.7 cm long before dilating into the sheathing base. Inflorescence laxly shortly pubescent, with three sheathing bracts, 20 cm long by 0.1-0.2 cm thick, peduncle 10.5 cm long, the laxly 22 flowered rachis 9.5 cm long. Floral bracts ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, laxly shortly pubescent. 8-9 mm long 2-3 mm broad. Pedicel with ovary glabrous, 7-9 mm long by 0.7-1 mm thick. Flowers glabrous, opening skyward, resupinate at an angle. Median sepal ovate-elliptic, acute, 5 by 2.5 mm. Lateral sepals spreading a little, obliquely ovate-elliptic, acute, 5.3 by 2.5 mm. Petals broadly clawed then abruptly dilated, semi-elliptic when viewed laterally, acute, 5 by 2.5 mm, the upper margin narrowly agglutinate with the dorsal sepal to form a galea. Lip 3-lobed, 5 by 4 mm; hypochile 3.3 by 4 mm, lateral lobes forward-pointing when spread, broadly rounded, inflexed in natural position, internal basal appendages one oneach side, fleshy, transversely elliptic, obtusely pointed, 1 by 1.2 mm; bicarinate callus fleshy, semicircular, abruptly raising in apical half of hypochile; external flange running about parallel to upper margin of hypochile; epichile shortly and broadly clawed, obtriangular with acute apices, apiculate, c. 1.25 mm long and broad. Column as per genus, gradually dilated from the base, 4.6 mm long; wings subquadrate in front, with rounded dilations distally.
(After Ormerod 1995)

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