Stelis concinna Lindl. 1834 SECTION Stelis
Photos by © Jay Pfahl
Drawing by © by Carl Luer and Selbyana 32(1,2): 34 Luer & Vasquez 2018
Drawing by © by Carl Luer and Selbyana 32(1,2): 34 Luer & Vasquez 2018
to 
Common Name The Pretty Stelis
Flower Size 1/8" [3.2 mm]
Found in Venezuela, Norte de Santander, Antioquia, Nariño and Putumayo departments of Colombia, Los Rios and Morona-Santiago provinces of Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia on small branches of smaller, moss covered trees close to the ground as a mini-miniature sized, cool to cold growing epiphyte at elevations of 1800 to 3000 meters with abreviated stems enveloped by tubular, evanescent non-foliaceous sheaths and carrying a single, apical, oval to suborbicular, to round obovate, subacute to rounded apically, marginate, abruptly narrowed below into the short, petiolate base leaf that blooms in the spring on 1 to 2, filiform, erect, longer than the leaf, to 3.2" [to 8 cm] long including the 1.2 to 1.4" [3 to 3.5 cm] long peduncle, strongly fractiflex rachis, racemose, 8 to 12, successively 1 to 3, many flowered inflorescence with very small, hairy margined flowers.
This tiny, densely caespitose species is recognized by a long, hair-like, flexible, flexuous, successively flowered raceme that eventually far surpasses the leaves. The widely spread and long-pubescent sepals are ovate, but often with the sides revolute. The petals are broad, thin and single-veined. The lip is cuneate and filled with a thick, cleft bar." Luer 2009
"One to three delicate, hair-like, flexible, flexuous racemes of tiny flowers are produced slowly and successively in many-flowered racemes with several flowers open simultaneously toward the tip. Great lengths accumulate in long-cultivated plants. The sepals are ovate, 3-veined, and purple with a variable white pubescence that is sometimes long-pubescent at the apex. The petals are subcircular, thin and 1-veined. The bar of the lip is variable, especially in the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia, where the usually entire callus is sometimes depressed centrally to resemble a horseshoe-shaped callus." Luer 2018
SEE ALSO Stelis flexuosa which is said to be conspecific and the giant version of S concinna, Stelis flexuosissima
Synonyms Stelis capillipes Rchb.f. 1855; Stelis longihirta Luer & Hirtz 2002; Stelis perlaxa Schltr. 1915
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
* J. Bot. (Hooker) 1: 11 Lindley 1834;
Bonplandia (Hannover) 3: 240 (1855 as S capillipes;
Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 14: 122 Sclechter 1915 as S perplexa;
Orchids of Peru Vol 1 Schweinfurth 1958;
Venezuelan Orchids Illustrated Vol 5 Dunsterville & Garay 1972 drawing not = S norae;
Orchids of Venezuela, An Illustrated Field Guide Vol 3 Dunsterville & Garay 1979 drawing not = Stelis norae;
Orquideas de Bolivia Vol 1 Vasquez & Ibisch 2000;
Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXIV A First Century of Stelis of Ecuador Part 1 Luer 2002 as S longihirta
Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXIV A First Century of Stelis of Ecuador Part 1 Luer 2002drawing fide;
Native Ecuadorian Orchids Vol 5 Dodson 2004 photo fide;
Orchidaceae Stelis Swartz A Compendium Duque 2008 drawing fide/photo ok;
Orchidaceae Stelis Swartz A Compendium Duque 2008 as S perlaxa;
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 2009drawing fide;
Mille et Une Mini Orchideees Roguenant 2009 as S longihirta photo hmm;
Selbyana 32(1,2): 34 Luer & Vasquez 2018;
Selbyana 32(1,2): 135 Luer & Vasquez 2018 Drawing fide;
Harvard Pap. Bot. 23: 144 Luer & Escobar 2018 drawing fide
Orquideas de Farallones de Cali Galindo-Tarazona, Haelterman, Zuluaga Trochez and Sebastian Moreno 2020 photo fide
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
