Stelis anthracina Luer & Hirtz 2002 SECTION Humboldtia
Photo By the Ecuagenera Website
Photo courtesy of Patricia Harding
TYPE Drawing by Carl Luer
Common Name The Coal Black Stelis
Flower Size .12" [3mm]
Found in Imbabura province of Ecuador at elevations around 3300 meters as a small sized, cold growing, caespitose-scandent epiphyte with erect stout ramicauls enveloped basally by 1 to 2 short loose, tubular shetahs and another longer one above and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, elliptical-oblong, obtuse, cuneate below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms on an erect, subcongested, distichous, 3.6" long to 4.4" [9 to 11 cm] long including the .8 to 1.2" [2 to 3 cm] long peduncle, successively single, many flowered, racemose inflorescence arising through a spathe from an annulus below the apex of the ramicaul with oblique, inflated, acute, as long as the ovary floral bracts.
"Distinguised by the prolific habit, oblong leaves and a somewhat longer, successively flowered raceme of purple black flowers but only one flower is open at a time. The succssion of flowers is slow as most flowers form capsules. The lateral sepals are connate into a slightly conduplicate, broadly ovate synsepal. The proportionally large petals are widely semilunate. The lip is longer than deep with a well developed glenion continuous from a rounded callus on the dorsum." Luer 2002
CAUTION Because Luer states that the inflorescence has only one flower open at a time and almost all the flowers form capsules, the photos provided of this species are probably not correct! The type drawing is absolutely correct. Please use the photos with caution!!!
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
Icones Pleurothallidinarum XXIV A First Century Of New Species of Stelis of Ecuador Part One Luer 2002 drawing hmm;
Native Ecuadorian Orchids Vol 5 Dodson 2004 drawing good;
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