Stelis iwatsukae T.Hashim. 1976 SECTION Stelis

Drawing by © Carl Luer and Selbyana 32(1,2): 61 Luer & Vasquez 2018

EARLY

Common Name Iwatsuka's Stelis [Named for the late Dr. Shuko Iwatsuka, Chief of the Expedition to Bolivia 1900's]

Flower Size .24" [6 mm]

Found in La Paz department of Bolivia at elevations around 2900 meters as a miniature to small sized, cold growing, caespitose epiphyte with erect, slender ramicauls enveloped by a close tubular sheath from near the middle and 2 to 3 more below and about the base and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, narrowly elliptical, acute, cuneate below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the winter on an erect, through a spathe from a node below the apex of the ramicaul, peduncle 1.2 to 2" [3 to 5 cm] long, rachis 1.6 to 5.2" [4 to 13 cm] long, erect, strict, distichous, sublax, many simultaneously, numerous flowered inflorescence with oblique, acute, shorter to longer than than the ovary floral bracts and carrying yellow to yellow green flowers.

"This species is apparently endemic in a small area of high altitude around the community of Unduavi. The habit is similar to numerous other species with a tall, many-flowered raceme exceeding an elliptical leaf, but Stelis iwatsukae T.Hashim. is distinguished by conspicuously pubescent sepals with the dorsal sepal five-veined. The petals are three-veined and the dorsum of the lip is coarsely pubescent." Luer & Vasquez 2018

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

*Bull. Natl. Sci. Mus. Tokyo, B 2: 180 T. Hashim 1976;

Orchidaceae Stelis Swartz A Compendium Duque 2008 drawing good; Selbyana 32(1,2): 61 Luer & Vasquez 2018

Selbyana 32(1,2): 143 Luer & Vasquez 2018 Drawing fide

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