Stelis discolor Rchb.f. 1855 SECTION Stelis
Photo by © N Guttierez
Drawing by © Carl Luer
Common Name The Different Colored Stelis
Flower Size .2" [5 mm]
Found in Nariño department of Colombia and Pichincha and Bolivar provinces of Ecuador at elevations around 2800 to 3000 meters as a mini-miniature sized, cold growing, ascending-caespitose epiphyte or terrestrial with erect, stout ramicauls enveloped by a loose tubular sheath and another at the base and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, elliptical-obovate, subacute to obtuse, gradually narrowing below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the fall and winter on an erect, congested, secund, 4 to 6" [10 to 15 cm] long including the 1.2 to 1.6" [3 to 4 cm] long peduncle, mostly simultaneously many flowered inflorescence arising through an annulus below the apex of the ramicaul with tubular, obtuse, lesss than half as long as the pedicel floral bracts and carrying dark purple outside flowers that are grayish inside.
"At one time very abundant even in Quito. Characterized by stout ramicauls that are considerably shorter than the thick, narrow leaves. A congested, many flowered raceme far exceeds the leaf. The sepals are ovate and thick, the petals are transversely oblong and the lip is elliptical, subacute and shallow. Centrally it is thickened with a narrow longitudinal glenion and basally it is densely pubescent adjacent to the shaft of the column which is also densely, shortly pubescent." Luer 2009
Synonyms Stelis barbicollis Lindl. 1859; Stelis pilostylis Schltr. 1915; Stelis sodiroi Schltr. 1915
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
* Bonplandia (Hannover) 3: 241 Rchb.f 1855
Fol. Orchid. 8: 9 Lindley 1859 as S barbicola;
Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 14: 123 Schlechter 1915 as S pilostylis;
Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 14: 124 Schlechter 1915 as S sodiroi;
Orchids of Peru Vol 1 Schweinfurth 1958;
Orquideas de Bolivia Vol 1 Vasquez & Ibisch 2000;
Orchidaceae Stelis Swartz A Compendium Duque 2008 drawing good;
Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXX Lepanthes of Jamaica Stelis of Ecuador Part IV Luer 2009;
Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXX Lepanthes of Jamaica Stelis of Ecuador Part IV Luer 2009 drawing fide;
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