Stelis wendtii Solano 2000

Drawing by © Solano

Full shade Cool LATER Spring EARLIER Summer

Common Name Wendt's Stelis [American Original Collector of species current]

Flower Size .16 to .18" [4 to 4.5 mm]

Found in Oaxaca state of Mexico and Guatemala in cloud forests at elevations around 1900 to 2000 meters as a miniature sized, including the inflorescence, cool growing, ascending epiphyte with a terete, 2 noded ramicaul enveloped completely by 2 tubular, supperior longer sheaths and carrying a single, apical, linear to elliptic-oblanceoalte, subacute, fleshy, petiolate base leaf that blooms in the later spring and earlier summer on a racemose, arising through a conduplicate spathe, peduncle .8 to 1" [2 to 2.5 cm] long, obliquely infundibuliform, shortly apiculate bracts, to 2.8 to 3.2" [7 to 8 cm] long, secund, simultaneously 18 to 22 flowered inflorescence with obliquely infundibuliform, obtuse, shortly apiculate, revolute margined, shorter than the ovary floral bracts and carrying purple flowers.

"Stelis wendtii is the only Mexican species of the genus with a conspicuous, elongate rhizome. This species also has large floral bracts with recurved margins, a trait hardly common among Mexican Stelis; ovate, smooth sepals, transversally elliptic petals, and an orbicular-ovate lip. It seems to be closely related to Stelis purpurascens , which has caespitose plants, an inflorescence with less flowers, smaller floral bracts, 3-, 4-, or 5-veined sepals, even in the same flower, subrhombic petals, and an elliptic lip." Solano 2002

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

* Lindleyana 15: 50 Solano 2000 drawing fide;

Icones Orchidacearum 5-6 Plate 694 Solano 2002 drawing fide;

Orchidaceae Stelis Sw. A Compendium Duque 2008 drawing fide

Orchid Genera and Species in Guatemala Archila, Szlachchetko, Chiron, Lipinska, Mystkowska and Bertolini 2018

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