The New Refugium Botanicum. Kegeliella kupperi

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.