Rodrigo Escobar Restrepo

1935-2009

Rodrigo Escobar was the fifth son of a successful mining engineer of an old,

respected Colombian family in Medellin. His grandmother, Leopoldina Restrepo

de Restrepo, a distant relative of the Restrepo for whom the genus Restrepia Kunth

was named, was responsible for his early childhood love of orchids. Later, he

shared an interest in orchids with his brother Gilberto. Rodrigo was editor of

Orquideologia, the world-renowned publication of the Medellin Orchid Society,

from 1975 to 2000, during which time 28 issues were published.

About 1977, Rodrigo became associated with Colomborquideas, the prestig¬

ious orchid nursery in the mountains above Medellin. He directed many award¬

winning exhibits in the annual Medellin orchid shows. He was most interested in

the genera Masdevallia Ruiz & Pav. and Lepanthes Sw., for which he became the

foremost authority of his time. He wanted to publish books on these genera with

photographs of the Colombian species. He had a collection of a few hundred slides

when he invited me to Medellin in 1977.

During the next 25 years we made many trips through all three cordilleras of

Colombia, seeking the old species that were lost and adding new ones. One of our

most memorable trips was to La Baja in the Eastern Cordillera, searching for

Masdevallia buccinator Rchb. f. & Warsz., which was known only from two her¬

barium specimens collected by Louis Schlim in 1848 and 1849. Rodrigo’s account

can be read in the October 1983 volume of Orquideologia. On the same trip, we

also found Masdevallia mastodon Rchb. f., which had not been seen since it was

first discovered. New species of Masdevallia were published in Orquideologia, and

new species of Lepanthes were published in Orquideologia and the American

Orchid Society Bulletin.

Rodrigo was editor of the six-volume series entitled Native Colombian

Orchids; he was co-author of the seven-volume series Thesaurus Dracularum; and

he was co-author of many new species of pleurothallids during the last 35 years.

The pleurothallid genus Rodrigoa Braas bears his name, as well as species in the

following orchid genera: Brachionidium Lindl., Chondrorhyncha Lindl. ( Chondro-

scaphe [Dressier] Senghas & G. Gerlach), Condylago Luer, Dichaea Lindl.,

Dryadella Luer, Epidendrum L v Gongora Ruiz & Pav., Kefersteinia Rchb. £,

Lepanthes, Macroclinium Barb. Rodr., Pleurothallis R. Br. {Acianthera Scheidw.,

Acronia C. Presl), Polycycnis Rchb. f., Porroglossum Schltr., Restrepia , and Scelo-

chilus Klotzsch ( Comparettia Poepp. & Endl.). When not busy with orchids, he

was a champion bridge player, a meticulous photographer, an expert in genealogy,

and a connoisseur of opera and antiques.

With great pleasure, this volume is dedicated to Rodrigo Escobar.

Carlyle A. Luer

Reading clockwise from Lepanthes rodrigoi Luer at top center and right: a Rodrigoa ,

Acianthera rodrigoi (Luer) Luer, Dryadella rodrigoi Luer, Restrepia escobariana Luer,

and Condylago rodrigoi Luer.

CONTENTS

Lepanthes quadricornis Luer & R. Escobar.Frontispiece

The genus Lepanthes in Colombia

Introduction.1

Keys to the species of Lepanthes of Colombia.13

Descriptions of species.34

Doubtful and excluded species.219

Illustrations.220

References and acknowledgments.296

Index of scientific names.297

Lepanthes quadricornis Luer & R. Escobar, a native of southern Colombia,

cultivated and photographed by Mami Turkel in Santa Rosa,

California, August 2011.

THE GENUS LEPANTHES IN COLOMBIA

(ORCHIDACEAE)

ABSTRACT

Following historical and morphological summaries of the genus Lepanthes Sw. in Colombia, 300

species from Colombia are described and illustrated. A checklist of epithets is included.

New Typifications

Lepanthes pastoensis Schltr. Lepanthes superposita Schltr.

Lepanthes rhombipetala Schltr.

Lepanthes Sw. is one of the largest genera in the Pleurothallidinae, with more

than 700 species distributed from the Antilles and southern Mexico through the

Andes into Bolivia, with only a very few species known from Brazil. The highest

concentration occurs in Colombia and Ecuador. Although most species are local

and endemic, some species are frequent and widely distributed. The vast majority

are recent discoveries from the past several decades, having been overlooked by

earlier collectors focused on gathering commercially valuable plants.

During the last decades of the eighteenth century, a Spanish expedition to the

region encountered and illustrated species of Lepanthes. The Real Expedicion

Botanica al Nuevo Reino de Granada was chartered by Carlos III in 1783, with

Jose Celestino Mutis as its leader. Mutis directed the production of thousands of

illustrations and notes, including 15 species now in the genus Lepanthes. Unfortu¬

nately, because of repeated political upheavals, this material languished, unpub¬

lished and largely forgotten, until the middle of the twentieth century.

Reichenbach described the first two species of Colombian Lepanthes, L. ionop-

tera and L. wageneri , in 1855, from collections by Hermann Wagener in Norte de

Santander. By the end of the nineteenth century, Reichenbach had added four

more: the widely distributed L. tracheia, the endemic L. carunculigera , and two

poorly understood species, L. costata and L. nubicola.

In 1920, Schlechter listed 19 species of the genus from Colombia, including 10

newly published species of his own. Of the 19, only 13 epithets remain valid in the

genus Lepanthes , and six of these are mysterious because of scanty descriptions,

often with puzzling drawings, and missing specimens. In 1922, Oakes Ames

described Lepanthes mirabilis from a collection made by Pittier in the Pacific low¬

land. In 1924, Schlechter added his final three species; two names are currently

accepted as valid

More than five decades later, Rodrigo Escobar’s interest in the genus kindled

the present-day explosion of activity. Contemporary collectors and collections

include the late Pedro Ortiz Valdivieso, S. J., who included the genus in his inves¬

tigations of the Colombian flora, and Colomborquideas, the Posada family's

renowned nursery in the mountains above Medellin, which contains a remarkable

collection of living material.

This volume contains descriptions of 300 species. It is not complete, but can

serve as a basis for future investigations.

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

peduncle

apical stigma

Fig. 1. Morphology of Lepanthes

width

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

Morphology

All members of the Pleurothallidinae are distinguished by stems (ramicauls)

without pseudobulbs. When Olaf Swartz proposed the genus Lepanthes in 1799, he

included four species with ramicauls clad in tubular, ribbed sheaths with more or

less dilated ostia, with the ribs and rimmed margins of the ostia more or less ciliate

or scabrous. All species of Lepanthes share these lepanthiform sheaths and a race¬

mose inflorescence.

Species in the genus Lepanthes are characterized by a lack of pseudobulbs;

ramicauls enclosed by a series of tubular sheaths varying from coarsely long-

ciliate with broadly dilated ostia to glabrous with simple nondilated ostia, each

bearing a single leaf; the presence of a joint between the ovary and the pedicel; the

petals and lip usually transversely lobed; the lip with the midlobe usually forming

an appendix; the base of the lip adnate to the underside of the footless column; and

the two hard pollinia. Species of Lepanthes are distinguished from members of

other lepanthiform-sheathed genera by a racemose inflorescence bearing flowers

with usually transversely lobed petals, and a lip more or less trilobed with the mid¬

lobe usually modified into a structure called the appendix. The appendix may be

absent, as simple as a filament, or as elaborate as a combination of lobes, glands

and membranes.

