Stelis caespitula Luer & R.Escobar 2016 SECTION Stelis

TYPE Drawing by © Carl Luer

Common Name The Small Caespitose Stelis [refers to the plant ahbit]

Flower Size .08" [2 mm]

Found in Antioquia department of Colombia at elevations around 2800 meters as a mini-miniature sized, cold growing, densely caespitose epiphyte with erect, slender ramicauls enveloped by a tubular sheath and another at the base and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, elliptical, acute, cuneate below into the base leaf that blooms in the spring on a single, from a node at the apex of the ramicaul, peduncle .08" [ 2 cm], rachis to 1.6 to 3.2" [4 to 8 cm] long, erect, sublax, distichous, mostly simultaneously many flowered inflorescence with oblique, acute, just shorter to as long as the ovary floral bracts and carrying flowers with yellow sepals, yellow or green petals and lip.

"This tiny, caespitose species produces a many flowered raceme with little flowers that are superficially similar to those of Stelis pyramidalis O. Duque that is distinguished by erect, branching rhizomes. In both species the sepals are obtuse and three-veined, and the petals are thin and single-veined. The lip of S. caespitula is ovoid and acute with a tall, widely cleft callus that extends from the base to the acute, non-apiculate apex. The lip of S. pyramidalis is obovate with the apex broad and minutely." Luer 2016

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

*Harvard Pap. Bot. 21: 62 Luer & Escobar 2016 drawing fide

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