Bipinnula pennicillata

Echeverría, María L., Alonso, Sara I. & Comparatore, Viviana M., 2017, Survey of the vascular plants of Sierra Chica, the untouched area of the Paititi Natural Reserve (southeastern Tandilia mountain range, Buenos Aires province, Argentina), Check List 13 (6), pp. 1003-1036 : 1017

Bipinnula pennicillata (Rch. f.) Cisternas & Salazar Figure 11

Bipinnula pennicillata (Rchb. f.) Cisternas & Salazar ex Cisternas et al.

(2012): 10 — Flora Argentina (2017); Tropicos (2017).

Geoblasta pennicillata (Rchb. f.) Hoehne ex Correa (1968): 71 —

Cabrera (1968): 591; Hurrell (2009a): 348.

Chloraea pennicillata Reichenbach. f. (1878): 51.

Cryptophyte, native with distribution in the Southern Cone Region of South America. Vulnerable due to restricted habitat ( Delucchi 2006).

Characteristics. Terrestrial herb, to 30 cm tall including inflorescence. Roots narrow, also tuberous roots. Basal leaves 3 or 4, with elliptic- to ovate-lanceolate in shape, to 10 cm long, larger than caulinar leaves. Inflor- ence 1-flowered, exceptionally 2-flowered; flower pale green, with reticulate dark green veins and an insectlike labellum with a darker, blackish-brown, apical part; labellum sessile, smooth, shiny, greenish, convex, its basal part covered by short, slender, retrorse, pale green hairs; central disk with 6 or 7 naked ridges; apex covered with short, clavate, blackish-brown and yellow appendices. Fruit: a capsule.

Comments. This is an infrequent species in the study area. It grows in full sunlight conditions in shallow soils on grassland slopes and on summits. Bipinnula pennicillata can be recognized from other Orchidaceae by its 1-flowered inflorescence and its large flowers with rhom- bic, succulent labellum and sepals without appendices.