Stelis gemma Garay 1969

Plant and Flowers Photos by Milan Vagner©

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Common Name The Gem Stelis

Flower Size 1/2" [1.25 cm]

This is a positive ID.

Found in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru in wet montane forests at elevations of 800 to 2000 meters as a mini-miniature sized, warm to cool growing epiphyte with erect ramicauls enveloped by 2 to 3, dilated, fibrous sheaths and carrying a singel, apical, grey green, broadly oblong to suborbicular, coriaceous, marginate, white rimmed, obtuse and tridenticulate apically, abruptly narrowing below into the very short petiolate base leaf that blooms in nature in the winter on 1 to 2, .8" [2 cm] long, shorter than the leaf, few flowered inflorescence arising through a spathe and completely enveloped by loose, imbricate, cucullate, apiculate bracts.

The round greyish green leaves and the large roundish flowers make this species unique.

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Orchidaceae Stelis Swartz A Compendium Duque 2008; Orchid Species of Peru Zelenko & Bermudez 2009 as S villenae photo fide

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