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Pleurothallis cardiothallis
Icones Costaricensis 1 & 2

Pleurothallis cardiothallis

Pleurothallis cardiothallis Rchb.f., Bot. Zeitung (Berlin) 15: 158. 1857.

Type: Ex Anglia in hortum Schillerianum introducta, G.W. Schiller s.n. (holotype, W).

Illustrated specimen: Costa Rica. Cartago: Turrialba, Santa Teresita, Guayabo, Monumento Nacional Guayabo, around the main trails. May 26 2015. A.P. Karremans 6580, D. Bogarín & F. Pupulin (JBL-spirit; LCDP voucher).

Etymology: From the Greek kardíā, “heart”, and thallós, “stem”, in reference to the heart-shaped leaf.

Pleurothallis cardiothallis are large plants bearing large purple flowers; a yellow variant is also illustrated here. On anthesis the flowers are more or less cucullate, fully spreading only after a few days. The species can be recognized by the fully reflexed sepals, the peltate lip with the apical margins thickened and folded inwards, revealing the papillose abaxial surface. The closest relatives are P. oncoglossa, whose lip ends into a conical, uncinate callus, and P. navisepala, which has much smaller flowers usually produced 2–4 at once.