Restrepia muscifera
Encyclopedia
Restrepia muscifera, commonly known as the Fly-carrying Restrepia, is a species of orchid.
The epithet 'muscifera' is a Latin word, meaning 'fly bearing'. This is an allusion to the appearance of the flower
.
It is a tiny cespitose orchid, occurring from southern Mexico
to Colombia
, and a few scattered spots in Peru
, found in tropical and montane rainforest
s at altitudes between 300 and 2,300 m.
This epiphytic
orchid lacks pseudobulb
s. The single, erect, thick, leathery leaf
is elliptic-ovate in shape. The aerial root
s seem like fine hairs.
The flower
s develop one at a time at the base of the leaf and reach a length of about 2.3 cm. They are borne on a slender peduncle, originating from the base of the back of the leaf.
The long dorsal sepal
is erect, almost translucent white with dark red dots and ends in a somewhat thicker, yellow club-shaped tip, with minute magenta dots. They have fused lateral sepals (synsepals) with a length of about 2.5 cm. and a small split at the end.
These are quite colorful : overall almost translucent white, overlaid with contrasting reddish-purple dots in an ovate line pattern. The long, lateral petal
s also end in a thickened, yellow club-shaped tip.
The shorter, smooth lip
is ovate. It shows the same variations of dark red with magenta dots.
The epithet 'muscifera' is a Latin word, meaning 'fly bearing'. This is an allusion to the appearance of the flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
.
It is a tiny cespitose orchid, occurring from southern Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
to Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, and a few scattered spots in Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, found in tropical and montane rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
s at altitudes between 300 and 2,300 m.
This epiphytic
Epiphyte
An epiphyte is a plant that grows upon another plant non-parasitically or sometimes upon some other object , derives its moisture and nutrients from the air and rain and sometimes from debris accumulating around it, and is found in the temperate zone and in the...
orchid lacks pseudobulb
Pseudobulb
The pseudobulb is a storage organ derived from the part of a stem between two leaf nodes.It applies to the orchid family , specifically certain groups of epiphytic orchids, and may be single or composed of several internodes with evergreen or deciduous leaves along its length.In some species, it is...
s. The single, erect, thick, leathery leaf
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
is elliptic-ovate in shape. The aerial root
Root
In vascular plants, the root is the organ of a plant that typically lies below the surface of the soil. This is not always the case, however, since a root can also be aerial or aerating . Furthermore, a stem normally occurring below ground is not exceptional either...
s seem like fine hairs.
The flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s develop one at a time at the base of the leaf and reach a length of about 2.3 cm. They are borne on a slender peduncle, originating from the base of the back of the leaf.
The long dorsal sepal
Sepal
A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...
is erect, almost translucent white with dark red dots and ends in a somewhat thicker, yellow club-shaped tip, with minute magenta dots. They have fused lateral sepals (synsepals) with a length of about 2.5 cm. and a small split at the end.
These are quite colorful : overall almost translucent white, overlaid with contrasting reddish-purple dots in an ovate line pattern. The long, lateral petal
Petal
Petals are modified leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They often are brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. Together, all of the petals of a flower are called a corolla. Petals are usually accompanied by another set of special leaves called sepals lying...
s also end in a thickened, yellow club-shaped tip.
The shorter, smooth lip
Labellum
Labellum is the Latin diminutive of labium, meaning lip. These are anatomical terms used descriptively in biology, for example in Entomology and botany.-Botany:...
is ovate. It shows the same variations of dark red with magenta dots.