Barbosella

Epidendreae subtribe Pleurothallidinae

Caespitose to trailing epiphytes. Ramicauls short. Leaves one per ramicaul, oblong-oblanceolate, erect. Inflorescences erect, long-pedunculate scapes, the floral bract tubular +/- a sterile extension of the inflorescence axis. Flowers solitary. Dorsal sepal and petals free, the dorsal sepal an osmophore, the lateral sepals fused. Lip unlobed or three-lobed, with raised basal keels, the base conforming to the bulbous apex of the column foot. Column elongate, with a swollen column foot, the clinandrium hooded, the anther ventral; pollinia 4, naked.

In honor of Brazilian botanist Dr. João Barbosa-Rodrigues (1842-1909).

A genus of 15 species distributed from Nicaragua to Peru.

1 Leaves orbicular, appressed to the substrate. B. orbicularis 1' Leaves not orbicular, much longer than wide, erect. 2 2 Floral bract subequal to the ovary; dorsal sepal to 0.4 in. (1.1 cm) long. B. anaristella 2' Floral bracts less than half the length of the ovary; dorsal sepal longer, more than 0.6 in. (1.5 cm) long. 3 3(2') Leaves to 0.2 in. (0.6 cm) wide; lip to 0.1 in. (2.7 mm) long. B. cucullata 3' Leaves to 0.1 in. (0.3 cm) wide; lip to 0.2 in. (4.5 mm) long. B. prorepens

Feldmann, P. and N. Barré 1991. Orchidées sauvages des Petites Antilles IV. Barbosella dussii (Cogn.) Dod: nouvelle espèce pour la Martinique. L’Orchidoph. 98:149-153; Hoehne, F. C. 1947. Barbosellae Brasiliae Australis novae varietates commutationesque in ipsius specierum nomenclatione. Arq. Bot. Edo. São Paulo, n. s., 2:74-76 (reprinted in Orquídea 11:30-34); Luer, C. A. 2000. Icones Pleurothallidinarum XX, Systematics of Jostia, Andinia, Barbosella, Barbrodria, & Pleurothallis subgen. Antilla, subgen. Effusia, subgen. Restrepioidea. Monogr. Syst. Bot. 79:1-140.