Stelis vulpecula Luer & R.Escobar 2016 SECTION Stelis

TYPE Drawing by Carl Luer

LATER

Common Name The Little Fox Stelis [Refers to features of the flower]

Flower Size .16" [4 mm]

Found in Antioquia department of Colombia at elevations around 2700 meters as a mini-miniature sized, cold growing, shortly repent-ascending epiphyte with erect, slender ramicauls enveloped by 1 to 2 close, tubular sheaths and carrying a single, apical, erect, thickly coriaceous, narrowly elliptical, acute, narrowing below into the base leaf that blooms in the later spring on an erect, peduncle .6" [1.5 cm] long, arising from the apex of the ramicaul, rachis .8 to 1.6" [2 to 4 cm] long, strict, mostly simultaneoulsy many flowered inflorescence with oblique, acute, shorter than the ovary floral bracts and carrying glabrous flowers with rosy white sepals and a rose colored central apparatus.

"This little species is distinguished by narrowly elliptical leaves borne by much shorter ramicauls that become surpassed by a delicate raceme of tiny flowers. The elliptical sepals, about .04" [1 mm] long, are nearly free; the petals are concave and longer than broad; the acuminate tip of the lip is reminiscent of the pointed nose of a fox." Luer 2016

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ;

*Harvard Pap. Bot. 21: 91 Luer & Escobar 2016 Drawing fide

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------