Stelis orecta Luer & Hirtz 2007 SECTION Nexipous

Drawing by Carl Luer

Common Name The Spread Out Stelis [refers to the lateral sepals]

Flower Size .36" [9 mm]

Found in Morona-Santiago province of Ecuador at elevations around 2200 meters as a small sized, cold growing caespitose epiphyte with erect, stout ramicauls enveloped by a loose, tubular sheaths below the middle and 2 to 3 others at the base and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, elliptical-oblong, subacute to obtuse, contracted below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the spring on 2, arising through a spathe from an annulus below the apex of the ramicaul, erect, congested, distichous, to 8" [to 20 cm] long including the .4" [1 cm] long peduncle, simultaneously several, many flowered inflorescence with oblique, acute, as long as to much shorter than the ovary floral bracts and carrying flowers with light green sepals, rose colored petals and a purple lip.

"Similar to S aperta but the sepals are narrower and subacute with the dorsal sepals connate only about a quarter its length to the lateral sepals instead of half its length. The lateral sepals spread 180 degrees instead of obliquely upwards. The tips are contracted into short, thick, apicula instead of simply obtuse. The lips are similar, but the central calli are separated by a channel." Luer 2007

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

* Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXIX Luer 2007

* Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXIX Luer 2007 drawing fide;

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