Stelis bicornis Lindl. 1859 SECTION Humboldtia
Photos by © Lourens Grobler
Drawings by © Carl Luer
Common Name or Meaning The 2 Horned Stelis [refers to the acuminate points on the petals]
Flower Size .16" [4mm]
Found in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia at elevations around 1500 to 3500 meters as a medium sized, warm to cold growing, scandent epiphyte with erect, elongate ramicauls enveloped basally by 2 basal sheaths and another longer on on the upper half and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, oblong, obtuse, tridenticulate, gradually narrowing below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the winter on 1 to 2, arising through a spathe, erect to arching, distichous, slightly flexuos, 8" [20 cm] long, laxly to densely many flowered, racemose inflorescence with infundibular, shorter to as long as the ovary floral bracts.
CAUTION This species and S langlassei have been considered to be conspecific by many with S bicornis taking precendence but I follow Luer in separating them. Please see S bisserula as it as well has been considered conspecific.
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
*Fol. Orchid. 8: 18 Lindley 1859;
Orchidaceae Stelis Swartz, Compendium Duque 2008 OK!;
Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXX Lepanthes of Jamaica Stelis of Ecuador part IV Luer 2009;
Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXX Lepanthes of Jamaica Stelis of Ecuador part IV Luer 2009 drawing fide;
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