Lepanthes vieirae Luer & R.Escobar1988 SUBGENUS Lepanthes SECTION Lepanthes SUBSECTION Breves Luer 1986 SERIES Breves Luer 1996

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

LATER EARLY

Common Name Vieira’s Lepanthes [Colombian Orchid Enthusiast and discoverer of species]

Flower Size .12" [3 mm]

Found in Choco’ department of Colombia in lowland forests at elevations around 200 meters as a mini-miniature sized, hot growing epiphyte with slender, erect ramicauls enveloped completely by 4 to 5, scabrous lepanthiform sheaths with shortly ciliate margined ostia and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, ovate, acute, broadly cuneate and contracted below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the later spring and early summer on a, filiform, congested, distichous, .32” [8 mm] long including the .12” [3 mm] peduncle, successively single, few flowered inflorescence arising on the back of the leaf with scabrous floral bracts.

One of only a few Lepanthes from the hot lowlands of western, coastal South America and is recognized for its small size, ciliate sepals, one veined laterals, long pointed pubescent petals and ovate, pubescent blades of the lip with a pedunculated, pubescent appendix. Could be confused with the higher elevation L pinnatula but it has shortly acuminate apices to the sepals and a lip with decurved bases.

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; *Orquideologia Vol 17 #3 1988 drawing/photo fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXXII Luer 2012 drawing fide; Orchids A Colombian Treasure Vol 3 Ortiz & Uribe 2019 drawing/photo fide;

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