Lepanthes clarkii Luer 1996 SUBGENUS Lepanthes SECTION Lepanthes SUBSECTION Lepanthes SERIES Lepanthes
TYPE Drawing by © Carl Luer and The Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Jany Renz Herbaria Website
LATER
Common Name Clark's Lepanthes [American Discoverer of species current]
Flower Size .2" [5 mm]
Found in western Ecuador at elevations around 400 to 600 meters as a mini-miniature sized, hot to warm growing epiphyte with a slender, erect ramicaul enveloped by 6 to 7, long ciliate, lepanthiform sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, thinly coriaceous, ellipical-ovate, acute to slightly acuminate, cuneate below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the later spring on a slender, congested, 1.12" [2.8 cm] long, successively single, many flowered inflorescence arising on the back of the leaf and carrying echinate floral bracts.
Similar to L ilensis but L clarkii is distinguished by the small habit, long-ciliate sheaths of the ramicauls, elliptic-ovate leaves, a congested raceme shorter than the leaf, broad, acuminate sepals, oblong petals, and a small fleshy lip with the glabrous blades adherent over the column.
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; *Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XIV Systematics of Draconanthes, Lepanthes subgenus Marsipanthes and subgenus Lepanthes of Ecuador Luer 1996 drawing fide; Flora of Ecuador No 88 Lepanthes and affiliates Dodson & Luer 2011 drawing fide
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