Stelis juncea Luer & Hirtz 2002 SECTION Labiatae

TYPE drawing by Carl Luer

LATE EARLY

Common Name The Short Rigid Haired Stelis [refers to the sepals]

Flower Size .08" [2 mm]

Found in Carchi province of Ecuador at elevations around 2400 meters as a miniature to small sized, cold growing, densely caespitose epiphyte or terrestrial with erect, very slender ramicauls enveloped by a tubular sheath below the middle and 2 others at the base and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, narrowly elliptical, acute, narrowing below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the late summer and early fall on an erect, peduncle .6" [1.5 cm] long, with a spathe .32" [8 mm] long, from an annulus below the apex of the ramicaul, rachis 2.2 to 6.6" [5.5 to 16.5 cm] long, secund, congested, mostly simultaneously many flowered inflorescence with tubular, acute, as long as the ovary floral bracts and carrying light yellow flowers with glabrous , broadly ovate sepals, obcuneate, truncate, shallowly concave petals and a subquadrate lip.

"This species is characterized by the proportionally long, slender ramicauls, narrow elliptical leaves that are surpassed by slender, congested, secund racemes of numerous, minute flowers. The sepals are ovate and obtuse with the lateralls more of less pointing forward. The petals are obcuneate and truncate, The lip is concave anteriorly with a minute apiculum and with the bar cleft. The lobes of the stigma are elongate, protruding beyond the margins of the lip to either side." Luer 2002

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

* Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXIV A First Century of Stelis of Ecuador Luer 2002

Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXIV A First Century of Stelis of Ecuador Luer 2002 Drawing fide

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