Stelis hyacinthalis Luer & R.Escobar 2017 SECTION Stelis

TYPE Drawing by © Carl Luer and Harvard Pap. Bot. 22: 94 Luer 2017

Common Name The Hyacinth Stelis [referring to the appearance of the inflorescence.]

Flower Size .12" [3 mm]

Found in Tolima department of Colombia at elevations around 2930 meters as a miniature to small sized, cold growing, densely caespitose epiphyte with stout, erect ramicauls enveloped by a tubular sheath near the middle and another 2 at the base and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, elliptical, subacute, cuneate below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the spring on 4 to 6, simultaneous, erect, arising througha broad spathe from a node below the apex of the ramicaul, flowering from the base, 1.2 to 2" [3 to 5 cm] long, erect, strict, congested, distichous, mostly simultaneously, many flowered inflorescence with tubular, subacute, as long as the pedicel floral bracts and carrying flowers with dark purple sepals, yellow petals and a yellow lip.

"This species is similar to Stelis chocoënsis O.Duque from the Western Cordillera, but Stelis hyacinthalis from the Central Cordillera differs by a stronger habit with thicker, proportionately shorter ramicauls, wider leaves, and flowers with glabrous sepals and smooth-margined petals. The lip differs in being half as long with a curved, intact bar without a glenion." Luer 2017

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

* Harvard Pap. Bot. 22: 94 Luer 2017 Drawing fide

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