Stelis mononeura Lindl. 1859 SECTION Stelis

Drawing by © Carl Luer

Common Name The Single Nerved Stelis [refers to the petals]

Flower Size .08" [2 mm]

Found in Nariño department of Colombia and Carch, Tungurahua and Napo provinces of Ecuador at elevations around 2000 to 3100 meters as a small sized, cold growing, densely caespitose lithophyte or epiphyte with erect, slender ramicauls enveloped by tubular sheath near the middle and 2 to 3 others at the base and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, elliptical, acute, cuneate below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the summer, fall and winter on 3 to 15, arising through a spathe from an annulus below the apex of the ramicaul, erect, congested, 3.2 to 6" [8 to 15 cm] long including the .4" [1 cm] long peduncle, mostly simultaneously many flowered inflorescence with oblique, acute, as long as the ovary floral bracts and carrying flowers with green to yellow sepals, green to purple petals and a green to purple lip.

Kew puts this one as a synonym of Stelis euspatha if so then it would take precedence.

"Characterized by several to many crowded racemes that are about as long as the elliptical leaf. The sepals are long-pubescent within with the laterals held forward. The petals are oblong\, concave, single-veined ad minutely pappilose on the thickened margin and the type "B" lip is about as long as braod with the anterior half deeply concave." Luer 2009

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

*Fol. Orchid. 8: 4 Lindley 1859;

Orchids of Peru Vol 1 Schweinfurth 1958;

Icones Orchidacearum Peruviarum Plate 768 Bennett & Christenson 2001 drawing good;

Orchidaceae Stelis Swartz A Compendium Duque 2008 drawing ok;

Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXX Lepanthes of Jamaica Steis of Ecuador Part IV Luer 2009

Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXX Lepanthes of Jamaica Steis of Ecuador Part IV Luer 2009 drawing fide

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