Stelis diversifolia Luer & Hirtz 2007SECTION Stelis
Drawings by © Carl Luer
LATE 
Common Name The Variable Leafed Stelis
Flower Size .12" [3 mm]
Found in Ecuador at elevations around 1450 to 2400 meters as a mini-miniature sized, cool to cold growing, shortly ascending-caespitose epiphyte with erect, slender ramicauls enveloped by a loose tubular sheath and 2 to 3 others at the base and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, narrowly elliptical-subacute to broadly oblong-obtuse, narrowly to abruptly cuneate below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the late summer and fall on an erect to sublax, 2 to 4.8" [5 to 12 cm] long including the 1 to 1.2" [2.5 to 3 cm] long peduncle, simultaneously several, many flowered inflorescence arising from an annulus below the apex of the ramicaul with infundibular, acute, as long as the ovary floral bracts and carrying purple flowers.
"Vegetatively this locally abundant, medium sized species is similar to many of the other species characterized by a caespitose habit, elliptical leaves and a congested raceme that exceeds the leaves in length. Howevewr, it is variable vegetatively with narrowly ellitpical to broadly oblong leaves. The small, purple flowers are distinguished by obtuse sepals pubescent within, transversely ovate petals and a thick, subquadrate lip that is concave anteriorly with thickened margins, with a bar with a prominent glenion and with the dorsum slightly concave with an erect, rounded, ciliate callus above the base." Luer 2007
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
* Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXIX A Third Century of Stelis of Ecuador Systematics of Apods-Prorepentia Luer 2007 drawing fide
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