Stelis efsiella Luer 2009 SECTION Stelis

TYPE Drawing © by Carl Luer and Selbyana 30:65 Luer & Escobar 2009

Common Name Lehmann's Stelis [Named for the renowned RC. Lehmann, only known collector of this species, the name lehmannii having been used to replace a later homonym [Stelis petiolaris (Luer) Pridgeon & M.W. Chase] for Pleurothallis petiolaris Luer [ = Effusiella petiolaris (Luer) Luer]

Flower Size .16" [4 mm]

Found in Cauca department of Colombia at elevations around 1000 meters as a miniature sized, warm to cool growing, caespitose epiphyte with erect, slender ramicauls enveloped by a tubular sheath below the middle and another near the base and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, dark green, narrowly oblong, obtuse, gradually narrowing below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the fall on a fascile of 5 to 10, erect, arising through a spathe from an annulus below the apex of the ramicaul, .8 to 1.2" [2 to 3 cm] long, densely several flowered inflorescence with nfundibular, obtuse, as long as the ovary floral bracts and carrying flowers with "half yellow" sepals.

"In habit, this species with blunt, oblong leaves and a fascicle of much shorter racemes resembles Stelis polybotrya. It is known from a single, nineteenth century collection by the intrepid collector F.C. Lehmann. The dorsal sepal is smaller than the antrorse lateral sepals. The petals are round, membranous and single-veined. The ovate, acute, callus-free, unclassified lip points forward with the base shallowly concave beneath the column." Luer 2009

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

* Selbyana 30: 21 Luer & Escobar 2009 Drawing fide;

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------