Lepanthes ova-rajae Luer 1987 SUBGENUS Lepanthes SECTION Lepanthes SUBSECTION Lepanthes SERIES Lepanthes
Photos by Bruno Larsen and his Flickr Orchid Photo Website
TYPE Drawing by Carl Luer and Lindleyana 2: 207 Luer 1987
Common Name or Meaning The Skate Egg Lepanthes [refers to the petals resembling an egg case of a marine skate]
Flower Size .12" [3 mm]
Found in Costa Rica at elevations around 1300 meters as a mini-miniature sized, cool growing epiphyte with erect to suberect ramicauls with microscopically asperous lepanthiform sheaths carrying a single, erect, elliptic, thinly coriaceous, subacute to obtuse, prominently reticulate leaf that blooms in the fall on a congested, peduncle, .12 to .24" [3 to 6 mm] long, secund, longer than the leaf, to 1" [2.5 cm] long overall, successively single, few flowered inflorescence
Characterized by the small, remarkably reticulate leaves very similar to those of L posthon with which it grows in nature. The bifurcateed petals of both species are similar but L ova-rajae differs in the broader sepals, broader and longer bilamilate lip that resembles the egg sack of a ray and much broader column that apically flares.
L ova-rajae Luer resembles the Ecuadorian species, Lepanthes equus-frisiae, Lepanthes pelorostele , L scrotifera and L rigidigitata, the Colombian species L abortiva, L eros, L isoceles, L vargasii, L micellilabia and the Costa Rican , L spadariae Lepanthes posthon and L vestgialis.
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Lindleyana 2: 207 Luer 1987; 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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