Stelis velutina Lindl. 1859 SECTION Humboldtia

Drawing by © Carl Luer

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Common Name The Velvety Stelis [refers to the fine pubescence of the floral parts]

Flower Size .2" [5mm]

Found in Pichincha and Imbabura provinces of Ecuador and Peru at elevations of 2000 to 3000 meters as a medium sized, cold growing, caespitose epiphyte with elongate ramicauls enveloped by 1 to 2 short basal sheaths and a longer separate, tubular one in the upper third of the stem and carrying a single, apical, erect, ellipitc-oblong, obtuse to subacute, tridenticulate, narrowing below into the conduplicate, petiolate base leaf that blooms in the summer and fall on 1 to 2, arising through a spathe from an annulus below the apex of the ramicaul, racemose, subdistichous, 6 to 9.2" [15 to 23 cm] long including the 2.4 to 4" 6 to 10 cm] long peduncle, densely, mostly simultaneously many flowered inflorescence with tubular, shorter than the ovary floral bracts and carrying light yellow flowers.

"Vegetatively variable but usually with yellow, bilabiate flowers face downward in crowded, secund raceme. The sepals are minutely papillose-pubescent within; the margin of the petals is broad and flattened and the lip is cnocave and obtuse with three, rounded calli on the dorsum." Luer 2009

Synonyms Stelis hians Schltr. 1915

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

*Fol. Orchid. 8: 17 Lindley 1859;

Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 14: 121 Schlechter 1915 as S hians

Orchids of Peru Vol 1 Schweinfurth 1958;

Orchidaceae Stelis Swartz A Compendium Duque 2008 drawing good;

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

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