Stelis aphidifera Luer & Dalström 2007 SECTION Stelis
Drawing by © Carl Luer
LATE
EARLY
Common Name The Aphid Carrying Stelis [refers to the appearance of the raceme]
Flower Size .04” [1 mm]
Found in El Oro province of Ecuador at elevations around 1500 meters as a mini-miniature sized, cool growing , caespitose epiphyte with very slender, erect ramicauls enveloped by 2 tubular sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, narrowly elliptic, obtuse, cuneate below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the late summer and early fall on an erect, subdensely, 1.2 to 1.8” [3 to 4.5 cm] long including the .4” [1 cm] long peduncle, mostly simultaneous many flowered inflorescence arising through a spathe from below the apex of the ramicaul with oblique, acute, as long as the pedicel floral bracts.
"Characterized by the small caespitose habit with narrowly elliptic leavesand a subdensely flowered raceme as long as the leaf. The minute flower could be mistaken for a row of aphids. The sepals are broadly ovate, obtuse and not widely spread, the petals are faintly three veined and the lip is distinguished by a small erect callus above the base." Luer & Dalstrom 2007
Synonyms
ReferencesW3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXIX A Third Century of Stelis Systematics of Apoda-prorepentia Part IV Luer 2007 drawing fide;
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