
Pleurothallis scotinantha
Pleurothallis scotinantha Pupulin, M.Díaz & J.Aguilar, Lankesteriana 17(2): 337. 2017.
Type: Costa Rica. San José: Pérez Zeledón, Cajón, Montecarlo, 3.5 km northeast of Montecarlo, margins of Río Peña Blanquita, 1261 m. 28 Jul. 2009. D. Bogarín 7355 & F. Pupulin (holotype, JBL; isotype, JBL; LCDP voucher).
Etymology: From the Greek words σκοτεινός (skotinós), “dark”, and άνθος (ánthos), “flower”, in reference to the solid, dark-purple flower of the species, uncommon in this group.
In outline, the lip of P. scotinantha is triangular, similar to that of P. oncoglossa, and as in P. oncoglossa the flower is fully spread in the late morning and early afternoon. The dark purple, black- ish, glossy color of the flower, the triangular, flat, dark purple lip fading into a small white region towards the apex, whitish on the underside, are, however, useful characters to distinguish it from P. oncoglossa, which has light purple-red flowers on a greenish yellow background, the sepals fading yellow-green toward the base, and a characteristic, callose hook at the apex of the lip.