Lepanthopsis micheliae Dod 1984 SUBGENUS Lepanthopsis SECTION Fractipectin Luer 1991

TYPE Drawing by © Donald Dod

Common Name Michele's Lepanthopsis [Haitian orchid enthusiast and conservationist current]

Flower Size .16" [4 mm]

Found in Haiti on the Massif de Hotte at elevations of 950 to 1150 meters as a mini-miniature to miniature sized, warm to cool growing, caespitose epiphyte with erect, slender ramicauls enveloped by 7 to 10 lepanthiform sheaths with dilated, ciliate ostia and carrying a single, apical, erect, margins minutely denticulate, elliptical, subacute to obtuse, cuneate below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the winter and spring and on an erect, capillary, .4 to .6" [1 to 1.5 cm] long peduncle, from near the apex of the ramicaul, rachis to 1.4" [to 3.5 cm] long, loose, distichous, lightly flexuous, simultaneously few flowered inflorescence with shorter than the ovary floral bracts and carrying purple flowers.

"This species is one of the more distinctive species of the genus found on the island of Hispanola. It is readily identified by the large size, with ramicauls up to 4" [10 cm] long, a loose few flowered inflorescence with the sepals having long-pubescent apices and an obtusely cordate lip with grooved margins. Occasional plants with totally hairless sepals and petals occur." Luer 2000

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Moscosoa 3: 119 Dod 1984 drawing fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum VIII Systematics of Lepanthopsis, Octomeria subgenus Pleurothallopsis, Restrepiella, Salpistele and Teagueia Luer 1991 drawing/photo fide;

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