Bletia

Ruiz & Pavon

Fl. Peruv. Prodr., 119, plate 26. 1794.

Etymology: For Luis Blet, a Catalonian apothecary of the eighteenth century who accompanied Ruiz and Pavón on their New World explorations
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 26. Treatment on page 602. Mentioned on page 495, 604.

Plants herbs, terrestrial, cespitose, sympodial. Roots fleshy, velamentous. Stems short, stout rhizomes and pseudobulbs. Leaves deciduous, 3–5, basal and cauline, petiolate; blade articulate, pleated, thin. Inflorescences lateral, racemes or sparsely branched panicles, erect, scapose, 3–80-flowered; floral bracts distant, tubular. Flowers resupinate; sepals and petals subsimilar, distinct; lip attached to base of column, margins entire to 3-lobed; disc smooth, lamellate or with 5–7 denticulate crests; column elongate, arcuate, sometimes winged distally; anther terminal, incumbent; pollinia 8 in 2 sets of 4, yellow, compressed, hard, waxy or rarely mealy; stigma entire; ovary pedicellate. Fruits capsules, cylindric.

Distribution

s Fla., Mexico, West Indies, Central America, South America.

Discussion

Species 31 (2 in the flora).

Key

1 Sepals (12–)15–26 mm; pedicellate ovary 9–18 mm; column foot present. Bletia purpurea
1 Sepals 30–40 mm; pedicellate ovary 20–35 mm; column foot absent. Bletia patula
... more about "Bletia"
James D. Ackerman +
Ruiz & Pavon +
s Fla. +, Mexico +, West Indies +, Central America +  and South America. +
For Luis Blet, a Catalonian apothecary of the eighteenth century who accompanied Ruiz and Pavón on their New World explorations +
Fl. Peruv. Prodr., +
dodson1980a +  and dressler1968a +
Orchidaceae (tribe Arethuseae) subtribe Bletiinae +