Lepanthopsis apoda (Garay & Dunst.) Luer 1982 SUBGENUS Microlepanthes

Photo by © Ecuagenera and Their Ecuadorian Orchid Website

Drawing

Drawing by Carl Luer ©

to

Common Name The Footless Lepanthopsis [refers to the lack of a column foot]

Flower Size .2" [5 mm]

Found in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru at elevations of 1400 to 3300 meters as as mini-miniature sized, cool to cold growing epiphyte with erect to suberect, slender ramicauls enveloped by 4 to 5, close fitting, minutely scabrous-apiculate, ribbed, lepanthiform sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, more or less suffused with purple on veins and margins, narrowly elliptical, acute, narrowly cuneate below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the winter and spring on a very short, single, successive flowered inflorescence arising from near the apex of the ramicaul.

"Placing this species in a genera has been problematic. The single flowered inflorescence is an exception in any of the three lepanthiform genera. The morphology of the petals, lip and column eliminate Lepanthes as an option. The lip is rounded with large basal lobes that surround the column and the base is inflexibly attached to the base of the column. The column is short, cylindrical and footless with an apical anther and rostellum in an apical, entire stigma. These characters seem to associate this species best with those brought together in subgenus Microlepanthes of Lepanthopsis. However it is difficult to disqualify Trichosalpinx altogether because a short, cylindrical and footless column is also found in a few, aberrant species trated in subgenus Pseudolepanthes of Trichosalpinx. The latter species have a hinged lip with an assortment of calli on the lip." Luer 1991

Synonyms Expedicula apoda (Garay & Dunst.) Luer 2005; *Pleurothallis apoda Garay & Dunst. 1965; Trichosalpinx apoda (Garay & Dunst.) Luer 1983

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

*Selbyana 7: 100 Luer 1982; Venezuelan Orchids Illustrated Vol 3 Dunsterville & Garay 1966 as Pleurothallis apoda drawing fide; Flora de Venezuela Volumen 15 Parte 2 Foldats 1970 as Pleurothallis apoda drawing fide; Orchids of Venezuela, An Illustrated Field Guide Vol 3 Dunsterville & Garay 1979 as Pleurothallis apoda drawing fide; Orquideologia Vol 16 No 1 1983; Icones Pleurothallidinarum VIII Systematics of Lepanthopsis, Octomeria subgenus Pleurothallopsis, Restrepiella, Salpistele and Teagueia Luer 1991 drawing/photo fide; Orchids of Venezuela [An illustrated field guide] Vol. 1 Ramiro and Carnevali 2000 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum Peruviarum Plate 677 Bennett & Christenson 2001 drawing not = L trulliformis; Orquideas Nativas del Tachira Cesar Fernandez 2003 photo okish; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXVII Dryadella and Acronia section Macrophyllae-Fasiculatae Luer 2005 as Expedicula apoda; Orchid Species Of Peru Zelenko & Bermudez 2009 photo fide as Trichosalpinx apoda; Flora of Ecuador No 88 Lepanthes and affiliates Dodson & Luer 2011 drawing/photo fide;Orchids, A Colombian Treasure Vol 3 Ortiz & Uribe 2019 photo fide;

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