Lepanthes calochroma Thoerle & Hirtz 2015 SECTION Lepanthes SUBSECTION Lepanthes SERIES Elongatae 1993
Leaf and Flower Photos by © Alexander Hirtz
TYPE Drawing by © Lisa Thoerle and Phytotaxa 201 (1) 51 © Thoerle & Hirtz 2015
LATER
Common Name The Beautifully Colored Lepanthes
Flower Size .12" [3 mm]
Found in Ecuador without locational or elevational data as a mini-miniature sized, caespitose epiphyte with stout, suberect to erect ramicauls enveloped by 6 to 7, minutely ciliate-spiculate lepanthiform sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect to nearly horizontal, thinly coriaceous, elliptical, shortly acuminate, triapiculate, rounded and contracted below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the later spring on a a more or less horizontal, borne behind the leaf, filiform peduncle .16 to .6" [4 to 15 mm] long, rachis to 1.8 to 2.24" [4.5 to 5.6 cm] long, loose, flexuous, gradually lengthening, successively single, to 8 flowered inflorescence with acuminate, longer than the epdicel floral bracts.
"The robust ramicauls of Lepanthes calochroma, clad in lepanthiform sheaths with dilated, shortly ciliate-spiculate ostia, support elliptical leaves with a short, acuminate apex. The .4" [1 cm] long flowers are borne by a lengthening, loose raceme, with about .2" [5 mm] between floral bracts. The usually horizontal flower is held close to the rachis. The ovate sepals have decoratively denticulate margins forming a narrow border of yellow-green surrounding the dull pink blades. The central area of the brilliantly colored petals flanking the deep red blades of the lip is bright yellow, with the apices of both lobes bright red. This species resembles the tiny Ecuadorian Lepanthes golbasto with the elongate raceme of both species bearing similarly sized and shaped flowers with pink sepals and bicolored petals overlapping above the column. Lepanthes calochroma is distinguished by the larger plant, which can reach a height of at least 1.6" [4 cm] rather than 1" [2.5 cm]; flowers with more brilliantly colored petals with the upper lobe longer than the lower lobe, rather than subequal in length; and a lip with blades broadly ovate rather than ovate, and with a narrow, recurved, descending appendix, rather than a thick, uncinate, incurved appendix. The Colombian L. imposita, has similarly shaped petals surrounding a lip with somewhat similar blades, but is readily distinguished by a flower nearly twice as large, with a natural height of .68" [17 mm], and a more uniform palette of purple and red." Thoerle & Hirtz 2015
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Phytotaxa 201 (1) 52© Luer & Thoerle 2015 Drawing/photo fide;
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
