Lepanthes hippocrepica Luer & R.Escobar 1991 GENUS Lepanthes SUBGENUS Brachycladium SECTION Amplectentes Luer 1994
Photo by © Alexander Hirtz
TYPE Drawing by © Carl Luer and The Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Jany Renz Herbaria Website
Common Name The Horseshoe Bearing Lepanthes
Flower Size .2" [5mm]
Found in Colombia and Ecuador at elevations of 1800 to 2400 meters as a miniature sized, cool to cold growing epiphytependent occasionally branching, slender rhizome giving rise to a ramicaul enveloped by a single long ciliate lepanthiform sheath with dilated ostia and carrying a single, apical, coriaceous, sparsely ciliate, elliptic to orbicular, obtuse to rounded apically, 3 veined, rounded and abruptly contracted below in to the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the winter and spring on an ascending, .04 to .08" [1 to 2 mm] long, single flowered inflorescence with a spiculate floral bract.
"The leaves of the plants from Ecuador are somewhat smaller than those of Colombia. Lepanthes hippocrepica is distinguished by glabrous leaves; obtuse sepals; and proportionately basal lobes of large, minutely pubescent petals and lip. The the horse shoe-shaped lip that surround the column are narrow stand erect, the apices held far above the column." Luer 1994
Synonyms Andinia hippocrepica (Luer & R.Escobar) Karremans & S.V.Uribe 2017; Brachycladium hippocrepicum (Luer & R.Escobar) Luer 2005; Neooreophilus hippocrepicus (Luer & R.Escobar) Archila 2009; Oreophilus hippocrepicus (Luer & R.Escobar) Archila 2009; Penducella hippocrepica (Luer & R.Escobar) Luer 2010
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; *Orquideologia Vol 18 #1 1991 drawing fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum XI Systematics of Lepanthes Subgenus Brachycladium and Pleurothallis subgenus Aenigma, Elongatia and Kraenzlingella Luer 1994 drawing fide; Native Ecuadorian Orchids Dodson Vol 2 1995 photo ok; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXVII Dryadella and Acronia section Macrophyllae-Fasiculatae Luer 2005 as Brachycladium hippocrepcium drawing fide; Selbyana 29(2): 203. Archila 2009 as Oreophilus hippocrecia; Orchid Digest Vol 74 #2 Luer 2010 as Penducella hippocrecia; Flora of Ecuador No 88 Lepanthes and affiliates Dodson & Luer 2011 as Penducella hippocrepica drawing fide; Pleurothallids Neotropical Jewels Vol 1 Karremans & Viera 2020 as Andinia hippocrepica photo fide
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