Stelis cracens Luer & Hirtz 2013 SECTION Stelis

TYPE Drawing by © Carl Luer

Common Name or Meaning The Slender Stelis [refers to the plant habit]

Flower Size .1" [2.5 mm]

Found in Ecuador without locational data as a miniature sized, densely caespitose epiphyte with slender, erect ramicauls enveloped by a tubular sheath from below the middle, and another at the base and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, linear-elliptical, acute, ill-defined, petiolate base leaf that blooms in the fall on an erect, arising from a node at the apex of the ramicaul through a spathe, peduncle .4 to .8" [1 to 2 cm] long, 1.6 to 2.4" [4 to 6 cm] long overall, slender subflexuous, subdense, mostly simultaneously many flowered inflorescence with just shorter to as long as the ovary floral bracts and carrying light green flowers.

"This medium-sized, slender, densely caespitose species of SECTION Stelis is distinguished by nearly linear leaves, and a single, subdensely flowered raceme that approaches the length of the leaf. The flowers are minute with obtuse sepals that are sparsely and finely long-pubescent within, in spite of the minute size, the petals are three-veined; and the type A lip is acute at the apex, with the sides of the bar swollen on either side of a lesser central swelling, and a small, rounded callus on the dorsum." 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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