Stelis azuayensis Luer 2009 SECTION Stelis Photo by © The Ecuagenera Website

Type Drawing Drawing by © Carl Luer and The Swiss Orchid Foundation at the Jany Renz Herbaria Website

Common Name The Azuay Stelis [refers to the province in Ecuador where the species is found]

Flower Size .24” [6 mm]

Found in Azuay Ecuador at elevations around 2500 to 3000 meters as a mini-miniature sized, cold growing epiphyte with stout, erect ramicauls enveloped by a loose tubular sheath 1 to 2 others that are shorter at the base and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, elliptical, acute, narrowly cuneate below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the fall on 1 to 3, erect, congested, 4 to 6” [10 to 15 cm] long including the 1.2 to 2” [3 to 5 cm] long peduncle, mostly simultaneous many flowered inflorescence arising through a spathe below the apex of the ramicaul with oblique, acute floral bracts.

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; *Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXX Luer 2009 drawing good;

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