Lepanthes nautilus Luer & R.Escobar 1984

Flower Closeup Photos by © Jay Pfahl

Common Name or Meaning The Nautilus-Shaped Lepanthes

Flower Size 1.2" tall .4" wide [3 cm tall x 1 cm wide]

Found in Santander Colombia in cloud forests at elevations around 2550 meters as a miniature sized, cool growing epiphyte with erect ramicauls enveloped by 5 lepanthiform sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, elliptic, subacute, gradually narrowing below into the cuneate petiolate base leaf that blooms in the spring on a drooping, loose, fractiflex, 4" [10 cm] long, successively few flowered inflorescence with often 2 flowers open at any one time.

148b

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; *AOS Bulletin Vol 53 #10 1984 photo; Native Colombian Orchids Vol 2 1991 photo ok; AOS Bulletin Vol 64 No 10 1995 photo;

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------