Most species of Lepanthes share a caespitose or shortly repent habit, with a few

exhibiting proliferating ramicauls. The inflorescence is always racemose, varying

from congested to lax and from shorter than the leaf to much longer than the leaf.

Typically, the petals are transversely bilobed, with the upper lobes overlying the

dorsal sepal. The lip is usually three-lobed, with the lobes so greatly modified that

describing them requires a special terminology. The “blades” are the thickened lat¬

eral lobes of the lip. These blades are supported by “connectives,” which often lift

the blades above the column, where they may unite or touch. The central part of

the lip from which the connectives arise is the “body,” attached to the column at its

base or above, with or without a claw. The angle of the body between the front

margins of the connectives is the “sinus,” from which or near which the middle

lobe, the “appendix,” originates. Some members of the genus have simpler lips,

lacking blades and the appendix.

The appendix ranges from a single hair to elaborate structures with lobes,

glands and membranes. Investigators have long wondered about the function of

this peculiar organ. This mystery was at least partially dispelled by the obser¬

vations of Blanco and Barboza (Blanco & Barboza 2005), who recorded the

pollination of the Costa Rican Lepanthes glicensteinii Luer. They witnessed male

fungus gnats pollinating this species by genitalic pseudocopulation, lured by the

sexually deceptive flower. The male gnats clasp the appendix while attempting to

copulate with the flower. Most species of Lepanthes share the same general floral

morphology as L. glicensteinii and may share a similar pollination mechanism.

Those species adhering to a different pattern, such as those with a greatly reduced

or absent appendix, or a differently structured labellum, may have a different

pollination mechanism. The habit of bearing flowers on the underside of the leaf

may also be part of a ruse to attract fungus gnat pollinators; the male gnats expect

to find females on the underside of leaves.

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Habitat

Species of Lepanthes generally grow in the filtered light of moist or wet forests

at relatively high altitudes between 1500 and 3000 meters above sea level, where

high humidity and chilly nights are guaranteed. Most frequently, they grow entan¬

gled with mosses and ferns on twigs or small branches, often in sheltered locations

but sometimes in the tops of trees where air movement is most constant. High alti¬

tude elfin cloud forests are particularly rich habitats, meeting all of these require¬

ments. Some of the larger, particularly robust species grow as terrestrials. Most

species respond to cultivation in greenhouses or protected growing areas where

these conditions are duplicated, often growing far more luxuriantly than the

depauperate specimens frequently encountered in the wild.

A Note About Type Citations

In this manuscript, types associated with the valid species are cited with an

initial capital letter, e.g., “Holotype.” Types associated with synonyms, invalid or

illegitimate names are cited with a lowercase initial letter, e.g., “holotype.”

LEPANTHES Sw., Nova Acta Regiae Soc. Sci. Upsal. 6: 85, 1799.

Ety.: From the Greek lepis , “scale,” and anthos, “flower,” because plants of this genus grow on the

bark of trees (translated from the Latin provided by Swartz, 1799: 85).

Lectotype: Lepanthes concinna Sw., Nova Acta Regiae Soc. Sci. Upsal. nom. illeg. superfl. for

Epidendrum ovale Sw. designated by Britton & Wilson, Sci. Surv. Porto Rico 5(2):206 [=

Lepanthes ovalis (Sw.) Fawc. & Rendle, FI. Jamaica 1: 71, 1910],

The genus Lepanthes has been divided into subgenera, sections, subsections,

and series (Luer 1986, 1987a & b, 1993). The series have been discarded (Luer &

Thoerle 2010). Two subgenera are recognized: Lepanthes subgen. Marsipanthes

Luer, with six species in Colombia; and Lepanthes subgen. Lepanthes , with over

290 species. Lepanthes subsect. Bilabiatae Luer and Lepanthes sect. Capri-

mulganae Luer have no known representatives in Colombia. The following sub¬

genera, sections, and subsections are represented in Colombia.

Lepanthes subgen. Marsipanthes Luer, Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard.

15:34, 1986.

Ety.: From the Greek marsipos , “a pouch,” and anthos , “a flower,” for the pouchlike sepaline tube.

Type: Lepanthes ribes Luer, Selbyana 3: 14, 1976.

Plants perennial, small to medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls uni-

foliate, erect, suberect, to more or less horizontal, enclosed by a series of tubular, more or less

imbricating, ribbed sheaths with oblique, dilated ostia, scabrous or ciliate on the thickened margins and

ribs. Leaf erect in relation to the ramicaul, coriaceous, green or dark green, sometimes suffused with

purple, elliptical, subacute to obtuse, shallowly notched with a mucro in the sinus, the base contracted

into a short petiole. Inflorescence a congested, successively few-flowered raceme, borne from near the

base of the leaf to beyond its tip by a slender peduncle, from an annulus near the apex of the ramicaul,

with the flowers resupinate; floral bracts and pedicels short; ovary costate, smooth to serrulate to spicu-

late, trivalvate; sepals variously connate into an inflated tube or a gaping flower; petals thick, fleshy,

variously shaped from transversely ovate to elongate, forked, or clavate; lip small, entire to bilobed

with the sides embracing the column to bilobed with a rudimentary appendix as in the subgenus

Lepanthes , the base connate to the base of the column; column terete, short, the anther, rostellum, and

stigma apical, the anther cap deciduous, 2-celled, the pollinia 2, clavate-pyriform, attached to a

detachable viscidium.

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

The following sections have representative species in Colombia:

Lepanthes sect. Felinae Luer, Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 15: 34,

1986.

Type: Lepanthes felis Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 52(12): 1264, 1983.

Species in this section are characterized by a successively flowered raceme of

showy flowers borne on top of the leaf from near the base to beyond the apex by a

slender peduncle. The petals are erect, thick, and fleshy, sometimes forked. The lip

is bilobed with the lobes surrounding the column as is often seen in Lepanthes

subgen. Lepanthes.

Lepanthes sect. Marsipanthes

Type: Lepanthes ribes Luer, Selby ana, 3(1-2): 14, 1976.

This unispecific section is characterized by a successively flowered raceme of

large inflated flowers borne beyond the leaf by a slender, arching peduncle. The

petals are erect and elongated, and the lip is bilobed.

Lepanthes subgen. Lepanthes

Lepanthes sect. Lepanthes

Syn.: Lepanthes sect. Macrocladae Rchb. f., Xenia Orch. 1: 143, 1858.

Lectotype: Epidendrum ovale Sw., designated by Luer, Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 15:

32, 1986. [= Lepanthes ovalis (Sw). Fawc. & Rendle, FI. Jamaica 1: 71, 1910],

Ety.: From the Greek makrocladium , “a long branch,” referring to the length of the ramicauls as

opposed to the short ramicauls of sect. Brachycladium Rchb. f.

Syn.: Lepanthes sect. Diplocheilus Fawc. & Rendle, FI. Jamaica 1: 67, 1910.

Lectotype: Epidendrum ovale Sw., designated by Luer, Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 15:

32, 1986. [= Lepanthes ovalis (Sw). Fawc. & Rendle, FI. Jamaica 1: 71, 1910],

Ety.: From the Greek diplocheilos , “a double lip,” referring to the blades of the lip.

Syn.: Lepanthes sect. Haplocheilus Fawc. & Rendle, FI. Jamaica 1: 68, 1910.

Lectotype: Lepanthes brevipetala Fawc. & Rendle, designated by Luer, Monogr. Syst. Bot.

