~Stelis barbata Rolfe 1913 - See Stelis microchila Schltr. 1911
Photo by Ron Parsons
Photo by Eric Hunt, plant grown by Hanging Gardens
to 
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Common Name The Bearded Stelis
Flower Size 1/8" [.3 cm]
Found in Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and Ecuador in tropical wet and wet lower montane cloud forests at elevations of 100 to 1100 meters as a mini-miniature sized, hot to warm growing epiphyte with elongate ramicauls completely enveloped baally by loose, tubular sheaths and carrying a single, apical, narrowly elliptic, acute, gradually narrows below into the conduplicate, elongate, petiolate base leaf that flowers in the spring and fall on a 4" [10 cm] long, flexuous, several flowered inflorescence arising from the apex of the ramicaul and carrying several acuminate bracts.
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Repert. Sp. Nov. Regni. Veg. Beih. 19: 16. Costa Rica Schlechter 1923 as S bryophila; Repert. Sp. Nov. Regni. Veg. Beih. 19: 16. Costa Rica Schlechter 1923 as S costaricensis; Repert. Sp. Nov. Regni. Veg. Beih. 19: 278. Costa Rica Schlechter 1923 as S costaricensis; Icones Planetarum Tropicarum Plate 326 Dodson 1980 drawing ok but less hairy; Las Orquedias de El Salvador Vol 3 Hamer 1981 drawing fide; Orchids Travel By Air A Pictoral Safari Mulder, Mulder-Roelfsema and Schuiteman 1990 photo fide; Orquideas de la Serrania del Baudo Misas Urreta 2006 drawing/photo ; LANKESTERIANA 13(3) 2014 photo
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