Stelis tridentata Lindl. 1859 Photo by Ecuagenera and their Ecuador Orchid Website

Common Name The Three Toothed Stelis

Flower Size .12" [3 mm]

I am fairly sure of this photo determination.

Found in Costa Rica, Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador in rainforests at elevations of 2000 to 2600 meters as a miniature to small sized, hot to warm growing epiphyte with erect to prolific ramicauls enveloped by 2 to 3 tubular sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, elliptical-oblong, subcoriaceous, obtuse, tridenticulate, attenuate below into the petillate base leaf that blooms on 1 to 2, as long or slightly longer than the leaf, racemose, distichous, lightly flexuous, laxly severa l flowered inflorescence arising through an arcuate spathe and with cucullate, acuminate, wide floral bracts.

Synonyms Stelis elliptica Ames & C.Schweinf. 1925; Stelis leptophylla Schltr. 1923

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Repert. Sp. Nov. Regni. Veg. Beih. 19: 174. Costa Rica Schlechter 1923 as Stelis leptophylla; Venezuelan Orchids Illustrated Vol 4 Dunsterville & Garay 1966 drawing good; Flora de Venezuela Volumen 15 Parte 2 Foldats 1970 drawing ok; Orchids of Venezuela, An Illustrated Field Guide Vol 3 Dunsterville & Garay 1979 drawing good; Orchids of Venezuela [An illustrated field guide] Vol. 3 Ramiro and Carnevali 2000 drawing good; Flora of the Venezuelan Guayana Vol 7 Steyermark, Berry, Yatskievych and Holst 2003; Orchidaceae Stelis Swartz A Compendium Duque 2008

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