Lepanthes tridactyla Luer 2002 GENUS Lepanthes SUBGENUS Brachycladium SECTION Amplectentes Luer 1994

Drawing by Luer and The Epidendra Website

Common Name or Meaning The Three Fingered Lepanthes

Flower Size .15" [4 mm]

Found in Zamora-Chinchipe province of Ecuador at elevations around 2000 meters as a miniature sized, cold growing, epiphyte with pendent, long-repent rhizomes giving rise to abbreviated ramicauls concealed by a long-pubescent lepanthiform sheath and carrying a single, apical, descending, coriaceous, long-pubescent, elliptical, subacute apically, 3 veined, cuneate below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the spring on a slender, upcurved, .02" [.05 mm] long, single flowered inflorescence with a long-pubescent, just shorter than the ovary floral bract.

"Superficially similar to L platysepala becasue of the large, erect, obovate, obtuse, shallowly concave, striped dorsal sepal. The lateral sepals form a narrowly ovate, bifid synsepal. The perals are trifid with a lone middle segement at either side of the base. The oate-oblong lip protrudes beyond the column while the sides curve up on either side of the column." Luer 2002

Synonyms Brachycladium tridactylum (Luer) Luer 2005; Neooreophilus tridactylus (Luer) Archila 2009; Oreophilus tridactylus (Luer) Archila 2009; Penducella tridactyla (Luer) Luer 2010

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXIV A First Century of New Species of Stelis of Ecuador Part 1 Luer 2002 Drawing fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXVII Dryadella and Acronia section Macrophyllae-Fasiculatae Luer 2005 as Brachycladium tridactyla; Selbyana 29(2): 202-8. Archila 2009 as Oreophilus tridactyla; Orchid Digest 74(2): 69 Luer 2010 as Penducella tridactyla; Flora of Ecuador No 88 Lepanthes and affiliates Dodson & Luer 2011 as Penducella tridactyla drawing fide

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