Stelis zothecula Luer 2009 SECTION Labiatae

Drawing by © Carl Luer

LATE EARLY

Common Name The Small Chambered Stelis [refers to the connivent sepals]

Flower Size .025" [1 mm]

Found in Tungurahua province of Ecuador at elevations around 3050 meters as a small sized, cold growing, densely caespitose epiphyte with an erect, slender ramicaul enveloped by a tubular sheath near the middle and 2 to 3 others at the base and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, elliptical, acute, narrowing below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the late summer and early fall on up to 8, arising through a spathe from an annulus below the apex of the ramicaul, erect to suberect, lax, distichous, 1.6 to 2.8" [4 to 7 cm] long including the .4 to .8" [1 to 2 cm] long peduncle, simultaneously several, many flowered inflorescence with infundibular, oblique, inflated, much longer than the ovary floral bracts and carrying green to light brown, glabrous, fleshy flowers.

”Characterized by thew minute flowers borne by several, laxly flowered racemes that are shorter than the leaves. The tiny, obtuse sepals are fleshy, concave and connivent, the etals are oblique, oblong, concave and single veined. The minute lip is oblong, obtuse and co0ncave above a shallowly cleft bar.” Luer 2009

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

*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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