Stelis minutissima Luer 2002 SECTION Stelis

TYPE drawing by Carl Luer

LATE EARLY

Common Name The Smallest Stelis [refers to the small plant habit]

Flower Size .08" [2 mm]

Found in Azuay province of Ecuador at elevations around 3000 meters as a mini-miniature sized, cold growing, caespitose epiphyte with erect, slender ramicauls enveloped 2 tubular sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, elliptical, subacute to obtuse, cuneate below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the late summer and early fall on an erect, peduncle .72 to .88" [1.8 to 2.2 cm] long, from an annulus below the apex of the ramicaul, rachis .2" [5 mm] long, congested, successively single, 3 to 4 flowered inflorescence with tubular, as long as the ovary floral bract and carrying minute dull white flowers with fleshy, glabrous externally, sparsely ciliate within sepals, thin petals and a thickly, subovoid lip.

"The species is distinguished by the minute, caespitose plant with small flowers. The flowers are borne slowly in a three to four flowered raceme. It is similar vegetatively to Stelis exigua, but it has a longer, more congested raceme. The sepals are thickly ciliate within the margins, the petals are thin and single veined and the minute lip is concave anteriorly and callous on the dorsum." Luer 2002

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

* Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXIV A First Century of Stelis of Ecuador Luer 2002

Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXIV A First Century of Stelis of Ecuador Luer 2002drawing fide;

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