Lepanthes marthae Luer & R. Escobar 1991 SUBGENUS Lepanthes SECTION Lepanthes SUBSECTION Lepanthes SERIES Lepanthes
Photo by © Jay Pfahl
TYPE Drawing by © Carl Luer
LATE 
Common Name Martha's Lepanthes [Martha Robledo orchid nurserywoman current]
Flower Size 1/2" [1.25 cm]
Found in Antioquia department of Colombia at elevations around 2200 meters as a mini-miniature sized, cold growing epiphyte with erect, slender ramicauls enveloped by 4 to 5 coarsely cilate lepanthiform sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, coricaeous, purple suffused, elliptical, acute, cuneate below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the late spring and summer on a slender, loose, distichous, [4 to 4.5 cm] long, including the [1 to 1.5 cm] long peduncle, successively few flowered inflorescence exceeding the length of the leaf.
Similar to the sympatric [at least in Antioquia] Lepanthes effusa, which differs in the slender rather than coarse roots, the minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths rather than coarsly pubescent and most noticibalty, the petals of L marthae join the column above the dilated base.
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; * Orchideologia Vol 18 #1 1991 Drawing fide; Native Colombian Orchids Vol 2 COS 1991 photo fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXXII Luer 2012 drawing fide; Orchids, A Colombian Treasure Vol 3 Ortiz & Uribe 2019 drawing fide;
W 3 Tropicos Checked type drawing, exact positive
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