Stelis ophioceps Luer & Hirtz 2007 SECTION Stelis
Drawing by Carl Luer
Common Name The Snake Headed Stelis [refers to the ferocious-appearing flowers]
Flower Size .12" [3 mm]
Found in Morona-Santiago province of Ecuador at elevations around 1300 meters as a mini-miniature sized, cool growing, caespitose epiphyte with erect, slender ramicauls enveloped by 2 tubular sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, narrowly elliptical, subacute, narrowly cuneate below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the spring on an erect, arising from a node below the apex of the ramicaul, loose, elongating, somewhat fractiflex, flexuous, to 5.2" [13 cm] long including the .4 to .8" [1 to 2 cm] long peduncle, successively 1 to 2, many flowered inflorescence with infundibular, oblique, acute, shorter than the ovary floral bracts and carrying flowers with a black, forward and recurved, long pubescent dorsal sepal, yellow bordered in black lateral sepals and a yellow central apparatus.
"In habit this species is similar to many, tiny, caespitose species with a log, loose, successively flowered raceme. The flowers are distinct with black, forward and recurved, long pubescent dorsal sepal. The largfer antrorse, trianular, latearal sepals are yellow and bordered in black. The petals are thick and swollen medially. The lip is minute with an erect, orbicular callus on the dorsum." Luer 2007
Synonyms
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
* Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXIX A Third Century of Stelis of Ecuador Systematics of Apoda-Prorepentia Luer 2007 drawing fide;
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