Eltroplectris

Cranichideae subtribe Spiranthinae

Acaulous terrestrials with fasciculate, fleshy, densely villous roots. Leaves solitary to several, non-articulate, long petiolate. Inflorescences stiffly erect, scapose, few-flowered racemes, the peduncle concealed by conspicuous bracts. Sepals free, spreading, the lateral sepals fused to the column foot forming a spur. Petals appressed to the dorsal sepal. Lip unlobed, clawed, arching-recurved, shorter than the sepals. Column slender, the foot elongate and partially fused to the ovary, the rostellum rigid, needle-like to linear; pollinia 2, mealy, club-shaped, attached to an oblong viscidium.

From the Greek plectron, meaning spur, referring to the conspicuously spurred lip. The first half of the name is obscure; perhaps a garbled form of eleutheros, meaning free.

A genus of about twelve species ranging from Florida and the Caribbean to Guyana and Ecuador.

Lucke, E. 1999. Eltroplectris roseo-alba: Entwicklung vom Samen bis zur Blüte. Die Orchidee 50(4):34-36.

Pabst, G. F. J. 1960. Uma Orquidea rara no Brasil. Orquidea 22:272-273.

Speckmaier, M. 2000. Eltroplectris roseo-alba: Venezuelas grossblütiste Spiranthinae. Die Orchidee 51(3):333-336.