Type: Pelexia Glazioviana Cogn. 
Sepals very unequal, spreading; dorsal sepal concave, together 
with the petals form a semiopen hood; lateral sepals decurrent 
on column-foot, for the most part adnate to ovary, except at 
basal free tip, never spur-like. Petals obliquely cuneate, aggluti- 
nate with dorsal sepal, with a decurrent base. Lip sessile or 
subsessile with thickened basal margins, then long-ligulate to 
cuneate towards apex. Column short, erect, sulcate in front, 
basally produced in a long foot which is adnate to ovary wall for 
the most part, except at the free tip; stigmata terminal, 2 or 
deeply bilobed, more or less separated from one another by the 
terminal edge of a distinct fold running full length on face of 
column; rostellum rigid, sharp-pointed, more or less triangular. 
Anther ovate, obtuse, deeply concave; pollinia clavate with 
oblong to subrotund viscidium. Ovary sessile, cylindric to fusi- 
form, hardly twisted. 
Terrestrial, tall plants. Roots fasciculate, fleshy, stipitate- 
fusiform. Leaves basal in a rosette, either synanthus or hysteran- 
thus, with a cuneate base. Scape erect, vaginate or bracteolate, 
terminated by a many-flowered spike. Flowers conspicuous. 
LECTOTYPE: Spiranthes macrantha Rchb.f. [Angely, FI. 
Analit. S. Paulo 6: 1277, 1973] 
Eight species native to South America. 
Index to species 
Pteroglossa euphlebia (Rchb.f.) Garay, comb. nov. 
Basionym: Spiranthes euphlebia Rchb.f. in Gartenfl. 32: 3, 1883. 
Pteroglossa Glazioviana (Cogn.) Garay, comb. nov. 
Basionym: Pelexia Glazioviana Cogn. in Mart., Fl. Bras. 3(4): 157, 1895. 
Pteroglossa Hilariana (Cogn.) Garay, comb. nov. 
Basionym: Stenorrhynchus Hilarianus Cogn. in Mart. Fl. Bras. 3(6): 
541, 1906. 
Pteroglossa lurida (Correa) Garay, comb. nov. 
Basionym: Centrogenium luridum Correa in Bol. Soc. Arg. Bot. 14: 319, 
1972. 
luteola Garay 
macrantha (Rchb.f.) Schltr. 
regia (Krzl.) Schltr. 
rhombipetala Garay 
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