Maxillaria wercklei (Schltr.) L.O.Williams

Species

Angiosperms > Asparagales > Orchidaceae > Maxillaria

Characteristics

Erect or pendulous, epiphytic herbs with slender, branching stems 3-20 cm. tall. Pseudobulbs linear, compressed, rugose in dried specimens, 4-25 mm. long and 1.5-5 mm. wide, distantly inserted on the stems, the truncate apices monophyllous, the bases with 2-3 conspicuous, long-foliaceous bracts, the long internodes enveloped in persistent, closely imbricating, complanate sheaths. Leaves of the apex of the pseudobulbs and the blades of the foliaceous bracts coriaceous, ligular to elliptic-lanceolate, broadly obtuse, or retuse at the apex, 1-3 cm. long and .2-1.2 cm. wide, contracted below into very short, subsessile, conduplicate petioles. Inflorescences slender, 1-flowered scapes 4-10 mm. long, produced from the bract axils of the flush of new growth. Flowers very variable, small or of moderate size, usually tan striped red or brown to dark reddish purple. Sepals sub-equal, free, spreading, lanceolate to elliptic-lanceolate, acute, 5-12 mm. long and 2.5-5 mm. wide, the apices sometimes carinate, the laterals adnate to the foot of the column, forming a short, rounded mentum. Petals subequal to the dorsal sepal, oblong-lanceolate, obtuse to subacute, 4-11 mm. long and 2-4 mm. wide. Lip 3-lobed near the base, 4-10 mm. long and 3-6 mm. wide, contracted at the base and articulated with the column foot, the short, lateral lobes rounded or subacute, obliquely erect in natural position, separated near the apices by a transverse, fleshy callus, mid-lobe elliptic-ovate to oblong, convex, the margins often deflexed or revolute, the apex obtuse to subacute, % to 34 the total length of the lip. Column short, stout, semi-terete, somewhat arcuate, produced at the base into a distinct foot. Anther terminal, operculate, incumbent, 1-celled.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support epiphyte
Foliage retention -
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 0.03 - 0.2
Root system -
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Flower color
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Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway -

Environment

Light -
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Hardiness (USDA) -

Usage

Uses -
Edible -
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Mode -
Germination duration (days) -
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Distribution

Maxillaria wercklei world distribution map, present in Costa Rica and Panama

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:155356-2
WFO ID wfo-0000239032
COL ID 3YGYC
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Ornithidium wercklei Maxillaria wercklei Camaridium pygmaeum Chaseopsis wercklei