Lepanthes gemina Luer & R.Escobar 1985 SUBGENUS Lepanthes SECTION Lepanthes SUBSECTION Lepanthes SERIES Lepanthes

Photo by © Jorge Mario Munera

TYPE Drawing

Drawing by © Carl Luer and The Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Jany Renz Herbaria Webpage

LATER EARLY

Common Name The Twin Lepanthes [refers to this species similarity to L steyermarkii]

Flower Size .4" [1 cm]

Found in Norte de Santander department of Colombia in cloud forests at elevations around 2150 meters as a miniature to small sized, cold growing epiphyte with slender, erect ramicauls enveloped by 9 to 15 ciliate lepanthiform sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, thinly coriaceous, reticulate veined beneath, elliptical-ovate, acut, acuminate, rounded and contracted below into the base leaf that blooms in the later spring and early summer on a filiform, congested, distichous, to 1.72 to 2.2" [4.3 to 5.5 cm] long including the .72 to 1.2" [1.8 to 3 cm] long peduncle, successively many flowered inflorescence arising on the back of the leaf.

Similar to L steyermarkii but differs in the reticulate veins on the underside of the leaf, the falcate rather than oblong lower lobes of the petals, and the concave blades of the lip which lack the longitudinal carinae and are bourne by short rather than elongated connectives.

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * AOS Bulletin 54[3]: 314-316 Luer & Escobar 1985 drawing/photo fide fide; Native Colombian Orchids Vol 2 COS 1991 photo fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXXII Luer 2012 drawing fide; Orchids A Colombian Treasure Vol 3 Ortiz & Uribe 2019 drawing/photo fide;

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