Missouri Bot. Gard. 15: 32, 1986.

Ety.: From the Greek haplocheilos , “a single lip,” referring to the undivided lip.

Syn.: Lepanthes sect. Fawcelepanthes Cogn., Orch. Antill. 434, 1910.

Lectotype: Lepanthes brevipetala Fawc. & Rendle, designated by Luer, Monogr. Syst. Bot.

Missouri Bot. Gard. 15: 32, 1986.

Ety.: Named in honor of William Fawcett, investigator of the orchids of Jamaica.

Syn.: Lepanthes sect. Rendlelepanthes Cogn., Orch. Antill. 435, 1910.

Lectotype: Epidendrum ovale Sw. designated by Luer, Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 15:

32, 1986. [= Lepanthes ovalis (Sw). Fawc. & Rendle, FI. Jamaica 1: 71, 1910],

Ety.: Named in honor of Alfred Rendle, investigator of the orchids of Jamaica.

Plants perennial, very small to large, weak to robust, erect to pendent, epiphytic, lithophytic to ter¬

restrial, the rhizome very short to elongate between ramicauls; roots few to many, slender to coarse or

fleshy. Ramicauls ascending to erect, single to proliferating another ramicaul, slender to stout, non-

pseudobulbous, usually longer than the leaf, unifoliate, enclosed by a series of tubular, ribbed,

imbricating sheaths with oblique, more or less dilated ostia, with the ribs and thickened margins of the

ostia usually scabrous or ciliate, with the inflorescence rising with an annular ring (annulus) from near

the apex (the leaf-stem abscission layer). Leaf erect or horizontal in relation to the ramicaul, rarely

deflexed, coriaceous to thinly coriaceous, smooth, ciliate, or spiculate, rarely reticulated, often suffused

with purple, subcircular, ovate to narrowly ovate, elliptical to narrowly elliptical to linear or rarely

terete, the apex acute, obtuse, to rounded, shallowly notched with a mucro in the sinus, the base

rounded, cuneate or narrowly cuneate into a short petiole. Inflorescence racemose, single or fascic¬

ulate, longer or shorter than the leaf, densely or distantly flowered, few- to many-flowered, usually

successive, borne by a slender peduncle either on top of the leaf, behind the leaf, or far beyond the leaf;

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

floral bracts thin and tubular to infundibular, oblique, often ciliate or echinate; pedicels slender to stout,

longer or shorter than the floral bract; ovary smooth or spiculate, trivalvate with the ribs smooth,

carinate or crested; flowers variously colored; sepals conspicuous, usually membranous, glabrous or

pubescent, broad to narrow, obtuse to acute or acuminate, occasionally caudate, free to deeply connate,

1- to 3-veined, rarely more, with margins smooth, ciliate, denticulate, or otherwise irregular; petals

membranous, usually transversely bilobed, occasionally with a marginal process or additional lobes or

rarely only a single lobe, glabrous to pubescent; lip variously trilobed, with the margins of the lateral

lobes most often developed into blades that flank or overlie the column, the portion of the lateral lobe

below the blade is the connective , the middle lobe is variously developed into the appendix , a unique

and extremely variable structure, the central portion of the lip between the two connectives and from

which the appendix arises is the body , the body connate to the base or undersurface of a footless

column; column more or less terete with the apex clavate, the anther dorsal or apical, unhooded, the

rostellum apical, the pollinia 2, yellow, pyriform, with a common viscidium, the stigma single- or bi¬

lobed, apical, subapical, or ventral, the base of the column footless, continuous with the ovary.

The following subsections have representative species in Colombia:

Section Lepanthes subsect. Breves Luer, Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot.

Gard. 61:7, 1996.

Type: Lepanthes monoptera Lindl., J. Bot. [Hooker] E 10, 1834

Species in this subsection are characterized by one-veined lateral sepals.

Section Lepanthes subsect. Lepanthes

Lectotype: Epidendrum ovale Sw. designated by Luer, Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 15:

32, 1986. [= Lepanthes ovalis (Sw). Fawc. & Rendle, FI. Jamaica 1: 71, 1910],

Species in this subsection are characterized by two- to three-veined lateral

sepals.

Summary of the Present Classification of the Genus Lepanthes

I. Lepanthes subgen. Marsipanthes

1. Lepanthes sect. Caprimulginae

2. Lepanthes sect. Felinae

3. Lepanthes sect. Marsipanthes

II. Lepanthes subgen. Lepanthes

1. Lepanthes sect. Lepanthes

a. Lepanthes subsect. Bilabiatae

b. Lepanthes subsect. Breves

c. Lepanthes subsect. Lepanthes

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

Caribbean Sea

Departments

A. Atlantico

Q. Quindio

R. Risaralda

Selected cities and towns

1. Cartagena

2. Barranquilla

3. Santa Marta

4. Ocana

5. Villa Caro

6. Cucuta

7. Bucaramanga

8. Pamplona

9. El Cocuy

10. Moniquira

11. Frontino

12. Quibdo

13. Medellin

Brazil

14. Pereira

15. Ibague

16. Bogota

17. Fusagasuga

18. Villavicencio

19. Cali

20. Buenaventura

21. Popayan

22. Ricaurte

23. Pasto

24. Mocoa

25. Ipiales

26. Leticia

D.F. Distrito Federal

2 6\f

Fig. 2. Political Map of Colombia

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Caribbean Sea

Ecuador

Selected Physical Features

1. Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta

2. Cordillera Occidental

3. Cordillera Central

4. Cordillera Oriental

5. Serrania de Macarena

6. Paramo de Jurisdicciones

7. Paramo de Mefue

8. Paramo de Guasca

9. Paramo de Frontino

10. Paramo de Papas

11. Paramo de Guanacas

12. Paramo de las Delicias

13. Volcan Ruiz

14. Volcan Tolima

15. Volcan Purace

16. Volcan Galeras

17. Volcan Chiles

18. Laguna La Cocha

Fig. 3. Physical Map of Colombia

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

Illustrations of species of Lepanthes attributed to Colombia

Accepted species are in bold. Synonyms are in italics.

Fig. 1. Lepanthes abortiva Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 2. Lepanthes acarina Luer

Fig. 3. Lepanthes aciculifolia Luer

Fig. 4. Lepanthes acrogenia Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 5. Lepanthes acutissima Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 6. Lepanthes aduncata Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 7. Lepanthes affinis Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 8. Lepanthes aggeris Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 9. Lepanthes agglutinata Luer

Syn.: Lepanthes porphyrea Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 10. Lepanthes aguirrei Luer

Fig. 11. Lepanthes alcicornis Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 12. Lepanthes alkaia Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 13. Lepanthes alvarezii P. Ortiz

Fig. 14. Lepanthes amplior Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 15. Lepanthes amplisepala Luer & R.

Escobar

Fig. 16. Lepanthes anatina Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 17. Lepanthes anchorifera Luer

Fig. 18. Lepanthes andrenoglossa Rchb. f.

Fig. 19. Lepanthes anemica Luer & Thoerle

Fig. 20. Lepanthes anserina Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 21. Lepanthes antennata Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 22. Lepanthes antennifera Luer & R.

Escobar

Fig. 23. Lepanthes aperta Luer

Fig. 24. Lepanthes aquila-borussiae Rchb. f.

