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

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

LATE EARLY

Common Name The Three Toothed Stelis refers to the tridentate apex of the leaf]

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, cold growing epiphyte with erect to prolific ramicauls enveloped by 2 to 3 tubular sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, elliptical-oblong, obtuse, tridenticulate, attenuate below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the late summer and early fall on 1 to 2, as long or slightly longer than the leaf, racemose, distichous, lightly flexuous, 2.8 to 6" [7 to 15 cm] long including the 1.6 to 2.8" [4 to 7 cm] long peduncle, laxly several flowered inflorescence arising through an arcuate spathe and with cucullate, acuminate, wide floral bracts.

Synonyms Stelis elliptica Ames & C.Schweinf. 1925; Stelis ferax Luer & Hirtz 2002; 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; AOS Bulletin Vol 36 No 9 1967; 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; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXIV Luer 2002 as S ferax drawing fide; Manual de Plantas de Costa Rica Vol 3 Hammel, Grayum, Herrera and Zamora 2003; Flora of the Venezuelan Guayana Vol 7 Steyermark, Berry, Yatskievych and Holst 2003; Orchidaceae Stelis Swartz A Compendium Duque 2008 drawing goood; Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXX Luer 2009 drawing fide

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