Rat Tail Orchid

The Florida population of Bulbophyllum pachyrachis reported by C. A. Luer (1972) no longer exists (E. Christenson, pers. comm.).

Plants creeping. Roots numerous, yellowish, often branched, 0.5–1 mm diam. Stems stout; rhizomes 8–55 × 2.5–7 mm; pseudobulbs 3–4-angled, 1–5 × 0.7–2.5 cm. Leaves 1–3; blade oblong to oblong-oblanceolate, 6–20 × 7–28 mm, leathery, apex acute to obtuse. Inflorescences: peduncle partially concealed by ensheathing, scarious bracts, 4–24 cm × 1.5–2.5 mm; spikes 12–28-flowered, 4–25 cm × 2–7 mm; floral bracts triangular-ovate, 2–5.5 mm. Flowers yellow-green, spotted red, sessile, glabrous; sepals 3-veined, concave, triangular-ovate or ovate-lanceolate, 4–7 × 1.5–3 mm, fleshy, apex acuminate-caudate; petals oblong-elliptic, 1–2.5 × 0.5–1.5 mm, apex obtuse to rounded; lip adnate to and articulate with column foot, linguiform, 2.5–3 mm, very thick, fleshy, margins entire, verrucose; column stout, 2–2.5 mm, apex 3-dentate, middle tooth acute, 0.5 mm, lateral teeth winglike, oblong, subulate, 1 mm; column foot slender, 1–1.5 mm; pollinia 2; ovary sessile, partially embedded in pits on rachis. Capsules cylindric, ribbed, 8–11 mm, glabrous.

Fla.; Mexico; West Indies; Central America; n South America.

Flowering Nov--Dec.

On hardwoods in swamps; 5--20m.

Pleurothallis pachyrachis A. Richard in R. de la Sagra, Hist. Fis. Cuba 11: 234. 1850 (as pachyrhachis)

Bulbophyllum pinelianum, the rat-tail orchid, is a species of orchid in the genus Bulbophyllum. It is widespread across southern Mexico, the West Indies, Central America and northern South America. It is also reported from Florida but apparently now extinct in that state.