Lepanthes pulcherrima Endrés ex Bogarín & Pupulin 2010 SECTION Lepanthes SUBSECTION Lepanthes SERIES Elongatae 1993
Photo by © Daniel Jimenenz
TYPE Drawing by © Diego Bogarin and Illustrations and Studies in Neotropical Orchidaceae—The Lepanthes jimenezii Group (Pleurothallidinae) - The Researchgate Webpage
Common Name The Very Beautiful Lepanthes
Flower Size .16" [4 mm]
Found in Costa Rica at elevations around 1300 meters as a mini-miniature sized, warm to cool growing epiphyte with erect, slender ramicauls enveloped by 3 to 5, hirsute lepanthiform sheaths with ciliate, obliquely dilated ostia and carrying a single, apical, erect to suberect, coriaceous, elliptic to orbicular, somewhat lenticulate, conduplicate, obtuse, retuse, rounded below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the winter on a distichous, pubescent, 1.8" [4.5 cm] long, successively flowered inflorescence held above the leaf with ciliate, spiculate floral bracts.
"This species is distinguished from its closest relatives, L. caroli-lueri and L. jimenezii, by the pubescent rachis, the lateral sepals yellow, connate less than 1 mm, and the dorsal sepal yellow, with a small reddish spot at the base. The petals are glabrous, with the upper lobe ovate and the lower lobe linear; they are orange, with the base pink, surrounded with a scarletred stripe. The connectives embrace the column but the lip blades do not hide it, while in L. caroli-lueri and L. jimenezii they completely cover the column (see key below).
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Harvard Pap. Bot. 15(1): 118–121, f. 5A-E, 6, 7. Illustrations and Studies in Neotropical Orchidaceae—The Lepanthes jimenezii Group (Pleurothallidinae) Bogarin & Pupulin 2010 drawing fide; Vanishing Beauty, Native Costa Rican Orchids Vol 2 Lacaena to Pteroglossa Pupulin 2020 photo fide
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