Species Information - Ceratostylis gracilicaulis

Ceratostylis gracilicaulis Schltr., Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 58 (1922) 71

Type: Ledermann 9967 (holo B, lost)

Synonyms:

Epiphytic, erect, caespitose, 22-27 cm high. Rhizome very short. Stems very slender, terete, 8-17 by 0.15 cm, at the base enveloped with several acuminate, pale grey sheaths, 1-leaved. Leaves erect, linear or linear-lanceolate, 6-10 by 0.3-0.5 cm, acute, base shortly weakly petiolate-attenuate, subcoriaceous, usually slightly more than half as long than the stem. Inflorescences several, 1-flowered, fascicled, arranged in a subglobose, 1 cm wide, sessile head, surrounded with elliptic, acuminate scales. Floral bracts elliptic, apiculate, hyaline, as long as the ovary. Flowers outside white-hairy. Sepals oblong, 0.3 cm long, subacute, lateral sepals at the base along the front margin forming an oblongoid, strongly obtuse, 0.1 cm long sac. Petals obliquely linear-ligulate, acute, Almost as long as the sepals. Lip at the base shortly subunguiculate-narrowed, lanceolate-oblong, 0.4 cm long, in apical half somewhat narrowed and carnose-thickened, with two thin, parallel keels extending from the base to the middle. Column semiterete, glabrous, about half as long as the lip, stigma-arms elliptic, obtuse. Ovary shortly pedicellate, clavate, 0.2 cm long, pilose. (After Schlechter, 1922).

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