Lepanthes platysepala Luer & R.Escobar 1994 GENUS Lepanthes SUBGENUS Brachycladium SECTION Amplectentes Luer 1994
Photo by © Pieter C. Brouwer and his Nature Photo Website
Photo by © Lourens Grobler
TYPE Drawing by Luer
to 
Common Name Broad Sepal Lepanthes
Flower Size .4" [1mm]
Found in Antioquia department of Colombia at elevations of 1900 to 2400 meters as a medium sized [in length], cool to cold growing epiphyte with a very short ramicaul enveloped by 2 ciliate, imbricating, lepanthiform sheaths and carrying a single, apical, pendant, coriaceous, pubescent, elliptical, subacute to obtuse, 3 veined leaf that blooms in the spring on an ascending, congested, successively few flowered inflorescence arising from near the apex of the ramicaul with a ciliate floral bract.
Very similar to the widespread L pilosella, but L platysepala is readily recognized by the usually spotted, erect, obovate dorsal sepal that is only shallowly concave or sometimes nearly flat. Usually five veins are present, but often there is a vestigial pair of veins between well developed veins, so that five or seven veins can occur intermixed. Instead of being held within a deeply concave, striped dorsal sepal as in L. pilosella, the petals, lip and column are more or less exposed.
Synonyms Andinia platysepala (Luer & R.Escobar) Karremans & S.V.Uribe 2017; Brachycladium platysepalum (Luer & R.Escobar) Luer 2005; Neooreophilus platysepalus (Luer & R.Escobar) Archila 2009; Oreophilus platysepalus (Luer & R.Escobar) Archila 2009; Penducella platysepala (Luer & R.Escobar) Luer 2010
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XI Luer 1994 drawing fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXVII Dryadella and Acronia section Macrophyllae-Fasiculatae Luer 2005 as Brachycladium platysepalum; Selbyana 29(2): 202-8. Archila 2009 as Oreophilus platysepalus; Orchid Digest 74(2): 69. Luer 2010 as Penducella platysepala; Pleurothallids Neotropical Jewels Vol 1 Karremans & Viera 2020 as Andinia platysepala photo fide; Orquideas de Farallones de Cali Galindo-Tarazona, Haelterman, Zuluaga Trochez and Sebastian Moreno 2020 as Andinia platysepala photo fide
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