Stelis elatissima Luer & Hirtz 2007 SECTION Humboldtia
TYPE Drawing by © Carl Luer
EARLY
Common Name The Very Tall Stelis [refers to the inflorescence
Flower Size .12" [3 mm]
Found in Imbabura province of Ecuador at elevations around 2300 meters as a miniature sized, cold growing, caespitose epiphyte with erect, stout ramicauls enveloped by a tubular sheath below the middle and 1 to 2 others at the base and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, narrowly elliptical-oblong, subacute, cuneate below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the summer on 1 to 2, arising through a spathe from an annulus below the apex of the ramicaul, erect, slender, congested, distichous, 9.2 to 13.6" [23 to 34 cm] long including the 2 to 3.2" [5 to 8 cm] long peduncle, mostly simultaneously many flowered inflorescence with oblique, acute, shorter to as long as the ovary floral bracts and carrying white flowers.
"Allied to S multiflora as both species produce crowded racemes of similar small flowers in great abundance. Instead of several racemes shorter than the leaf, one or two exceedingly long racemes are produced. The leaves are narrow and longer in proportion to the ramicauls. The sepals, petals and lip are similar except for the obtuse, instead of rounded apex of the lip and the glenion is much larger. The proximity of the lateral sepals gives the impression of SECTION Humboldtia. Also similar to S vulcanis but it differs in the narrower leaves than in proportion to the longer stems, the densely crowded bunches of many flowers, and the labellum on the back of the callus raised on the back." Luer 2007
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXIX A Third Century of Stelis of Ecuador Systematics of Apoda-Prorepentia Luer 2007 drawing fide
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