Lepanthes ariasiana Luer & L.Jost 1998 GENUS Lepanthes SUBGENUS Brachycladium SECTION Amplectentes Luer 1994

TYPE Drawing by Luer

Common Name or Meaning Arias' Lepanthes [Ecuadorian local Collector and founder of Llanganetes foundation late 1900's early 2000's]

Flower Size .08" [2mm]

Found in Tungurahua province of Ecuador at elevations around 1800 to 1900 meters as a mini-miniature sized, cool growing epiphyte with a long-repent, scandent, branched, each to 3.2" [8 cm] or longer, rhizome carrying ramicauls enveloped by 2, long-ciliate, imbricating, lepanthiform sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, elliptical, obtuse to rounded apically, glabrous, contracted below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the spring on an ascending, .02" [.5 mm] long, successively single 2 flowered inflorescence with infundibular, shorter than the pedicel floral bract.

" One of the smallest of the subgenus and distinguished by the small habit with elliptical, glabrous leaves, an extremely short peduncle bearing the tiny reddish flower from a short pedicel below the tip of the l\eaf, triangular lateral sepals diverging 180 egrees, transversely oblong, long-ciliate petals and a protuberant, oblong, long-ciliate lip with basal lobes surrounding the column." Luer 1998

Synonyms Andinia ariasiana (Luer & L.Jost) Karremans & S.V.Uribe 2017; Brachycladium ariasianum (Luer & L.Jost) Luer 2005; Oreophilus ariasianus (Luer & L.Jost) Archila 2009; Neooreophilus ariasianus (Luer & L.Jost) Archila 2009; Penducella ariasiana (Luer & L.Jost) Luer 2010

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XVII Systematics of Pleurothallis Section Abortivae, Truncatae, Subsection Acroniae, Subgenera Dracontia and Uncifera Luer 1998 drawing fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXVII Dryadella and Acronia section Macrophyllae-Fasiculatae Luer 2005 as Brachycladium ariasiana; Orchid Digest Vol 74 #2 2010 as Penducella ariasiana; Flora of Ecuador No 88 Lepanthes and affiliates Dodson & Luer 2011 as Penducella ariasiana drawing fide

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