Lepanthes laxa Luer & J.Portilla 2002 SECTION Lepanthes SUBSECTION Lepanthes SERIES Elongatae 1993
Photo by © Patrick & Martine Cloes and their Pleurothallid Webpage
TYPE Drawing by Carl Luer
Common Name The Lax Lepanthes [refers to the infloresscence]
Flower Size .2" [5mm]
Found in Zamora-Chinchipe province of Ecuador and Hunauco department of Peru at unknown elevations as a mini-miniature sized, cold growing, caespitose epiphyte with slender, erect ramicauls enveloped by 6 to 7, close, ciliate, lepanthiform sheaths and carrying apical, erect, coriaceous, elliptical-obovate, obtuse to rounded, cuneate below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the spring on an arching, suberect, filiform, flexuous, loose, 2.8" [7 cm] long, successively several flowered inflorescence with shorter than the pedicel floral bracts.
"Similar to L elegantula characterized by the relatively large flowers that are borne in a long, flexuous, distantly flowered raceme. The sepals are concave below the middle to forma shallow cup. The apex of the dorsal sepal is acuminate into an acute tip, while the lateral sepals are somewhat similar to those of L nycteris and relatives. The lobes of the petals and lip are oblong." Luer 2002
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXIV A First Century of New Species of Stelis of Ecuador Part 1 Luer 2002 Drawing fide; Flora of Ecuador No 88 Lepanthes and affiliates Dodson & Luer 2011 drawing fide
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