Phthirusa trichodes

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Description

Very small and delicate species, haustorial saddle 1.5 cm in diam., lacking epicortical roots; young growth finely pubescent; internodes terete, mostly less than 1 cm long. Petiole 0.1-0.2 cm long; blade very thin, lanceolateto 1.5 x 0.8 cm; delicate, basally pinnate venation. Inflorescence ca. 0.5 cm long, to 1 cm in fruit, with extremely slender, pubescent peduncle and 2 sessile triads at tip, in umbellate fashion. Flowers apparently bisexual; petals 4, ca. 0.1 cm long; stamens isomorphic, filaments short, terete. Fruit ellipsoid, 0.4 x 0.2 cm, with small, smooth, erect calyculus.

Distribution

Guyana present, Lara present, Portuguesa present, Southern America: Venezuela (Venezuela present), Tráchira present

Known from Venezuela (Lara, Portuguesa, and Tráchira) and, more recently, from 1 collection in Guyana (GU: 1).

Notes

The only known Phthirusa species with true indument, P. trichodes is a puzzling entity which may not be correctly placed in the genus.