Syn.: Lepanthes rabei Foldats

Fig. 25. Lepanthes arbuscula Luer & R. Escobar

Lepanthes arethusa Luer & R. Escobar =

Lepanthes venusta Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 26. Lepanthes argentata Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 27. Lepanthes aries Luer

Fig. 28. Lepanthes aristata Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 29. Lepanthes athena Luer

Fig. 30. Lepanthes atomifera Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 31. Lepanthes auditor Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 32. Lepanthes aures-asini Luer & R.

Escobar

Fig. 33. Lepanthes auriculata Luer

Lepanthes auspicata Luer & R. Escobar =

Lepanthes satyrica Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 34. Lepanthes ballatrix Luer

Fig. 35. Lepanthes barclaya Luer & Thoerle

Fig. 36. Lepanthes beatrizae Luer & R. Escobar

Lepanthes bifurcata Luer & R. Escobar =

Lepanthes georgii Luer

Fig. 37. Lepanthes biglomeris Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 38. Lepanthes biloba Lindl.

Syn.: Lepanthes otostalix Rchb. f.

Syn.: Lepanthes peniculus Luer

Syn.: Lepanthes metaxy Luer & Hirtz

Fig. 39. Lepanthes binaria Luer & Hirtz

Fig. 40. Lepanthes bipinnatula Luer & R.

Escobar

Fig. 41. Lepanthes bitriangularis Luer & R.

Escobar

Fig. 42. Lepanthes boyacensis Luer & R.

Escobar

Fig. 43. Lepanthes brevipedicellata Luer, R.

Escobar & Thoerle

Fig. 44. Lepanthes cacique-tone Luer & R.

Escobar

Fig. 45. Lepanthes cactoura Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 46. Lepanthes caesariata Luer & R. Escobar

Lepanthes caetanoae O. Perez, E. Parra

& Kolan. = Lepanthes declivis Luer &

R. Escobar

Fig. 47. Lepanthes calimae P. Ortiz

Fig. 48. Lepanthes callisto Luer & Hirtz

Fig. 49. Lepanthes calodictyon Hook.

Fig. 50. Lepanthes canaliculata Luer & R.

Escobar

Fig. 51. Lepanthes carrilloi Luer & Thoerle

Fig. 52. Lepanthes carunculigera Rchb. f.

Lepanthes caucana Schltr. = Lepanthes

tracheia Rchb. f.

Fig. 53. Lepanthes caudata Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 54. Lepanthes caudatisepala C. Schweinf.

Fig. 55. Lepanthes cerambyx Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 56. Lepanthes cercion Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 57. Lepanthes chelonion Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 58. Lepanthes chimaera Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 59. Lepanthes chocoensis Luer & Thoerle

Fig. 60. Lepanthes cincinnata Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 61. Lepanthes cingens Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 62. Lepanthes clausa Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 63. Lepanthes climax Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 64. Lepanthes cocculifera Luer & R.

Escobar

Fig. 65. Lepanthes cogolloi Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 66. Lepanthes conchyliata Luer

Fig. 67. Lepanthes confusa Ames & C. Schweinf.

Fig. 68. Lepanthes contingens Luer

Fig. 69. Lepanthes cordata Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 70. Lepanthes cornualis Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 71. Lepanthes corrugata Luer & Dalstrom

Fig. 72. Lepanthes cuatrecasasii Luer

Fig. 73. Lepanthes cucullata Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 74. Lepanthes culex Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 75. Lepanthes cuneiformis Luer & R.

Escobar

Fig. 76. Lepanthes cunicularis Luer & R.

Escobar

Fig. 77. Lepanthes cyclochila Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 78. Lepanthes cymbium Luer & R. Escobar

Lepanthes dapaensis P. Ortiz, O. Perez &

E. Parra = Lepanthes tomentosa Luer

Fig. 79. Lepanthes darioi Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 80. Lepanthes dasyura Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 81. Lepanthes debedoutii P. Ortiz

Fig. 82. Lepanthes debilis Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 83. Lepanthes declivis Luer & R. Escobar

Syn.: Lepanthes caetanoae O. Perez, E. Parra

& Kolan.

Fig. 84. Lepanthes deficiens Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 85. Lepanthes deformis Luer & Hirtz

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Fig. 86. Lepanthes deliciasensis Luer & R.

Escobar

Fig. 87. Lepanthes deutera Luer & Thoerle

Fig. 88. Lepanthes dewildei Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 89. Lepanthes diabolica Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 90. Lepanthes dicyrtopetala Luer & Hirtz

Fig. 91. Lepanthes didactyla Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 92. Lepanthes discolor Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 93. Lepanthes dodsonii Luer

Fig. 94. Lepanthes dolabrata Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 95. Lepanthes dryades Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 96. Lepanthes dumbo Luer

Fig. 97a., 97b. Lepanthes dunstervilleorum

Foldats

Syn.: Lepanthes hispida Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 98. Lepanthes echidion Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 99. Lepanthes ectopa Luer

Fig. 100. Lepanthes edwardsii Ames

Fig. 101. Lepanthes effusa Schltr.

Syn.: Lepanthes millei Schltr.

Fig. 102a., 102b. Lepanthes elata Rchb. f.

Syn.: Lepanthes oteroi Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 103. Lepanthes elephantina Luer & R.

Escobar

Fig. 104. Lepanthes elongata Luer & Hirtz

Fig. 105. Lepanthes equicalceolata Luer & R.

Escobar

Fig. 106. Lepanthes eros Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 107. Lepanthes erythrocles Luer & R.

Escobar

Fig. 108. Lepanthes escifera Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 109. Lepanthes escobariana Garay

Fig. 110. Lepanthes eucerca Luer & Thoerle

Fig. 111. Lepanthes exaltata Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 112. Lepanthes felis Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 113. Lepanthes ferax Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 114. Lepanthes fibulifera Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 115. Lepanthes fUamentosa Luer & Hirtz

Fig. 116. Lepanthes focalis Luer

Fig. 117. Lepanthes fonnegrae Luer & R.

Escobar

Fig. 118. Lepanthes forceps Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 119. Lepanthes foreroi P. Ortiz, O. Perez &

E. Sanchez

Fig. 120. Lepanthes foveata Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 121. Lepanthes furcata Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 122. Lepanthes gargantua Rchb. f.

Syn.: Lepanthes pachyrhiza Luer & Hirtz

Fig. 123. Lepanthes gelata Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 124. Lepanthes gemina Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 125. Lepanthes georgii Luer

Syn.: [= Lepanthes bifurcata Luer & R.

Escobar]

Fig. 126. Lepanthes giraldoi Luer

Lepanthes gnoma Luer & Hirtz =

Lepanthes lilliputae Luer & R.

Escobar

Fig. 127. Lepanthes golondrina Luer & R.

Escobar

Fig. 128. Lepanthes grildrig Luer & R. Escobar

Lepanthes guaduasensis Luer & R.

Escobar = Lepanthes macrostylis

Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 129. Lepanthes guanacasensis Luer & R.

Escobar

Fig. 130. Lepanthes gustavoi Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 131. Lepanthes guttula-sanguinis Luer & R.

Escobar

Fig. 132. Lepanthes habenifera Luer & R.

Escobar

Fig. 133. Lepanthes helgae Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 134. Lepanthes helicocephala Rchb. f.

Fig. 135. Lepanthes hemirhoda Garay

Fig. 136. Lepanthes heptapus Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 137. Lepanthes heteroloba Luer, R. Escobar

& Thoerle

Fig. 138. Lepanthes hexapus Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 139. Lepanthes hirpex Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 140. Lepanthes hirsutula Luer & Hirtz

Fig. 141. Lepanthes hirtzii Luer

Lepanthes hispida Luer & R. Escobar =

Lepanthes dunstervilleorum Foldats

Fig. 142. Lepanthes hortensis Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 143. Lepanthes hubeinii Luer

Fig. 144. Lepanthes hurgo Luer & Behar

Fig. 145. Lepanthes hyphosa Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 146. Lepanthes ictalurus Luer

Fig. 147. Lepanthes illex Luer

Fig. 148. Lepanthes imbricans Luer & R.

