Stelis calopsix Luer & R.Escobar 2017 SECTION Stelis

TYPE Drawing by © Carl Luer

LATE EARLY

Common Name The Boyaca Stelis [A department of Colombia]

Flower Size .2" [5 mm]

Found in Antioquia department of Colombia at elevations around 1600 to 2500 meters as a mini-miniature sized, cool to cold growing, densely caespitose epiphyte with erect ramicauls enveloped by 1 to 2 tubular sheath and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, elliptical, acute to subacute, cuneate below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the late fall and early winter on a single, from a node at the apex of the ramicaul, peduncle .8 to 1.6" [2 to 4 cm], rachis to 1.2 to 2.4" [3 to 6 cm] long, erect, distichous, subcongested, simultaneously several to many flowered inflorescence with tubular, acute, acuminate, shorter than the ovary floral bracts and carrying purple flowers with glabrous sepals.

"This species is closely allied to Stelis obovata, from eastern and Amazonian Venezuela. Stelis caloptrix is distinguished by a dark purple-flowered raceme about twice longer than elliptical leaves; broadly ovate to subcircular, 3-veined sepals; and thin, 3-veined petals. The lip is subquadrate and shallowly concave around a low callus that extends from the base to near the middle of the lip. Stelis calopsix from the Western Cordillera of Colombia differs from S. obovata by proportionately narrower, elliptical, subacute to obtuse leaves, and dark purple flowers, while the leaves of S. obovata are spathulate or oblanceolate, and broadly obtuse or rounded at the tip, and all the flowers of reported collections are pale yellow." Luer 2017

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

*Harvard Pap. Bot. 22: 29 Luer & Escobar 2017 drawing fide

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