Lepanthopsis peniculus (Schltr.) Garay 1953 SUBGENUS Lepanthopsis SECTION Lepanthopsis
Photo by © Sebastian Viera-Uribe
Plant and Flowers in situ Vulcan Purace, 11,000' Colombia 6/07
Photos by Jay Pfahl ©
Common Name The Little Brush Lepanthopsis
Flower Size 2/5" [1 cm]
Found in Colombia as a miniature sized, cold growing epiphyte that is found in cloud forests at elevations of 2400 to 3200 meters with erect, slender ramicauls enveloped by 5 to 9 ciliate, lepanthiform sheaths and carrying a single apical, coriaceous, narrowly elliptical, acute leaf with the base cuneate into the petiole and blooms in the summer on a subdense, simultaneously many flowered, 2 1/2" [6.5 cm] long, racemose inflorescence that arisies from near the apex of the ramicaul and carrying the flowers in 2 opposing ranks.
"Recognized by the large habit, with long, narrow leaves, racemes of numerous, purple flowers with widely spread, acuminate sepals and a three lobed lip with a pair of lamellae at the base of the middle lobe." Luer 1991
Synonyms *Pleurothallis peniculus Schltr. 1920
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Die Orchideen der Sudamerikanischen Kordillerenstaaten II Colombia Schlechter 1920 as Pleurothallis peniculus; Fieldiana Biology, Vol 33, 1st Supple. to the Orchids of Peru Scweinfurth 1970; Icones Pleurothallidinarum VIII Systematics of Lepanthospsis, Octomeria subgenus Pleurothallopsis, Restrepiella, Salpistele and Teagueia Luer 1991 drawing/photo fide; Native Colombian Orchids Vol 2 COS 1991 photo fide; Orchids, A Colombian Treasure Vol 3 Ortiz & Uribe 2019 photo fide;
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