Escobar

Fig. 149. Lepanthes imposita Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 150. Lepanthes impotens Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 151. Lepanthes insolita Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 152. Lepanthes intonsa Luer

Fig. 153. Lepanthes ionoptera Rchb. f.

Fig. 154. Lepanthes isochila Luer

Fig. 155. Lepanthes isosceles Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 156. Lepanthes janitor Luer & R. Escobar

Lepanthes janus Luer & R. Escobar =

Lepanthes norae Foldats

Fig. 157. Lepanthes jardinensis Luer & R.

Escobar

Fig. 158. Lepanthes juan-felipei Luer & Thoerle

Fig. 159. Lepanthes jubata Luer

Fig. 160. Lepanthes labiata Luer

Fig. 161. Lepanthes lacera Luer & Thoerle

Fig. 162. Lepanthes larvina Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 163. Lepanthes lasiopetala Garay &

Dunst.

Fig. 164. Lepanthes ligiae Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 165. Lepanthes lilliputae Luer & R. Escobar

Syn.: Lepanthes gnoma Luer & Hirtz

Fig. 166. Lepanthes limbata Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 167. Lepanthes linealis Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 168. Lepanthes lingulosa Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 169. Lepanthes lycocephala Luer & R.

Escobar

Fig. 170. Lepanthes macdougalii Luer & Thoerle

Fig. 171. Lepanthes macrantha Garay

Fig. 172. Lepanthes macrostylis Luer & R.

Escobar

Syn.: Lepanthes guaduasensis Luer & R.

Escobar

Lepanthes macroura Schltr. =

Lepanthes mucronata Lindl.

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

Fig. 173. Lepanthes manabina Dodson

Syn.: Lepanthes mastodon Luer

Fig. 174. Lepanthes maria-victoriae Luer &

Thoerle

Fig. 175. Lepanthes marthae Luer & R. Escobar

Lepanthes mastodon Luer = Lepanthes

manabina Dodson

Fig. 176. Lepanthes matisii Luer, Thoerle & P.

Ortiz

Fig. 177. Lepanthes medinae Luer & Thoerle

Fig. 178. Lepanthes medusa Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 179. Lepanthes mefueensis Luer & R.

Escobar

Fig. 180. Lepanthes meleagris Luer & R.

Escobar

Lepanthes mesochlora Rchb. f. =

Lepanthes mucronata Lindl.

Lepanthes metaxy Luer & Hirtz =

Lepanthes biloba Lindl.

Fig. 181. Lepanthes micellilabia Luer & R.

Escobar

Fig. 182. Lepanthes micronyx Luer & R.

Escobar

Fig. 183. Lepanthes microscopica Luer & R.

Escobar

Lepanthes millei Schltr. = Lepanthes

effusa Schltr.

Fig. 184. Lepanthes mirabilis Ames

Fig. 185. Lepanthes mirador Luer & Hirtz

Fig. 186. Lepanthes monitor Luer

Fig. 187. Lepanthes monoptera Lindl.

Syn.: Lepanthes roseola Rchb. f.

Fig. 188. Lepanthes mucronata Lindl.

Syn.: Lepanthes macroura Schltr.

Syn.: Lepanthes mesochlora Rchb. f.

Syn.: Lepanthes tricuspis Schltr.

Fig. 189. Lepanthes muscula Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 190. Lepanthes myoxophora Luer & R.

Escobar

Fig. 191. Lepanthes nautilus Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 192. Lepanthes nematodes Luer & R.

Escobar

Fig. 193 Lepanthes nematostele Luer

Fig. 194. Lepanthes nicolasii Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 195. Lepanthes niesseniae Luer

Fig. 196. Lepanthes niphas Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 197a., 197b. Lepanthes norae Foldats

Syn.: Lepanthes janus Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 198. Lepanthes nulla Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 199. Lepanthes obovata Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 200. Lepanthes octavioi Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 201. Lepanthes octopus Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 202. Lepanthes ollaris Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 203. Lepanthes opetidion Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 204. Lepanthes ophelma Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 205. Lepanthes oreibates Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 206. Lepanthes orion Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 207. Lepanthes ortiziana O. Perez, E. Parra

& Kolan.

Fig. 208. Lepanthes oscillifera Luer & R.

Escobar

Fig. 209. Lepanthes osiris Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 210. Lepanthes ostraconopetala Luer &

Hirtz

Lepanthes oteroi Luer & R. Escobar =

Lepanthes elata Rchb. f.

Lepanthes otostalix Rchb. f. =

Lepanthes biloba Lindl.

Fig. 211. Lepanthes oxybaphon Luer & R.

Escobar

Fig. 212. Lepanthes oxypetala Luer & Hirtz

Fig. 213. Lepanthes pachoi Luer & R. Escobar

Lepanthes pachyrhiza Luer & Hirtz =

Lepanthes gargantua Rchb. f.

Fig. 214. Lepanthes palaga Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 215. Lepanthes panope Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 216. Lepanthes parmata Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 217. Lepanthes pastoensis Schltr.

Fig. 218. Lepanthes penicillifera Luer

Syn.: [= Lepanthes scopulifera Luer 2003 (non

Luer & R. Escobar 1997)]

Lepanthes peniculus Luer = Lepanthes

biloba Lindl.

Fig. 219. Lepanthes perdita Luer & Hirtz

Fig. 220. Lepanthes petalolenta Luer & R.

Escobar

Fig. 221. Lepanthes petalopteryx Luer & R.

Escobar

Fig. 222. Lepanthes phalloides Luer & R.

Escobar

Fig. 223. Lepanthes pictoris Luer & Thoerle

Fig. 224. Lepanthes pilosiaures Luer & R.

Escobar

Fig. 225. Lepanthes pinnatula Luer & R.

Escobar

Fig. 226. Lepanthes planadensis Luer & R.

Escobar

Fig. 227. Lepanthes plectilis Luer & Hirtz

Fig. 228. Lepanthes pleurorachis Luer

Fig. 229. Lepanthes pleurothallopsis Luer & R.

Escobar

Fig. 230. Lepanthes popayanensis Luer & R.

Escobar

Lepanthes porphyrea Luer & R. Escobar

= Lepanthes agglutinata Luer

Fig. 231. Lepanthes porracea Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 232. Lepanthes posadae Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 233. Lepanthes praemorsa Luer & R.

Escobar

Fig. 234. Lepanthes profusa Luer & Hirtz

Fig. 235. Lepanthes prolifera Foldats

Fig. 236. Lepanthes pterygion Luer & R.

Escobar

Fig. 237. Lepanthes pyramidalis Luer & R.

Escobar

Fig. 238. Lepanthes quadricornis Luer & R.

Escobar

Fig. 239. Lepanthes quandi Luer & R. Escobar

Lepanthes rabei Foldats = Lepanthes

aquila-borussiae Rchb. f.

Fig. 240. Lepanthes ramosii Luer

Fig. 241. Lepanthes reburra Luer & Thoerle

Fig. 242. Lepanthes refracta Luer

Fig. 243. Lepanthes renzii Luer

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Fig. 244. Lepanthes repens Luer

Fig. 245. Lepanthes reticulata Luer & R.

