Lepanthes nontecta Luer 1983 SUBGENUS Lepanthes SECTION Lepanthes SUBSECTION Lepanthes SERIES Lepanthes
Photo by © Kevin Holcomb
TYPE Drawing by © Carl Luer and The Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Jany Renz Herbaria Website
LATE 
EARLY
Common Name The Uncovered Lepanthes [refers to the blades of the lip]
Flower Size .2" [5 mm]
Found in Napo province of Ecuador at elevations around 450 to 600 meters as a mini-miniature sized, hot to warm growing epiphyte with a slender, erect ramicaul enveloped by 5 to 6, microscopically ciliate lepanthiform sheaths carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, purple beneath, ovate, subacute to obtuse, broadly cuneate and contracted below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the late summer to earsly fall on a filiform, subdense, .44" [1.1 cm] long, successively few flowered inflorescence arising on the back of the leaf.
"Closely related to L heliocephala but L nontecta is distinguised by the smaller habit with an ovate leaf, broadly ovate, obtuse sepals with the laterals not in apposition, transverse, subtruncate petals and a similar lip with blades develped only on the lower two thirds, the exposed, acute, apical third extending beyond the anther." Luer 1996
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Phytologia 54: 356 Luer 1983 Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XIV Systematics of Draconanthes, Lepanthes subgenus Marsipanthes and subgenus Lepanthes of Ecuador Luer 1996 drawing fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XV Systematics of Trichosalpinx Luer 1997; Flora of Ecuador No 88 Lepanthes and affiliates Dodson & Luer 2011 drawing fide
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