Lepanthopsis astrophora (Rchb. f. ex Kraenzl.) Garay 1962 SUBGENUS Lepanthopsis SECTION Fractipectin Luer 1991 Photo by © Pieter C. Brouwer and his Nature Photo Website

Inflorescence Photo courtesy of Eric Hunt, plant grown by White Oak Orchids

and

Common Name The Star-Bearing Inflorescence Lepanthopsis

Flower Size 3/16" [4 mm]

This miniature sized, hot to cool growing, caespitose, epiphytic species is found on coastal Venezuela and Colombia at elevations of 700 to 1500 meters with erect, slender ramicauls enveloped by 4 to 6, minutely ciliate, lepanthiform sheaths carrying a single apical, erect, coriaceous, elliptical, subacute leaf with the base cuneate to into the petiole that blooms in the fall and spring on a terminal, erect, 4 3/4" [12 cm] long, more or less successive, loose, flexuous, many flowered, racemose inflorescence arising from the apex of the ramicaul with up to 6 flowers that open simultaneously and are held well above the leaves.

Synonyms *Pleurothallis astrophora Rchb. f. ex Kraenzl. 1892

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Xenia Orchidaceae Vol 3 Reichenbach 1892 as Pleurothallis astrophora drawing fide; Venezuelan Orchids Vol 3 Dunsterville & Garay 1965 drawing fide; Flora de Venezuela Foldats Volumen XV Part 2 1970 drawing fide; Orchids of Venezuela ; An Illustrated Field Guide Vol 2 Dunsterville & Garay 1979 drawing fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Systematics of Lepanthospsis, Octomeria subgenus Pleurothallopsis, Restrepiella, Salpistele and Teagueia Vol 8 1991; Orchids of Venezuela [An illustrated field guide] Vol. 2 Ramiro and Carnevali 2000 drawing fide;

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