Escobar

Fig. 246. Lepanthes rhombipetala Schltr.

Fig. 247. Lepanthes rhynchion Luer

Fig. 248. Lepanthes ribes Luer

Fig. 249. Lepanthes ricaurtensis Luer & R.

Escobar

Fig. 250. Lepanthes rodrigoi Luer

Fig. 251. Lepanthes roezliana Luer & R. Escobar

Lepanthes roseola Rchb. f. = Lepanthes

monoptera Lindl.

Fig. 252. Lepanthes rutrum Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 253. Lepanthes saccata Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 254. Lepanthes satyrica Luer & Hirtz

Syn.: Lepanthes auspicata Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 255. Lepanthes scalaris Luer

Fig. 256. Lepanthes scopulifera Luer & R.

Escobar(1997)

Lepanthes scopulifera Luer (2003) =

Lepanthes penicillifera Luer

Fig. 257. Lepanthes sericinitens Luer & R.

Escobar

Fig. 258. Lepanthes setifera Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 259. Lepanthes silverstonei Luer

Fig. 260. Lepanthes sinuosa Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 261. Lepanthes skeleton Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 262. Lepanthes smaragdina Luer & R.

Escobar

Fig. 263. Lepanthes solicitor Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 264. Lepanthes spelynx Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 265. Lepanthes stelidilabia Luer & R.

Escobar

Fig. 266. Lepanthes stellaris Luer & Hirtz

Fig. 267. Lepanthes steyermarkii Foldats

Fig. 268. Lepanthes strumosa Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 269. Lepanthes stupenda Luer

Fig. 270. Lepanthes subulata Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 271. Lepanthes superposita Schltr.

Fig. 272. Lepanthes tachirensis Foldats

Fig. 273. Lepanthes tamaensis Foldats

Fig. 274. Lepanthes tanekes Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 275. Lepanthes telipogoniflora Schuit. & A.

de Wilde

Fig. 276. Lepanthes tetracola Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 277. Lepanthes tibouchinicola Luer & R.

Escobar

Fig. 278. Lepanthes tomentosa Luer

Syn.: Lepanthes dapaensis P. Ortiz, O. Perez

& E. Parra

Fig. 279. Lepanthes tracheia Rchb. f.

Syn.: [= Lepanthes caucana Schltr.]

Fig. 280. Lepanthes transparens Luer

Fig. 281. Lepanthes trichocaulis Luer & R.

Escobar

Lepanthes tricuspis Schltr. =

Lepanthes mucronata Lindl.

Fig. 282. Lepanthes trifurcata Luer & R.

Escobar

Fig. 283. Lepanthes trimerinx Luer

Fig. 284. Lepanthes trinaria Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 285. Lepanthes troglodytes Luer & R.

Escobar

Fig. 286. Lepanthes troxis Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 287. Lepanthes tsubotae Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 288a., 288b. Lepanthes umbonata Luer &

R. Escobar

Fig. 289. Lepanthes uncifera Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 290. Lepanthes uribei Luer

Fig. 291. Lepanthes valenciae Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 292. Lepanthes vellicata Luer & Hirtz

Fig. 293. Lepanthes venusta Luer & R. Escobar

Syn.: Lepanthes arethusa Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 294. Lepanthes viahoensis Luer & R.

Escobar

Fig. 295. Lepanthes vibrissa Luer & Hirtz

Fig. 296. Lepanthes vieirae Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 297. Lepanthes volvox Luer & R. Escobar

Fig. 298. Lepanthes wageneri Rchb. f.

Fig. 299. Lepanthes yubarta E. Calderon

Fig. 300. Lepanthes zapatae Luer & R. Escobar

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

Key to the Subgenera, Sections, and Subsections of Lepanthes

Represented in Colombia

1 Sepals variously connate into an inflated tube or a gaping flower; petals 1-lobed

or with a vestigial lower lobe, with the upper lobe thick and erect (subgen.

Marsipanthes)

2 Sepals deeply connate into an inflated flower borne far beyond the leaf by an

elongated, arching peduncle.sect. Marsipanthes

2' Sepals variously connate, not an inflated flower borne far beyond the

leaf. sect. Felinae

1' Sepals variously connate, petals not as above (subgen. Lepanthes)

3 Lateral sepals 1-veined.subsect. Breves

3' Lateral sepals 2- or 3-veined.subsect. Lepanthes

Key to the Species of Lepanthes

Key to the species of Lepanthes subgen. Marsipanthes

Lepanthes subgen. Marsipanthes

Characterized by thick, fleshy, erect petals.

1 Sepals deeply connate into an inflated flower, borne far beyond the leaf by an

elongated, arching peduncle (sect. Marsipanthes) . L. ribes

V Sepals gaping, flower not borne far beyond the leaf by an elongated, arching

peduncle (sect. Felinae)

2 Raceme shorter than the leaf; petals transversely bilobed. L. niesseniae

2' Raceme as long or longer than the leaf; petals not transversely bilobed

3 Petals oblong, not forked

4 Lateral sepals ovate, acute; lip with lobes ovate, obtuse, connate to the column

above the base. L. felis

4' Lateral sepals broadly ovate, contracted into slender caudae; lip horseshoe¬

shaped, connate to the base of the column. L. equicalceolata

y Petals forked

5 Petals forked above the middle. L. carunculigera

5' Petals forked from near the base. L. quadricornis

Keys to the Species of Lepanthes Sect. Lepanthes

Lepanthes subsect. Breves

Characterized by 1-veined lateral sepals.

1 Peduncle longer than the leaf

2 Sepals long-attenuate or long-caudate

3 Sepals abruptly contracted into long caudae; lip 4-lobed, H-shaped..Z. trimerinx

y Sepals long-attenuate; lip not 4-lobed

4 Sepals filamentous; petals bifurcate, filiform. L. filamentosa

4' Sepals narrowly triangular; petals bilobed-lunate. L. grildrig

2' Sepals not long-attenuate or long-caudate

5 Flower not opening widely; dorsal sepal deeply concave, lateral sepals

free. L. cucullata

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

5' Flower opening widely; dorsal sepal flat, lateral sepals connate about half their

length. L. agger is

V Peduncle shorter than the leaf

6 Ramicauls usually 5 cm or less long

7 Lateral sepals with margins denticulate or ciliate

8 Petals with 3 acute lobes; lip with lobes falcate. L. trifurcata

8' Petals transversely bilobed; lip with blades well developed

9 Petals as wide as the length of a sepal, lobes narrowly linear-triangular; lip

with blades narrowly ovate. L. renzii

9' Petals narrower than the length of a sepal, upper lobe triangular or sub falcate-

oblong, lower lobe triangular; lip with blades ovate

10 Inflorescence lax; lip with blades with bases decurved, appendix long,

slender, pedunculate. L. pinnatula

10' Inflorescence congested; lip with blades with bases not decurved, appendix

bifid . . L. vieirae

7' Lateral sepals with margins smooth

11 Dorsal sepal 1-veined

12 Petals wider than the length of a sepal; lip with blades much shorter than

column

13 Sepals narrowly triangular. L. eros

13' Sepals ovate. L. hurgo

12' Petals narrower than the length of a sepal; lip with blades at least as long as

