Stelis protracta Luer & Hirtz 2002 SECTION Stelis

TYPE drawing by Carl Luer

LATE EARLY

Common Name The Protracted Stelis [refers to the elongated rachis]

Flower Size .2" [5 mm]

Found in El Oro province of Ecuador at elevations around 830 meters as a mini-miniature sized, warm growing, ascending-caespitose epiphyte with erect, stout ramicauls enveloped by 2 to 3 tubular sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, narrowly elliptical, acute to subacute, narrowly cuneate below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the late summer and early fall on an erect, peduncle 2 to 2.8" [5 to 7 cm] long, from an annulus below the apex of the ramicaul, witha few bracts, rachis 4 to 6" [10 to 15 cm] long, strict, distichous, sublax, successively several to many, many flowered inflorescence with tubular, shorter than the ovary floral bracts and carrying flowers with purple, ciliate, expanded, shortly pubescent within sepals, dark purple, transversely ovate, shallowly concave petals and a dark purple, thick, transversely subquadrate lip.

"The species is related to Stelis argetata but S protracta is distinguished by the long, slender, strict, distantly flowered except at the tip raceme. THe flowers are much smaller than S argentata. With the lip is most ditinctive, being covered by microscopic, spiculate prickles and the bar is similar but instead of a long narrow glenion it is minute and round below the middle of the anterior surface." 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 2002 drawing fide;

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