Stelis elegantissima J.M.Murillo, Rom.Cec. & Karremans 2021 SECTION Stelis

TYPE Drawing of S crascens by © Carl Luer

Common Name The Most Elegant Stelis [refers to the stalked stigmatic lobes]

Flower Size .16" [4 mm]

Found in Antioquia department of Colombia at elevations around 2350 meters as a miniature to small sized, cold growing, densely caespitose epiphyte with erect, very slender ramicauls enveloped by a close, tubular sheath below the middle and another 2 below and at the base and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, narrowly linear-ovate, acute, narrowly cuneate below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the spring on 2 to 4, arising through a spathe from a node below the apex of the ramicaul, peduncle 2" [5 cm], rachis to 1.6 to 3.6" [4 to 9 cm] long, erect, congested, distichous, mostly simultaneously many flowered inflorescence with tubular, obtuse, close, shorter than the ovary floral bracts and carrying red-purple flowers.

"This slender, comparatively graceful species is related to Stelis lindenii Lindl., and distinguished by very slender, densely caespitose ramicauls with narrowly linear-ovate leaves, and fascicles of small-flowered, secund racemes about as long as the leaf. The petals are thick and three veined, and the lip is type A with a cleft, more or less protruding bar." Luer 2016

The name S. crascens Luer & Escobar in Luer (2016a) despite not being identical to the earlier S. cracens Luer & Hirtz in Luer & Thoerle (2013: 65) is too similar and likely to be confused. Both belong to S. subgen. Stelis and are derived from the same Latin word. As homonyms, the latter name is invalid under Art 53.2 and requires a new name. The new name refers to these most elegant and slender plants." Karremans etal 2021

Synonyms Stelis crascens Luer & R.Escobar 2016

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

*Harvard Pap. Bot. 21: 65 Luer & Escobar 2016 drawing fide

Phytotaxa 496: 137 J.M.Murillo, Rom.Cec. & Karremans 2021

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------