the column

14 Ramicauls less than 2 cm long; lip with blades broadly oblong, with

appendix. L. lilliputae

14' Ramicauls more than 3 cm long; lip with blades narrowly oblong, without

appendix. L. nulla

11' Dorsal sepal 3-veined

15 Lateral sepals deeply connate into a subcircular synsepal with shortly bifid

apices; petals with upper lobe cuneate. L. cuneiformis

15' Lateral sepals connate half their length or less; petals with upper lobe not

cuneate

16 Lateral sepals obtuse; lip 1-lobed with apex retuse. L. labiata

16' Lateral sepals acute or acuminate; lip with blades

17 Petals narrower than the length of a sepal

18 Sepals glabrous; petals with lobes obliquely triangular with a small obtuse

angle on the outer margin. L. linealis

18' Sepals microscopically pubescent; petals with lobes obtusely oblong-

ovate. L. lasiopetala

17' Petals as wide or wider than the length of a sepal. L. mefueensis

6' Ramicauls usually 5 cm or more long

19 Ramicauls usually less than 10 cm long

20 Lateral sepals denticulate

21 Petals with lobes subequal, oblong-ovate. L. reburr a

21' Petals with upper lobe oblong, lower lobe smaller, triangular. L.ferax

20' Lateral sepals with margins smooth

22 Lateral sepals with apices diverging more than 9Ct; petals with lobes

narrowly triangular. L. niphas

22' Lateral sepals with apices diverging less than 90; petals with lobes not

narrowly triangular

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

23 Petals with upper lobe broadly oblong, lower lobe smaller,

triangular. L. hemirhoda

23' Petals with lobes oblong

24 Leaf narrowly elliptical-ovate; inflorescence loose; petals without a small

marginal angle between the lobes. L. macdougalii

24' Leaf ovate; inflorescence subcongested; petals with a small marginal angle

between the lobes. L. cuatrecasasii

19' Ramicauls usually longer than 10 cm

25 Sepals smooth-margined

26 Lateral sepals connate more than half their length, with caudae 2 mm

long. L. bar clay a

26' Lateral sepals nearly free, with apices acute. L. macdougalii

25' Sepals denticulate, may be minutely so

27 Lateral sepals diverging ca. 18(7; lip with apical third lacking

blades. L. tachirensis

27' Lateral sepals diverging 9(7 or less; lip with blades completely developed

28 Petals with upper lobe broadly oblong, lower lobe smaller, narrowly

oblong. L. rhynchion

28' Petals not as above

29 Lateral sepals obtuse; petals with lobes narrowly triangular. L. cornualis

29' Lateral sepals acute; petals with lobes oblong to triangular. L. monoptera

Section Lepanthes subsect. Lepanthes

Characterized by 2- or 3-veined lateral sepals

Key to Convenient Groups

1 Inflorescence loose, the rachis between floral bracts longer than the

pedicels.Key I

1' Inflorescence congested, the rachis between floral bracts shorter than the

pedicels

2 Leaf ciliate, pubescent, verrucose, or obviously reticulate; or very thickly

coriaceous, may be terete or canaliculate; or margins crenulate, undulate, or

erose; or deeply sulcate.Key II

2' Leaf not as above

3 Petals with a marginal process, may be a small apiculum or lobule, or 3 or 4

lobes.Key III

3' Petals lacking a marginal process, with 2 lobes

4 Lateral sepals 3-veined.Key IV

4' Lateral sepals 2-veined

5 Ramicauls 5 cm or less long.Key V

5' Ramicauls longer than 5 cm

6 Ramicauls 5-10 cm long.Key VI

6' Ramicauls 10 cm or more long.Key VII

Key I: Inflorescence loose, the rachis between floral bracts longer than the pedicels

