Lepanthes leimebambana B.T.Larsen, Salas Guerr. & Dignum 2018
TYPE photo by M. Salas Guerrero/TYPE Drawing by © Bruno Larsen and Phytotaxa 373: 291 Larsen, Guerrero and Dignum 2018
Common Name Dignum's Lepanthes [Dutch Ecologist and Co-collector of the new species]
Flower Size .28" [7 mm]
Found in Amazonas department of Peru in humid montane forest at elevations around 2800 meters as as a mini-miniature sized, cold growing, caespitose epiphyte with slender erect ramicauls enveloped by 3 to 7, micsroscopically scabrous lepanthiform sheaths with dilated, minutely ciliate ostia and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, ovate, obtuse, cuneate below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the fall on a ascending, peduncle .8" [2 cm] long, rachis 1.2" [3 cm] long, progressively lengthening, distichous, flexuous, successively single, many flowered inflorescence with much shorter than the the pedicel floral bracts.
"Lepanthes leimebambana and L. dignumii are unique in column structure, with a similar but unique column structure for the genus in which the exposed dorsum of the column is enlarged into a large, glabrous, convex, acutely angled helm-like apex that forces the blades of the lip to bend outwards at the end of the connectives. Our initial thought was that this large, oval-shaped structure might be only the anther cap covering the clinandrium, but fruitless attempts were made to lift it up to expose the pollinia. L leimebambana is characterised by the slender ramicauls (to 1.6" [4 cm] long), elliptical leaves, .8 to 1.2" [2 to 3 cm] long and a progressively lengthening, successively flowered, flexuous, distichous raceme. The sepals are ovate, longacuminate with the margins and the carinate veins denticulate. The petals are transversely bilobed, with unequal lobes. Although L. leimebambana is distinct, it is morphologically similar to L. dignumii. In both species the lip is bilaminate with the lobes poorly developed into blades but with rounded, long ciliate apices in L. leimebambana vs. truncate and long ciliate in L. dignumii. The appendix of the lip is in both species narrowly linear. The dorsal part of the column of L. leimebambana has an ovate, glabrous conspicuous helm-like apex vs. obovate in L. dignumii." B T Larsen and Salas Guerrero 2018
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
*Phytotaxa 373: 291 Larsen --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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