Cyrtochilum amphiglottis
Cyrtochilum amphiglottis (Rchb.f.) Dalström, Lankesteriana 20: 26. 2020.
Type: Colombia, Medellín. B. Rözl s.n. (holotype: W).
Illustrated specimen: Colombia. Antioquia: Municipality of Yarum- al, Llanos de Cuivá, 2740 m. 28 May 2019. S. Vieira 045 (JAUM; LCDP voucher).
Etymology: The specific epithet refers to “two kinds of, or double tongues”, most probably due to the shape of the callus on the lip.
Cyrtochilum amphiglottis is an obscure species based on a specimen collected by Benedict Rözl somewhere near “Medellín”, Antioquia. The type specimen (sheet 48735, W) consists of two ca. 18 cm long few-flowered racemes. A rough drawing is made of the flower, presumably by H.G. Reichenbach. It is closely related and confusingly similar to the Venezuelan C. ramosissimum (Lindl.) Dalström, and to the widespread C. sodiroi (Schltr.) Dalström, of which it has been considered a synonym by several authors (Bockemühl 1989, Dalström 2001). The most distinctive features of C. amphiglottis are the plant habit and the erect, stiff panicle carrying a very dense corymbose cluster of attractive lavender-pink flowers at the very top, as opposed to the generally widely spaced elongate branches on more arching panicles of the closely related species.