Stelis crossota Luer & Hirtz 2007 SECTION Stelis

TYPE Drawing by © Carl Luer

Common Name The Fringed Stelis [refers to the sepal margins]

Flower Size .16" [4 mm]

Found in Napo province of Ecuador at elevations around 800 meters as a mini-miniature sized, warm growing, densely caespitose epiphyte with erect, stout ramicauls enveloped by 2 tubular sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, thickly coriaceous, elliptical-oblong, obtuse, cuneate below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the summer on an erect, arising from a node below the apex of the ramicaul, loose, 1.2 to 1.6" [3 to 4cm] long, including the .6" [ 1.5 cm] long peduncle, successively single, 3 to4 flowered inflorescence with infundibular, obtuse, shorter than the ovary floral bracts and carrying flwoers with transluscent white sepals, green petals amd a green lip.

"Characterized by thick, obovate leaves borne by shorter ramicauls and a loose, successively three to 4 flowered raceme that eventually reached twice the length of the leaf. The sepals are white, obtuse and denely ciliated within a thickened margin, the petals are transversely oblong and the lip is similar to S argentata including a minute apiculum." Luer 2007

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

* Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXIX A Third Century of Steelis of Ecuador Systematics of Apoda-Prorepentia Luer 2007;

Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXIX A Third Century of Steelis of Ecuador Systematics of Apoda-Prorepentia Luer 2007 drawing fide;

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