Lepanthes similis Luer 1996 SUBGENUS Lepanthes SECTION Lepanthes SUBSECTION Lepanthes SERIES Lepanthes

TYPE Drawing by © Carl Luer and the Epidendra Orchid Website

Common Name The Similar To Lepanthes [refers to its similarity to several other species]

Flower Size .12" [3 mm]

Found in Costa Rica at elevations of 2700 to 2800 meters as a miniature sized, cold growing epiphyte with erect, slender ramicauls enveloped by 7 to 11, glabrous to microscopically ciliate, light brown, lepanthiform sheaths with oblique, acuminate ostia and carrying a single, thinly coriaceous, erect, ovate, acute, slightly acuminate, cuneate and contracted below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms late winter and early spring on a slender, borne behind the leaf, peduncle .4 to .6" [1 to 1.5 cm] long, rachis congested, distichous, .32" [8 mm] long, successively single, many flowered inflorescence with muriculate, shorter than the pedicel floral bracts

Part of the L disicha complex which includes L olmosii, L parvilabia, L poasensis and L casasae but differs in the light colored, obliquely acuminate sheaths of the ramicaul

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Lindleyana 11: 64. Luer 1996 drawing fide; 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 Pg 449 Pupulin 2020 photo/drawing fide;

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------