Lepanthes gracillima Endres ex Luer 1995 SUBGENUS Lepanthes SECTION Lepanthes SUBSECTION Lepanthes SERIES Lepanthes

Plant and Flower

Photos by Bogarin and Epidendra Orchid Webpage

TYPE Drawing

TYPE Drawing by Luer and Epidendra Orchid Webpage

LATE EARLY

Common Name The Very Slender Lepanthes

Flower Size .4" [1 cm]

Found in Puntarenas province of Costa Rica in pastures at elevations of 1500 meters as a mini-miniature sized, cool growing epiphyte with slender, erect ramicauls enveloped by 2 to 4, thin, tubular, microscopically ciliate, lepanthiform sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, elliptical, margined, obtuse t orounded, cuneateto rounded and contracted below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the late winter through early spring on a filiform, congested, .4" [1 cm] long, successively few flowered inflorescence holding the flower near the tip to beyond the leaf.

Vegetatively one of the smallest Lepanthes of Central America and carrying a relatively large delicate flower near or just beyonf the apex of the distinctly margines, tiny leaf. The blades of the sepals are small but thel hairlike tails are 4 to 5 times longer. The upper lobes of the petals are obliwuely triangular qand the lower lobes are narrowly falcate.

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Lindleyana 10: 154 Luer 1995 drawing fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XVIII Luer 1999 Drawing fide; Manual de Plantas de Costa Rica Vol 3 Hammel, Grayum, Herrera and Zamora 2003; Vanishing Beauty; Native Costa Rican Orchids Vol 2 Lacaena to Pteroglossa Pupulin 2020 photo fide;

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