Stelis pilosissima Luer 2004 SECTION Stelis
TYPE drawing by Carl Luer
Common Name The Hairiest Stelis [refers to the pubescent sepals]
Flower Size .36" [9 mm]
Found in Pastaza province of Ecuador at elevations around 1350 meters as a mini-miniature sized, cool growing, caespitose epiphyte with erect, slender ramicauls enveloped by 2 to 3 tubular sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, elliptical-obovate, subacute to obtuse, cuneate below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the fall on a suberect, peduncle .4" [1 cm] long, from an annulus below the apex of the ramicaul, rachis 1.6 to 2.4" [4 to 7 cm] long, distichous, sublax, successively 1 to few, several flowered inflorescence with oblique, obtuse, inflated, as long as to longer than the ovary floral bracts and carrying purple flowers with glabrous externally, diffusely and densely pubescent within sepals, transversely oblong petals and a short, but thick, subquadrate lip.
"The species is distinguished by the small, caespitise habit with a several flowered raceme that surpasses the elliptical leaves in length. The floral bracts are inflated, the sepals are ovate, obtuse, more or less equal and covered within by a dense pubescence and the petals are thin and concave. The lip is thickly discoid with a minutly pubescent, shallow dorsum." Luer 2002
Synonyms Stelis pilosa Luer & Hirtz 2002 nom. illeg.
References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;
Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXIV A First Century of Stelis of Ecuador Luer 2002 as S pilosa
Icones Pleurothallidinarum Vol XXIV A First Century of Stelis of Ecuador Luer 2002 as S pilosa drawing fide; Native Ecuadorian Orchids Vol 5 Dodson 2004 as S pilosa drawing fide;
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