| dc.description.abstract | Kegeliella kupperi Mansf., Repert. Spec.
Nov. Regni Veg. 36:60–61. 1934. TYPE:
Costa Rica. “Probably Guanacaste,
Tilaran, west slope of the Cordilleras
heading northwest; cult. Hort, Münich,
24 Jan. 1933, import. W. Kupper 851”
(holotype, B, destroyed; drawing of the
type, AMES).
Epiphytic, caespitose, medium-sized
herb forming tight clumps, up to 20 cm tall.
Roots produced from the rhizome along
the nodes supporting the stems, coarse,
flexuous, to 2 mm in diameter. Rhizome
short, stout, freely branching, concealed
by appressed, imbricating, brown
sheaths. Pseudobulbs pyriform, slightly
compressed, obtusely four-angled, pale
green, 2.5–3.0 cm long, 1.8–3.0 cm wide,
apically bifoliate, enclosed at the base
by 3–4 loose, triangular, papyraceous,
brownish, mottled sheaths, progressively
longer and wider toward the apex, to 4
× 1 cm. Leaves plicate, elliptic, acute to
subacuminate, contracted at the base into
a short petiole, shiny olive green abaxially,
suffused with purple to solidly rich
purple on the underside, with prominent
greenish veins, thin–subcoriaceous, 8–15
× 3–5 cm including the conduplicate
petiole. Inflorescence lateral, produced
from the base of the newly formed
pseudobulb, usually single, rarely in pairs,
a few-flowered (4–8 flowers) raceme to
15 cm long; peduncle terete, slender,
pendent, purple, covered with dark
brown, bristly hairs, 6–12 cm long, with
3–4 papyraceous, lanceolate, acute to
subacuminate, brown, spreading bracts,
to 10 × 4 mm. | |
