Lepanthes catella Luer & R.Escobar 1983 GENUS Lepanthes SUBGENUS Brachycladium SECTION Amplectentes Luer 1994
Photo by © Sebastian Viera-Uribe and his Facebook Page
TYPE Drawing by © Carl Luer
Common Name or Meaning Little Chain Lepanthes [An allusion to the pendent plant habit]
Flower Size .2" [5 mm]
Found in Boyaca department of Colombia at elevations around 2500 meters as a small sized, cold growing epiphyte with a series of prolific, repent ramicauls enveloped by long hispid, lepanthiform sheaths and carrying a single apical, prostrate, coriaceous, elliptical, shortly cilate margin, rounded into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the spring on a .08" [2 mm] long, single flowered inflorescence with a hispid floral bract.
This species is known only from the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia where it occurs with other members of the subgenus ( L. nummularia, L. pendens and L. pilosella). Vegetatively, it is distinguished by the ciliate leaves; a successive, few- flowered raceme, broad, apiculate, ciliate sepals; small, ovate, pubescent petals less than .04" [one millimeter] long; and a minutely pubescent, subcordate lip with basal lobes that surround the column." Luer 1994
Synonyms Andinia catella (Luer & R.Escobar) Karremans & S.V.Uribe 2017; Brachycladium catellum (Luer & R.Escobar) Luer 2005; Neooreophilus catellus (Luer & R.Escobar) Archila 2009; Oreophilus catellus (Luer & R.Escobar) Archila 2009; Penducella catella (Luer & R.Escobar) Luer 2010
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Orquideología 16(1): 10 Luer & R.Escobar 1983 drawing fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum XI Systematics of Lepanthes Subgenus Brachycladium and Pleurothallis subgenus Aenigma, Elongatia and Kraenzlingella Luer 1994 drawing fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXVII Dryadella and Acronia section Macrophyllae-Fasiculatae Luer 2005 as Brachycladium cattelum; Selbyana 29(2): 203.Archila 2009 as Oreophilus cattellus; Orchid Digest 74(2): 69. Luer 2010 as Penducella cattlea; Pleurothallids Neotropical Jewels Vol 1 Karremans & Viera 2020 as Andinia catella photo fide
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