Lepanthes obesa [S.V.Uribe & Karremans] in ed. SUBGENUS Brachycladium SECTION Brachycladae

LCDP Photo by © Sebastian Viera Uribe

Common Name The Fat Lepanthes [refers to the column width]

Flower Size .08" [2 mm]

Found in Putumayo department of Colombia in very wet cloud forests at elevations around 2300 to 2500 meters as a small sized, cold growing, repent and pendent epiphyte with .18 to .2" [4.5 to 5 mm] between each ramicaul, the segment enclosed by 2 imbricating, membraneous, infundibular, glanduar along the ribs sheaths and giving rise to distichous, short ramocauls enveloped by a single, membraneous, infundibular, glandular along the ribs sheath with a dilated ostia anca carrying a single, green to brownish red, thinly coriaceous, broadly elliptic, obtuse, glabrous, slightly concave, margin revolute, retuse with a short, abaxial apiculaum in the sinus, the rounded base narrowing below into the short, petiolate base leaf that presumably blooms at most any time of the year on up to 5, successively arisng from near the base of the ramicaul, peduncle, short to .028" [.7 mm], enveloped by a glabrous, infundibular sheath, congested, successively single to 5 flowered inflorescence with tubular, oblique, acuminate, membraneous, half as long as the pedicel, and carrying flowers that rest on top of the leaf close to the middle.

"Similar to the variable L nummularia from which it can be separated by the overlapping, broadly-elliptic, up to .3" [7.5 mm] wide, leaves (vs. not overlapping, ovate, .2" [5.0 mm] wide), the broadly ovate and obtuse sepals (vs. oblong and acute), and the lateral lobes of the lip triangular with a linear-ligulate midlobe (vs. lateral lobes semilunate and midlobe triangular). From Luer’s very broad concept of A. nummularia (Luer 1994) the new species can be especially distinguished by the broad, orbicular, cucullate column with the incumbent anther (vs. clavate column, anther apical) and the linear-ligulate midlobe of the lip (vs. triangular)." Viera & Karremans 2017

Synonyms *Andinia obesa S.V.Uribe & Karremans 2017

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * LANKESTERIANA 17(2): 311–314. Viera Uribe and Karremans 2017 drawing/photo fide; Pleurothallids Neotropical Jewels Vol 1 Karremans & Viera 2020 photo fide

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------