Lepanthes platysepala Luer & R.Escobar 1994 SUBGENUS Brachycladium SECTION Amplectentes Luer 1994

Another angle Photo by © Pieter C. Brouwer and his Nature Photo Website

Plant and Flower Photo by © Lourens Grobler

to

Common Name Broad Sepal Lepanthes

Flower Size .4" [1mm]

Found in Antioquia Colombia at elevations of 1900 to 2400 meters as a medium sized [in length], warm to cool growing epiphyte with a very short ramicaul enveloped by 2 ciliate, imbricating, lepanthiform sheaths and carrying a single, apical, pendant, coriaceous, pubescent, elliptical, subacute to obtuse, 3 veined leaf that blooms in the spring on an ascending, congested, successively few flowered inflorescence arising from near the apex of the ramicaul with a ciliate floral bract. Very similar to the widespread L pilosella, L platysepala is readily recognized by the usually spotted, erect, obovate dorsal sepal that is only shallowly concave or sometimes nearly flat. Usually five veins are present, but often there is a vestigial pair of veins between well developed veins, so that five or seven veins can occur intermixed. Instead of being held within a deeply concave, striped dorsal sepal as in L. pilosella, the petals, lip and column are more or less exposed.

SynonymsBrachycladium platysepalum (Luer & R.Escobar) Luer 2005; Oreophilus platysepalus (Luer & R.Escobar) Archila 2009; Penducella platysepala (Luer & R.Escobar) Luer 2010

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; *Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XI Luer 1994 drawing fide; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XVII Luer; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXIV Luer; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXVII Luer 2005 as Brachycladium platysepalum; Selbyana 29(2): 202-8. 2009 Archila as Oreophilus platysepalus; Orchid Digest 74(2): 69. 2010. Luer as Penducella platysepala

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