SITF Blog

Dracula-saulii-2023-08-24 *SITF confirms that this plant is Dracula saulii (Aug 2023).

This plant exactly matches the description and findings of Dracula saulii 02-14-2023, award number 20234261. The key characteristic of D. saulii, besides the velutinous hairs covering the flower, is the unusual length of the dorsal cauda compared to the lateral caudae; in D. saulii, the dorsal tail is two to three times shorter than the length of the lateral tails. In this flower the dorsal sepal cauda is 4.2 cm and the lateral sepal caudae is 11.5 cm. D. saulii is also distinguished by its small size and narrowly linear, obtuse leaves. The only other species that appears close is D. adrianae, but all the caudae on D. adrianae are about the same length and it differs in its plant characteristics. This plant displays distinctive, reflexed segments and dense spicules on the surfaces of the segments as does D. saulii.

Posted on Aug 24, 2023

Description is as follows: "Nine flowers on nine up to 8.5-cm inflorescences with numerous emerging inflorescences; sepals broadly mucronate, dorsal fully recurved, synsepals recurved, sepals and cau...

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Dracula-erythrochaete-Blanca-CHM/AOS-2023-05-06 *SITF confirms this that plant is Dracula erythrochaete (Aug 2023).

This plant almost exactly matches the specimen from Kew's herbarium shown in the POWO. The plant and flower matches Luer's description and drawing in his Dracula Icones including three keels on the lip lobe and denticulate margin and it also matches the photo in the IOSPE.

Posted on May 6, 2023

Three flowers and two buds on five horizontal to upright inflorescences to 23.5 cm emerging singly from the base of carinate, narrowly elliptical obovate entire leaves 2.0 cm wide by 23.0 cm tall on a...

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Dracula-saulii-2023-02-14 *SITF confirms this plant is Dracula saulii (Apr 2023).

The sepals, petals and caudae match the description of Dracula saulii. The key characteristic of D. saulii, besides the velutinous hairs covering the flower, is the unusual length of the dorsal cauda compared to the lateral caudae; in D. saulii, the dorsal tail is two to three times shorter than the length of the lateral tails; the dorsal cauda on this plant may not be quite half, but it is definitely much shorter than the lateral caudae. The only other species that appears close is D. adrianae, but all the caudae seem to be about the same length, as shown in the drawing.

Posted on Feb 14, 2023

Four fuzzy flowers and two developing buds on six pendant inflorescences, on a 17 cm by 26 cm plant mounted on a sphagnum attached to a porous ceramic tube; sepals fused, white marked chestnut on reve...

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