Stelis truncata Lindl. 1837 SECTION Humboldtia
Drawings by © Carl Luer
Common Name The Truncate Stelis [refers to the lip]
Flower Size .2" [5 mm]
Found in Antioquia, Santander, Nariño and Putumayo departments of Colombia, Ecuador and Chachapoyas department of Peru at elevations around 2400 to 3500 meters as a small sized, cold growing, caespitose below prolific above epiphyte with erect, stout, ramicauls enveloped by 2 close, tubular sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, elliptical, acute to subacute, narrowly cuneate below into the subpetiolate base leaf that blooms in the summer and fall on an erect, arising through a spathe from an annulus below the apex of the ramicaul, subcongested, distichous, 3.2 to 7.2" [8 to 18 cm] long including the to .4 to 2.4" [2 to 8 cm] long peduncle, mostly simultaneously many flowered inflorescence with oblique acute, much longer than the ovary below to shorter than the ovary above floral bracts and carrying yellow-green, orange to purple flowers.
"This large, robust species is related to the common and variable Stelis purpurea (Ruiz & Pav.) Willd., but it is easily distinguished from the latter by the prolific habit. The plant is scandent with stout or slender, superposed ramicauls with elliptical, petiolate leaves. The flowers are also similar, easily falling within the variations found in S. purpurea. The lateral sepals are wholly or partially connate into a synsepal, but the depth of the synsepal is variable, especially in the population along the Río Zongo, from deeply to shallowly concave." Luer & Vasquez 2018
Synonyms Stelis fruticulus Schltr. 1920
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
Icones Orchidaceaerum Perviarum Plate 772 Bennett & Christensosn 2001 drawing hmm plant not prolific?;
Orchidaceae Stelis , A Compendium Duque 2008 as S cordibractea drawing good;
Orchidaceae Stelis , A Compendium Duque 2008 as S fruticulus drawing fide;
Orchidaceae Stelis , A Compendium Duque 2008 drawing good; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXX Luer 2009 drawing fide;
Selbyana 32(1,2): 121 Luer & Vasquez 2018
Selbyana 32(1,2): 163 Luer & Vasquez 2018 Drawing fide; Harvard Papaers in Botany Vol 23[2]:177 Luer 2018 drawing fide
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