Lepanthes irrasa Luer & R.Escobar 1994 GENUS Lepanthes SUBGENUS Brachycladium SECTION Amplectentes Luer 1994
Photos by © Sebastian Viera Uribe
TYPE Drawing by Carl Luer
Common Name or Meaning The Unshaven Lepanthes
Flower Size .2" [5 mm]
Found in Norte de Santander department of Colombia in cloud forests at elevations around 2150 meters as a mini-miniature sized, cold growing epiphyte with pendant, long repent, occasionally branching rhizomes giving rise to abbreviated ramicauls concealed by a long-ciliate lepanthiform sheath and carrying a single, apical, descending, coriaceous, shortly ciliate, broadly elliptical to suborbicular, obtuse to rounded apically, rounded and contracted below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the spring on a upcurved, slender, .12" [3mm] long, single sometimes followed by a second flowered inflorescence with a ciliate floral bract.
"Most similar to L micropetala but distinguished by the smaller leaves, and pubescent petals sepals and lip. The lip is suborbicular with obtuse, basal lobes that surround the column like a collar. It was found growing On small trees and intermixed L destituta and L. micropetala.
Synonyms Andinia irrasa (Luer & R.Escobar) Karremans & S.V.Uribe 2017; Brachycladium irrasum (Luer & R.Escobar) Luer 2005; Neooreophilus irrasus (Luer & R.Escobar) Archila 2009; Oreophilus irrasus (Luer & R.Escobar) Archila 2009; Penducella irrasa (Luer & R.Escobar) Luer 2010
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * 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 irrasum; Selbyana 29(2): 203 Archila 2009 as Oreophilis irrasa; Orchid Digest 74(2): 69 Luer 2010 as Penducella irrasa; Pleurothallids Neotropical Jewels Vol 1 Karremans & Viera 2020 as Andinia irrasa photo fide
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