Stelis glomerosa Luer 1979 SECTION Humboldtia
Photo courtesy of © Lourens Grobler
Photos by © Milan Vágner
TYPE Drawing by © Carl Luer
Common Name The Ball Stelis
Flower Size .26" [.65 cm]
Found in Cotopaxi province of western Ecuador in cloud forests at elevations of 1700 to 2000 meters as a miniature sized, cool growing, scandent epiphyte with ascending, prolific, rooting at the internodes, to over 1 meter long ramicauls giving rise at intervasl to a single, apical, suberect, coriaceous, narrowly elliptical, acute, tridenticulate, narrowly cuneate below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the summer on a pendant, arising through a spathe from an annulus below the papex of the ramicaul, flexuous, to 6" [to 15 cm] long, successively 2 to 3, many flowered inflorescence with inflated, oblique, acute, shorter to longer than the ovary floral bracts and carrying non-resupinate, globose membraneosu, white flowers.
"Characterized by a long chain of superposed ramicauls each about as long as the elliptical leaf it bears. The inflorescnece is a flaccid, flexuous raceme that bears in succession a few, spherical flowers. The deeply connate, inflated sepals part only slightly at the apex, like the mouth of a puffer fish. Hidden from view within are the apiculate petals and a cooncave, acuminate lip." Luer 2009
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
* Selbyana 5: 191 Luer 1979; Orchidaceae Stelis Swartz A Compendium Duque 2008; Native Ecuadorian Orchids Vol 5 Dodson 2004 photo ok; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXX Lepanthes of Jamaica Stelis of Ecuador Part IV 2009 Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXX Lepanthes of Jamaica Stelis of Ecuador Part IV 2009 drawing fide; Mille et Une Mini Orchideees Roguenant 2009 photo fide
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