Pleurothallis
Pleurothallis is a genus of the orchid family (Orchidaceae). Was published by the English botanist Robert Brown in Hortus Kewensis; … The second edition 5: 211, in 1813, basing his description on the species Epidendrum ruscifolium, originally described by Jacquin, and found in Brazil.
His name is a reference to the type of shooting some of their species, which extends to the sides, forming patterns that seem ribs.
The genus Pleurothallis was ill-defined since its inception. For nearly 200 years this was the genre that would classify any species of the subtribe Pleurothallidinae, when by their morphology was not possible to clearly determine any other genre.
This resulted in nearly 2,100 species subject to a genre completely chaotic. In the last decade, the publication of numerous works with its phylogeny and porteriores cinscunscrição changes in other genera of the subtribe with the submission of large numbers of species to them, left Pleurothallis, once a huge genre, now with only a few dozen species of well-defined morphology.
Then briefly treated in this second Pleurothallis narrowest definition and recent, ie the subgenus Pleurothallis, because this will always be so classified because it includes the type species. This genus is made up just over one hundred species.
The present Pleurothallis ramicaules section usually rounded partially covered by a sheath in the midst of it, and others at the bottom, usually with very short rhizome and leaves rounded or elliptical.
Inflorescence usually racemose is emerging from the apex of the stem. The lateral sepals are entirely concrescive and dorsal is free. The column is short and thick, without wings or teeth and when exposed, and apical anther.
Source: http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleurothallis
See Also: International Flower Delivery, Florist