Stelis prolata Luer & Hirtz 2004 SECTION Stelis

TYPE Drawing by © Carl Luer

Common Name The Stretched Out Stelis [refers to the elongated rhizome]

Flower Size .12" [3 mm]

Found in Sucumbios and Napo provinces of Ecuador at elevations around 2700 to 2800 meters as a mini-miniature sized [each plantlet], cold growing, long repent epiphyte with an elongate rhizome giving rise to erect-ascending, stout ramicauls enveloped by 2, loose, imbricating tubular sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, elliptical-obovate, subacute to obtuse, cuneate below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the fall on an erect to suberect, arising from an annulus below the apex of the ramicaul, flexuous, subdense, 1.2 to 2" [3 to 5 cm] long including the .4" [1 cm] long peduncle, mostly simultaneously several flowered inflorescence with oblique, acute, just shorter than the ovary floral bracts and carrying flowers that are purple, glabrous externally and blue and shortly pubescent within sepals and a Red-puprle central apparatus.

"Characterized by a log repent habit with a thick rhizome; elliptical leafes longer than the ramicauls and a subdense, several flowered, flexuous raceme that esceeds the leaves. The transversely ovate sepals are shiny purple externally and blue within and shortly pubescent. The transverse peatls are broad with a transverse callus and the lip is trnaverse and obtuse with a rounded callis on the dorsum." Luer 2004

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

* Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXIV Pleurothallis subgenus Acianthera A Second Century of Stelis of Ecuaodr Epibator Ophidion Zootrophion Luer 2004

* Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXIV Pleurothallis subgenus Acianthera A Second Century of Stelis of Ecuaodr Epibator Ophidion Zootrophion Luer 2004 drawing fide;

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