Lepanthes paradoxa Luer 1983 SECTION Lepanthes SUBSECTION Lepanthes SERIES Elongatae 1993
Photos by © Andreas Kay and his Flickr Orchid Photo Website
TYPE Drawing by © Carl Luer and The Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Jany Renz Herbaria Website
Common Name The Paradox Lepanthes [refers to the inflorescence and flowers huge for the size of the plant]
Flower Size .2" [5 mm]
Found in Napo province of Ecuador in cloud forests at elevations of 1850 to 2000 meters as a mini-miniature sized, cool to cold growing epiphyte with a slender, erect ramicaul enveloped by 2 to 3, microscopically scabrous lepanthiform sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, elliptical, obtuse, cuneate below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the fall on a slender, loose, flexuous, 2" [5 cm] long, successively 3 to 4 at once, 10 flowered inflorescence.
"Identified by the minute habit with flexuous racemes far surpassing the leaves. The sepals are ovate and shortly caudate and the blades of the lip are developed only below the middle similar to those of L nontecta." Luer 1996
Similar to L caudata, L floresii, L jimburae, L synema, and L vermicularis.
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Phytologia 54: 361 Luer 1983; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XIV Systematics of Draconanthes, Lepanthes subgenus Marsipanthes and subgenus Lepanthes of Ecuador Luer 1996 drawing fide; Flora of Ecuador No 88 Lepanthes and affiliates Dodson & Luer 2011 drawing fide
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