Stelis titanica Luer & Escobar 2016 SECTION Humboldtia

TYPE Drawing by Carl Luer

LATE EARLY

Common Name The Large Stelis [refers to the large size of the plant]

Flower Size .4" [1 cm]

Found in Antioquia department of Colombia at elevations around 1850 meters as a small to medium sized, cool growing, densely caespitose epiphyte with stout, erect ramicauls enveloped by a tubular sheath at the middle and another 1 to 2 below and at the base and carrying a single, apical, coriaceous, elliptical, subacute, cuneate below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the late winter and early spring on a single, much longer than the leaves, arises through a spathe below the apex of the ramicaul, peduncle 4" [10 cm] long rachis 10" to 12" [25 to 30 cm] long, erect, strict, lax, distichous, successively few, many flowered inflorescence with oblique, acute, more or less undulating, longer than the ovary floral bracts and carrying glabrous, purple flowers with the sepals being lighter than the central apparatus.

"This robust species, one of the largest in the genus, is distinguished by long, stout, nonprolific ramicauls and a large, elliptical, petiolate leaf, often accompanied by fragments of older ramicauls. The long, more or less undulating floral bracts are similar to those of Stelis purpurea. Except for the petals, the flowers are similar to those of Stelis maxima . The veins of the dorsal sepal of S. maxima originate at the base, while those of S. titanica originate by branching. Instead of three veins in the petals, five, strong veins are present." Luer & Escobar 2016

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

* Harvard Pap. Bot. 21[2]: 220 Luer & Escobar 2018 drawing fide

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