Scaphosepalum beluosum Luer 1979 SECTION Leiocaulium Luer 1988
Photo by © Eric Hunt
Photo courtesy of Andy's Orchids Copyright © 2002 All rights reserved.
Photo by Patricia Harding
TYPE Drawing by Carl Luer
EARLY
Common Name The Monsterous Flower Scaphosepalum
Flower Size 1/2" [1.25 cm]
Found in Ecuador on the western slopes of the Andes at elevations af 1500 to 2200 meters in cloud forests as a small sized, robust, cool to cold growing epiphyte with erect, slender ramicauls enveloped by 2 to 3 loose, tubular sheaths with a single, apical, erect, thinly coriaceous, long-petiolate, elliptical, subacute leaf that is cuneate below to the slender channeled petiole that blooms in the fall through early spring on a loose, distichous, 2 to 6" [5 to 15 cm] long, successively several to many flowered, racemose inflorescence holding the flowers beneath the leaf and with 2 simultaneous opening flowers at a time.
"Characterized by the long, slender petioles bearing large, broad but thin elliptical blades and a suberect to horizontal peduncle usually bearing 2 relatively large, beastlike, simultaneous flowers. The light yellowish brown flowers with purple brown spots are provided wit erose carinae and short tails." Luer 1988
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Selbyana 5: 188 Luer 1979 ; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol V Systematics of Dresslerella and Scaphosepalum Luer 1988 drawing fide; Orchids Travel By Air A Pictoral Safari Mulder, Mulder-Roelfsema and Schuiteman 1990 photo fide; Native Ecuadorian Orchids Vol 5 Dodson 2004 photo fide; AOS Bulletin Vol 80 #9 2011 photo fide; LANKESTERIANA 17(2): 305-310 Baquero 2017 photo fide
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
