Scaphosepalum ursinum Luer 1979 SECTION Leiocaulium Luer 1988
Photos by © Lourens Grobler
TYPE Drawing by Carl Luer
Common Name The Bear Scaphosepalum [refers to the flowers shape and hairiness]
Flower Size1 1/5" [3 cm]
Found in Carchi province of Ecuador in cloud forests at elevations around 2500 meters as a small sized, cold growing epiphyte with erect, stout ramicauls enveloped basally by 2 to 3 loose tubular sheaths carrying a single, apical, suberect, coriaceous, fleshy, dark purplish green, narrowly obovate, subacute leaf that is gradually narrowed into the channeled petiole and blooms on a slender, smooth, ascending to horizontal, loose, ditichous, successively several flowered, 4" [to 10 cm] long, racemose inflorescence that arises from low on the ramiucaul and has tubular floral bracts.
"This huge species is characterized by the fleshy, dark purplish green, narrowly obovate, long-petiolate base leaves and a largfe pubescent, reenish white flower spotted with purple. The tail of the middle sepal is laterally compressed. " Luer 1988
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol V Systematics of Dresslerella and Scaphosepalum Luer 1988 drawing fide; Native Ecuadorian Orchids Vol 5 Dodson 2004 photo fide;
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