Stelis monetaria Luer & R.Escobar 2016 SECTION Stelis

TYPE Drawing by © Carl Luer

LATE

Common Name From the Mint Stelis [refers to the round coin-shaped leaves]

Flower Size .2" [5 mm]

Found in Antioquia department of Colombia at elevations around 2400 meters as a mini-miniature sized, cold growing, caespitose epiphyte with relatively stout, short ramicauls enveloped by 3 to 4, loose, ribbed, tubular sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, glaucous, broadly obovate to circular, broadly obtuse to rounded apically, abruptly contracted at the base leaf that blooms in the late spring on to 2 to 8, erect, arising through a spathe at the apex of the ramicaul, peduncle .2" [.5 cm] long, rachis to 9.6" [to 24 cm] long, mostly simultaneously many flowered inflorescence with acute, oblique as long as to shorter than the pedicel floral bracts and carrying purple, microscopically pubescent flowers.

"This small species is distinguished by round, glaucous, overlapping leaves borne by short ramicauls clothed by three or four loose, ribbed sheaths. A single, purple flower is produced successively in a flexuous raceme that exceeds the leaf. Broad, obtuse sepals are connate to near the middle; membranous, rounded petals are single-veined; and a thick lip is type A. Stelis monetaria was made from a plant cultivated by Colomborquídeas. It is possible that it was pendent in its habitat." Luer 2016

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

* Harvard Pap. Bot. 21: 79 Luer & Escobar 2016 drawing fide

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