Stelis serra Lindl. 1843 SECTION Stelis

Drawing by Carl Luer

EARLIER

Common Name The Saw Stelis [refers to the raceme with prominent floral bracts]

Flower Size .08" [2 mm]

Found in Carchi, Napo, Tungurahua and Zamora-Chinchipe provinces of Ecuador and Amazonas, Junin, San Marin and Cusco departments of northern Peru at elevations around 2700 to 3400 meters as a mini-miniature sized, cold growing, densely caespitose epiphyte with slender, erect, fasciculate ramicauls enveloped by 2 to 3 tubular sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, narrowly elliptical, subacute to obtuse, narrowly cuneate below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the fall and earler winter on an erect, arising through a spathe from near the apex of the ramicaul, distichous, 4 to 6.8" [5 to 10 cm] long including the 1 to 1.4" [2.5 to 3.5 cm] long peduncle, simultaneously several, many flowered inflorescence with conspicuous, oblique, acute, much longer than the ovary floral bracts and carrying minutely ciliate-pubescent flowers with cream colored sepals, yellow petals and a purple lip.

"Characterized by a small habit, fasciculated ramicauls and a narrowly elliptical leaf that is surpassed by a raceme with conspicuous floral bracts, but the flower is borne from one side. The sepals are broadly ovate and minutely ciliate-pubescent and the petals are broadly rounded. The type "B" lip is concave above the middle witha broadlt rounded apex and a thick, pubescent base." Luer 2009

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

*Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. 12: 397 Lindley 1843

Orchids of Peru Vol 1 Schweinfurth 1958;

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

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

Orchidaceae Stelis Swartz, Compendium Duque 2008

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