Compilation
Cranichis muscosa

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Name

Identification
Cranichis muscosa Sw. [family ORCHIDACEAE ]
Related name
  • Cranichis muscosa

Flora

Entry for Cranichis muscosa Swartz [family ORCHIDACEAE]
Herbarium
Flora of North America (FNA)
Collection
Flora of North America
Resource Type
Reference Sources
Entry From
Flora of North America, Vol 26,
Names
Cranichis muscosa Swartz [family ORCHIDACEAE], Prodr., 120. 1788
Treatment Author(s)
James D. Ackerman
Information
Plants to 50 cm. Roots 2–3 mm diam. Leaves 4–8, basal; petiole erect; blade spreading, broadly elliptic with several prominent arching veins, 2–9 × 1–4 cm. Inflorescences glabrous; scape bracts leafy, short; raceme 1–15 cm; floral bracts lanceolate, shorter than ovary. Flowers mostly white, glabrous; dorsal sepal 3-veined, elliptic-lanceolate, 3–4 × 1.5–2 mm; lateral sepals 3-veined, obliquely ovate-lanceolate to ovate, 4 × 2 mm; petals 1-veined, linear, 2–3.5 × 1 mm, margins facing lip minutely ciliate, apex blunt; lip white, spotted green or pale yellow, ovate-subquadrangular, to 4 × 2.5 mm, distal margins undulate; column prominently winged, 1.5–2 mm; pollinia yellow, elongate; pedicellate ovary 3–6 mm. Capsules erect-spreading, ellipsoid-cylindric, 8–10 × 3–4 mm.
Phenology
jan-feb (winter), mar (spring)
Altitude range
0–20 m;
Distribution
MexicoWest IndiesCentral AmericaSouth America.USA Fla.
Discussion
When plants are grown isolated from potential pollinators, nearly all flowers form fruits. After the anther dehisces, the pollinarium bends over and contacts the stigma (J. D. Ackerman 1995). An attempt to relocate historical localities of Cranichis muscosa in Miami-Dade and Lee counties was unsuccessful (C. A. Luer 1972), and more recent searches have also been unsuccessful.

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