Cyrtochilum densiflorum

Synonyms: Odontoglossum densiflorum Lindl., Orchid. Linden.: 17. 1846. Oncidium densiflorum (Lindl.) Beer, Praktisch Studien an der Familie der Orchideen 285. 1854.

Type: Colombia. Boyacá: “The Paramo, near Boyaca, in the province of Tunja, at the height of 11,000 feet; March.” J. Linden 1377 (holotype: K-000857245).

Illustrated specimen: Colombia. Cundinamarca: Municipality of Chía, 2800 m. December 2014. K. Gil-Amaya 347 & P. Almanza de Ramírez (JBB; LCDP voucher).

Cyrtochilum densiflorum shows morphological affinity with Cyrtochilum myanthum (Lindl.) Kraenzl but can be distinguished by its bright yellow flowers, with brown dots within (vs. paler, whitish-yellow, the distal half suffused with brown), wider sepals, about 0.49 cm wide (vs. 0.33 cm. wide), its connivent petals (vs. spreading) and a fleshy lip callus consisting of a central, cuneate, tongue-like protuberance along the basal third, then dividing into three obtuse apices, emerging adjacent to the apex of the main calli, two lateral, linear teeth and two central, divergent, subquadrate protuberances (vs. mainly two linear, parallel, elongate projections extending to the middle of the lip). The species is widely distributed and can be found fromVenezuela, to Ecuador at elevations above 3000 meters in ecosystems of Paramo. In Colombia this species has been recorded mainly in the eastern cordillera, in the departments of Boyacá and Cundinamarca.