Stelis purpurella Luer & Hirtz 2002 SECTION Stelis

TYPE drawing by Carl Luer

Common Name The Little Purple Stelis [refers to the habit of the plant]

Flower Size .24" [6 mm]

Found in Napo province of Ecuador at elevations around 1950 meters as a mini-miniature sized, cool growing, densely caespitose epiphyte with erect, slender ramicauls enveloped by a close tubular sheath and 2 to 3 others at the base and carrying a single, apical, erect, coriaceous, narrowly elliptical, acute to subacute, gradually narrowing below into the petiolate base leaf that blooms in the fall on an erect, peduncle 1.2 to 1.6" [3 to 4 cm] long, arising through a spathe .12" [3 mm] long, from an annulus below the apex of the ramicaul, rachis 1.6 to 2" [4 to 5 cm] long, congested, distichous, successively several, many flowered inflorescence with oblique, acute, shorter than the ovary floral bracts and carrying flowers with expanded, purple, shortly pubescent sepals, purple, transversely oblong, subtruncate petals and a purple, thickly triangular lip.

"The species is distinguished by the small habit with short ramicauls bearing considerably longer, very narrow leaves that are surpassed by a congested raceme of small, purple flowers. The flowers as well as the plant are similar to S muscifera but the floral bracts are considerably smaller in S purpurella. The transvedrsely ovate sepals are deeply connate, and minutely pubescent within as well as three veined." 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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