Stelis popayanensis F.Lehm. & Kraenzl. 1899
Drawing by © Carl Luer
Collection Sheet by ©
Common Name The Popayan Stelis [refers to the departement of Colombia where the orchid occurs]
Flower Size .12" [3 mm]
Found near Popayan in Cauca department of Colombia near cliffs and at elevtions of 2000 to 3000 meters as a miniature to small sized, occasionally prolific-caespitose epiphtye or terrestrial with erect, stout, much longer than the leaf ramicauls enveloped by a sheath above the middle and 2 to 3 others at the base, carrying a single, apical, elliptical, acute, gradually narrowing below into the shortly petiolaate base leaf that blooms in the late summer and early fall on an erect, arising through a spathe, much longer than the leaf, 7.2" [18 cm] long, alternate, 2 ranked, mostly simultaneously many flowered inflorescence with oblique, acute as long as to shorter than the ovary floral bracts and carrying light yellow to light yellow-green, glabrous flowers.
CAUTION Not to be confused with Stelis popayanensis [F Lehm & Kraenl.] Pridgeon and Chase 2001 which is a synonym of Pleurothalis popayense F Lehm & Kraenl. 1899 which is in the SECTION Crocodielanthe.
"Stelis popayanensis is characterized by a prolific habit with one or several, erect ramicauls produced at the apex of a ramicaul with a leaf and inflorescence. The raceme is many-flowered, exceeding the acute, elliptical leaf. The flowers are relatively large with glabrous, three-veined, subacute to obtuse sepals; thin, single-veined petals; and a thin, subcircular, concave lip with a central, shallowly sulcate callus, suggesting a similarity to that of Stelis major. The author {Luer] explicitly excludes Stelis dunstervilleorum Foldats from the synonymy of Stelis popayanensis, as proposed by Duque (2008: 316)." Luer 2018
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
* Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 26: 448 F Lehm & Kraenzl. 1899;
Harvard Pap. Bot. 23: 41 Luer & Escobar 2018 drawing fide;
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