Lepanthopsis pristis Luer & R. Escobar 1986 SUBGENUS Lepanthopsis SECTION Lepanthopsis
Photo by © Lourens Grobler
TYPE Drawing by © Carl Luer
EARLY 
Common Name The Sawfish Lepanthopsis [refers to the appearance of the inflorescence]
Flower Size 1/16" [3 mm]
Found in Antioquia department of Colombia at elevations around 1650 meters as a miniature sized, cool growing epiphyte with erect, slender ramicauls enveloped basally by 6 to 9 lepanthiform sheaths with microscopically scabrous ribs and coarsly siliate ostia margins and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, elliptical, acute, cuneate below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the spring and early summer on a dense, simultaneoulsy opening many flowered, 2 to 3.2" [5 to 8 cm] long including the 1.2 to 2" [3 to 5 cm] long peduncle, racemose inflorescence arising from the apex of the ramicaul and holding the flowers in two opposing ranks.
"This species may be distinguished from others in the genus by the white flowers, oblong lateral sepals free except at the base, and orbicular petals and lip. Vegetatively the plant is not remarkable. The raceme presents as two, opposite-facing rows of very close, evenly spaced, white flowers." Luer & Escobar 1986
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Orquiedeologia Vol 16 #3 1986 drawing fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum VIII Systematics of Lepanthospsis, Octomeria subgenus Pleurothallopsis, Restrepiella, Salpistele and Teagueia Luer 1991 drawing/photo fide; Orchid Digest Vol 66 #2 2002 photo fide; Orchids, A Colombian Treasure Vol 3 Ortiz & Uribe 2019 photo hmm;
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