Scaphosepalum translucens Luer & Hirtz 2013 SECTION Leiocaulium Luer 1988

TYPE Drawing by © Carl Luer

LATE EARLY

Common Name or Meaning The Transluscent Scaphosepalum [refers to the ill-defined callosities of the lateral sepals]

Flower Size .2" [5 mm]

Found in Napo province of Ecuador at eleavtions around 800 meters as a mini-miniature sized, warm growing, caespitose epiphyte with slender, erect ramicauls enveloped by 2 to 3 tubular sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, narrowly elliptical, subacute to acute, gradually narrowing below intothe indistinct petiolate base leaf that blooms in the late summer and early fall on an horizontal to ascending, arising low on the ramicaul, filimentaceous peduncle 3.2 to 3.6" [8 to 9 cm] long, rachis flexible, filimentaceous, to 4.8" [12 cm] long, distant .8 to 1.2" [2 to 3 cm] between each, successively single, few flowered inflorescence with as long as the pedicel floral bracts and carrying a flower with yellow with a light orange suffusion above, microscopically cellular pubescent within, fleshy sepals, yellow petals and a yellow lip.

"This species is most closely allied to Scaphosepalum pleurothallodes Luer & Hirtz, but differs in the weak, elongated, distantly few flowered raceme. The flowers are superficially similar with minute tails of the lateral sepals, but the cushions are merely translucent thickenings with indistinct margins. The apex of the petals is acute rather than obtuse and tri-apiculate as it is in S. pleurothallodes. The lip of the two species is basically similar, differing markedly from those of the usual species of Scaphosepalum." Luer 2013

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; *Harvard Papers in Botany, Vol. 18, No. 2, pp. 173 to 196 2013 MISCELLANEOUS NEW SPECIES IN THE PLEUROTHALLIDINAE (ORCHIDACEAE) Carlyle A. Luer & Lisa Thoerle drawing fide;

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