IOSPE PHOTOS

Lepanthes singularis Luer & Hirtz 2009 SUBGENUS Lepanthes SECTION Lepanthes SUBSECTION Lepanthes SERIES Lepanthes

TYPE Drawing by © Carl Luer and Selbyana 30: 14 Luer & Escobar 2009

Full Shade Cold LATE Summer EARLY Fall

Common Name The Unique Lepanthes [refers to the lip and appendix shape]

Flower Size .2" [5 mm]

Found in Morona-Santiago province of Ecuador at elevations around 2300 meters as a small to medium sized, cold growing, caespitose epiphyte with erect, stout ramicauls enveloped by ca. 14, minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths and carrying a single, apical, thinly coriaceous, erect, ovate, acute, acuminate, contracted below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the late summer and early fall on an erect, arising on the back of the leaf, peduncle filiform, 2" [5 cm] long, rachis .4" [1 cm] long, congested, distichous, successively single, many flowered inflorescence with longer than the pedicel floral bracts.

"This large species superficially resembles Lepanthes stupenda, but differs markedly in the morphology of the lip. Both species are large with a congested raceme borne behind the leaf. The dorsal sepal of both species is triangular, acute, and about .6" [1.5 cm] long. The lateral sepals of both species are broad and abruptly acuminate into slender tails about .16" [4 mm] long. Here similarities cease. A rounded callus is present on each lateral sepal of L. singularis near the base medially. An oblong callus overlies the midvein of the petals with an oblong upper lobe and a short, uncinate lower lobe. The blades of lip are supported by .04" [1 mm] long connectives at the apex with a protruding boat-shaped appendix that lies beneath and against the stigma of the column." Luer & Hirtz 2009

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Selbyana 30: 14 Luer & Escobar 2009 Drawing fide;

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

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