Lepanthes via-incarum Luer & Hirtz 1987 SUBGENUS Lepanthes SECTION Lepanthes SUBSECTION Lepanthes SERIES Lepanthes

TYPE Drawing by © Carl Luer and The Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Jany Renz Herbaria Website

Common Name The Inca Trail Lepanthes [refers to it's being found on the ancient stone road where the species was discovered]

Flower Size .2" [5 mm]

Found in Ecuador at elevations around 2450 to 3100 meters as a miniature sized, cold growing epiphyte with an erect, slender ramicaul enveloped by 7 to 9, pale brown, minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, elliptical, subacute to shortly acuminate, rounded to broadly cuneate and contracted below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the summer on a filiform, congested, disitchous, .88" [2.2 cm] long, successively several flowered inflorescence arising on the top of the leaf.

This species is not remarkably distinct form others but can be distinguished by the smooth yellow flower with purple bordered petals, the lip blades are rounded and have ciliate apices and most distinct is the minute, bilobulate appendix.

"Distinguished by the average habit and the smooth, yellow flower of average size with purple bordered petals is not unusual. The blades of the lip are oblong, withthe rounded apices ciliate but the most distinct feature is the minute, bilobulate appendix." Luer

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Lindleyana 2: 151 Luer & Hirtz 1987 Drawing fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XIV Systematics of Draconanthes, Lepanthes subgenus Marsipanthes and subgenus Lepanthes of Ecuador Luer 1996 drawing fide; Flora of Ecuador No 88 Lepanthes and affiliates Dodson & Luer 2011 drawing fide

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