Lepanthes vespertilio Rchb.f. 1856 SUBGENUS Lepanthes SECTION Lepanthes SUBSECTION Lepanthes SERIES Lepanthes
Photo by Mikaels Orchids Flickr Website
Photos courtesy of Christian Gegenbauer
TYPE by © Carl Luer
Common Name The Ornamental Lepanthes [refers tothe intricately decorated appendix]
Flower Size .2" [5mm]
Found in Ecuador at elevations of 2000 to 3500 meters as a small sized, cool to cold growing epiphyte with slender, erect ramicauls enveloped basally by 7 to 13, close, minutely scabrous, leapnthiform sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, broady ovate, obtuse,long-acuminate apically, and abruptly narrows below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms at anytime of the year on a very congested, successively many flowered, 3" [7.5 cm] long, racemose inflorescence arising from the back of the leaf and often surpassing the length of the leaf.
"The plant is recognized by the broad, abruptly long-acumiate leaves topped by a long-pedunculate, congested raceme. The distinctive column is long and slender. Although the appendix was mentioned by Rchb.f it is not seen on the type sheet drawing." Luer 1996
Synonyms Lepanthes cosmos Luer & R.Escobar 1983
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
Xenia Orchidaceae Rchb.f 1856;
Phytologia 54:336 Luer 1983 as L cosmos;
Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XIV Systematics of Draconanthes, Lepanthes subgenus Marsipanthes and subgenus Lepanthes of Ecuador Luer 1996 drawing fide;
Flora of Ecuador No 88 Lepanthes and affiliates Dodson & Luer 2011 drawing fide;
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