Stelis dactyloptera Rchb. f. 1878 SECTION Humboldtia
Photo by Kevin Holcomb
Photo by lourens Grobler >
Drawing by Carl Luer
to 
Common Name The Finger-Like Wing Stelis [refers to the fingerlike projections of the petals]
Flower Size .6" [1.5 cm]
Found in Pastaza, Tungurahua, Morona-Santiago and Zamora-Chinchipe province of Ecuador at elevations of 1500 to 2200 meters as a mini-miniature sized, cool to cold growing epiphyte with erect ramicauls enveloped by tubular sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, elliptic-oblong, obtuse, narrowing below into the shortly petiolate base leaf that blooms in the fall on an erect to arching, peduncle weak, 2 to 2.8" 5 to 7 cm] long, rachis 7.2 to 8" [18 to 20 cm] long, remotely and mostly simultaneously, few to many flowered inflorescence with infundibular, obtuse shorter than the ovary floral bracts and carrying purple flowers.
"The weak, remotely flowered, arching to pendent inflorescewnce bears a few to many proportionally lage, bilabiate, purple flowers in slow succession. The inner margin of the apex of the petals is developed into a tall, cockscomb-like lamella that covers the outer margin. The petals weere unique until the recent discovery of S florianii which alos has long fimbriate margins of the petals. The lip is round with an erect, bifid callus on the margin of the bar." Luer 2009
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
* Otia Botanica Hamburgensia.: 19 Rchb.f 1878;
Orchidaceae Stelis Swartz A Compendium Duque 2008 drawing fide;
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;
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