1 Habit prolific

2 Petals with a small marginal angle or apiculum between lobes

3 Petals with upper lobe curved, hornlike. L. osiris

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

3' Petals with upper lobe oblong, end rounded

4 Petals with rounded upper lobe much larger than triangular lower lobe; lip

with blades with ends acute, bases recurved. L. climax

4' Petals with lobes subequal; lip with apices truncate, bases rounded, not

recurved. L. superposita

2' Petals without an angle or apiculum between lobes

5 Sepals forming a concave cup, long-caudate, each 20 mm long. L. chimaera

5' Sepals more or less flat, acute to acuminate, each 15 mm or less long

6 Sepals each 7 mm long. L. scalar is

6' Sepals each ca. 15 mm long

7 Lateral sepals connate more than half their length; lip with blades

oblong. L. amplisepala

7' Lateral sepals connate less than half their length; lip with blades

elliptical. L. arbuscula

V Habit caespitose

8 Plants small in size, ramicauls less than 5 cm long

9 Petals 3- or 1-lobed

10 Sepals transversely ovate, deeply connate into a subcircular flower; petals

with 3 slender lobes. L. telipogoniflora

10' Sepals not forming a subcircular flower; petals 1-lobed

11 Sepals denticulate, narrowly ovate, acute; petals erect, narrowly

linear. L. abortiva

11' Sepals smooth-margined, ovate, long-caudate; petals erect or more or less

horizontal, elliptical. L. mirabilis

9' Petals bilobed

12 Sepals forming a cup

13 Lateral sepals deeply connate to form a broadly ovate, shortly bifid synsepal

with subacute apices

14 Sepals each ca. 15 mm long; lip with blades elliptical, subequal to column

in length. L. escobariana

14' Sepals each ca. 10 mm long; lip with blades narrowly oblong, ca. twice as

long as the column. L. cymbium

13' Lateral sepals not forming a broadly ovate synsepal

15 Sepaline cup globose; lateral sepals sharply deflexed above the

middle. L. erythrocles

15' Sepaline cup bowl-shaped; lateral sepals not sharply deflexed above the

middle

16 Ramicauls 3-7 cm long; leaf 3-4 cm long; petals with upper lobe oblong,

rounded; lip with blades subequal to column in length. L. nautilus

16' Ramicauls 10-15 mm long; leaf 9-12 mm long; petals with lobes narrowly

triangular; lip with blades ca. twice as long as column. L. chelonion

12' Sepals not forming a cup

17 Sepals with margins denticulate, ciliate, irregular, erose, fimbriate,

spiculate, or cristate, may be minutely so

18 Lateral sepals caudate

19 Lateral sepals narrowly triangular; lip with blades narrowly

oblong. L. echidion

19' Lateral sepals ovate; lip with blades ovate to elliptical

20 Ovary sulcate; lateral sepals with margins minutely irregular... L. fonnegrae

20' Ovary with ribs spiculate; lateral sepals with margins fimbriate or

minutely ciliate

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

21 Lateral sepals fimbriate, 2-veined. L. caudata

21' Lateral sepals minutely ciliate, 3-veined. L. beatrizae

18' Lateral sepals not caudate

22 Dorsal sepal concave

23 Each sepal less than 8 mm long; petals with lower lobe long-acuminate,

much longer than upper lobe; column very slender

24 Lip with blades with apices filiform, appendix a minute

apiculum. L. ictalurus

24' Lip with blades with apices rounded, ciliate, appendix

triangular. L. nematostele

23' Each sepal more than 13 mm long; petals with lower lobe not long-

acuminate, lobes subequal in length; column not very slender

25 Flower opening incompletely; lateral sepals deeply connate into a

narrowly ovate, bifid synsepal. L. pleurothallopsis

25' Flower opening completely; lateral sepals concave basally, shallowly

connate, long-attenuate. L. ionoptera

22' Dorsal sepal not concave

26 Petals bifurcate, lobes linear; lip bilobed without blades or with blades

poorly developed

27 Sepals ovate, acuminate; lip with lobes subtriangular. L. debedoutii

27' Sepals long-acuminate; lip bifurcate with lobes narrowly long-

acuminate. L. calimae

26' Petals transversely bilobed, lobes not linear; lip with blades

28 Lateral sepals ca. 16 mm long; petals glabrous. L. tibouchinicola

28' Lateral sepals ca. 11 mm long or less; petals pubescent to long-ciliate

29 Petals long-ciliate; column with a protruding rostellar flap. L. lingulosa

29' Petals pubescent; column without a protruding rostellar flap

30 Sepals each ca. 2.5 mm long; petals with upper lobe truncate... L. acarina

30' Sepals each ca. 5 mm long or more; petals with upper lobe not truncate

31 Pedicels 0.5 mm long; lip with appendix with apical

process. L. brevipedicellata

31' Pedicels 1.5-3.5 mm long; lip with appendix lacking an apical

process. L. norae

17' Sepals with margins smooth

32 Lateral sepals long-caudate

33 Petals with upper lobe much longer than lower lobe; lip with blades

narrowly linear-triangular, acute, acuminate. L. mirabilis

33' Petals with lobes subequal in length; lip with blades oblong with bases

truncate. L. helgae

32' Lateral sepals not long-caudate

34 Lateral sepals connate 3 /4 their length or more

35 Synsepal acute, triangular. L. isochila

35' Synsepal ovate to broadly ovate, shortly bifid

36 Petals with lower lobe narrowly triangular, longer than upper lobe; lip

with blades narrowly oblong with apices acute. L. amplior

36' Petals with lower lobe oblong, shorter or subequal to upper lobe; lip with

blades oblong with apices rounded

37 Synsepal at least as wide as long; lip with blades convex, apices long-

ciliate. L. matisii

37' Synsepal longer than wide; lip with blades concave, apices minutely

ciliate. L. effusa

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

34' Lateral sepals connate ca. half their length or less

38 Lateral sepals long-acuminate, 14-24 mm long, apices

approximate. L. ionoptera

38' Lateral sepals not long-acuminate, 12 mm or less long, apices diverging

39 Petals with lobes subequal

40 Petals with lobes diverging ca. 9O’, deeply bifurcate. L. didactyla

40' Petals with lobes transverse, not deeply bifurcate

41 Sepals narrowly triangular, laterals 3-veined; lip minute. L. isosceles

4 1' Sepals not narrowly triangular, laterals 2-veined; lip as long or longer

than the column

42 Petals as wide as the length of a sepal. L. conchyliata

42' Petals narrower than the length of a sepal

43 Petals connate above base of column; lip with connectives narrow;

column with base dilated. L. marthae

43' Petals connate at base of column; lip with connectives cuneate; column

with base not dilated

44 Sepals very shortly caudate; lip with apices acute. L. boyacensis

44' Sepals not caudate; lip with apices obtuse

45 Petals oblong-triangular, narrowed above the bases. L. tamaensis

45' Petals oblong-triangular, not narrowed above the bases. L. norae

39' Petals with lobes dissimilar

46 Petals with lobes subequal in length

47 Sepals each ca. 10 mm long; petals pubescent. L. exaltata

47 Sepals each ca. 5 mm long; petals glabrous. L. clausa

46' Petals with upper lobe longer than lower lobe

48 Lip with blades twice as long as column, blades narrowly

falcate. L. edwardsii

48' Lip with blades subequal to column in length, blades broadly

ovate. L. imposita

8' Plants medium to large in size, ramicauls more than 5 cm long

49 Lateral sepals with margins denticulate, ciliate, spiculate, or erose, may be

minutely so

50 Petals with lobes subequal

51 Sepals each at least 14 mm long, dorsal sepal concave

52 Flower opening incompletely; lateral sepals deeply connate into a narrowly

ovate, bifid synsepal. L. pleurothallopsis

52' Flower opening completely; lateral sepals long-attenuate, shallowly

connate. L. ionoptera

51' Sepals each 10 mm or less long, dorsal sepal not concave

53 Leaf narrowly ovate, to 3.5 cm wide; synsepal ovate. L. illex

53' Leaf ovate, to 5.5 cm wide; synsepal triangular. L. rhombipetala

50' Petals with lobes dissimilar

54 Sepals forming a concave cup

55 Lateral sepals connate nearly to the apices, glabrous. L. nautilis

55' Lateral sepals connate less than half their length, pubescent. L. chimaera

54' Sepals not forming a concave cup

56 Petals with upper lobe very short, lower lobe much longer, long-acuminate;

lip with apices long-filiform. L. ictalurus

56' Petals with upper lobe longer than lower lobe; lip with apices not filiform

57 Petals with both lobes subcircular, upper lobe much larger than lower lobe;

lip with blades much shorter than column. L. biglomeris

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

57' Petals with neither lobe subcircular; lip with blades subequal in length to

the column

58 Lateral sepals connate for more than half their length; petals with

upper lobe oblong with apex rounded. L. guanacasensis

58' Lateral sepals connate half their length or less; petals with upper lobe not

oblong with apex rounded

59 Ovary irregularly carinate-lacerate; petals convex with recurved margins,

upper lobe ovoid, subacute, lower lobe uncinate, acute.. L. ostraconopetala

59' Ovary sulcate; petals with upper lobe oblong with apex obliquely

narrowed, lower lobe obliquely triangular. L. muscula

49' Lateral sepals with margins smooth

60 Lateral sepals nearly completely connate into a synsepal, at most very

shortly bifid

61 Lip with blades concave, with connectives narrow, obliquely backward

from blades to base of column. L. effusa

61' Lip with blades not concave, with connectives cuneate, not obliquely

backward

62 Sepals each 16-18 mm long; dorsal sepal flat. L. pastoensis

62' Sepals each 7-8 mm long; dorsal sepal concave. L. deliciasensis

60' Lateral sepals not nearly completely connate

63 Flower exceptionally large, lateral sepals 14-22 mm long. L. ionoptera

63' Flower not exceptionally large, lateral sepals 11 mm or less long

64 Petals with lobes subequal

65 Petals with lobes oblong with apices rounded; lip with blades poorly

developed. L. argentata

65' Petals with lobes more or less triangular; lip with blades well developed

66 Ramicauls with sheaths glabrous; inflorescence at most reaching the apex

of the leaf. L. bitriangularis

66' Ramicauls with sheaths minutely scabrous or ciliate; inflorescence

eventually greatly exceeding the leaf

67 Peduncle 3-4 cm long; sepals microscopically pubescent. L. jardinensis

67' Peduncle 1-2 cm long; sepals glabrous. L. biloba

64' Petals with lobes dissimilar

68 Petals with upper lobes subcircular, overlapping above column; lip with

blades glabrous. L. imbricans

68' Petals with upper lobes oblong or triangular, may be narrowly so, not

overlapping above column; lip with blades pubescent

69 Lip with blades connected at their bases with narrow, obliquely

backwards connectives to base of column. L. effusa

69' Lip not as above

70 Lip with blades much shorter than the column

71 Lateral sepals connate to the middle; petals with lobes narrowly

triangular, acute, inserted above the base of the column. L. oxypetala

71' Lateral sepals nearly free; petals with lobes triangular-oblong, obtuse,

inserted at the base of the column. L. carrilloi

70' Lip with blades subequal to column in length

72 Peduncle longer than the leaf; petals with upper lobe long-

acuminate. L. elongata

IT Peduncle shorter than leaf; petals with upper lobe with apex obliquely

narrowed. L. muscula

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Key II: Inflorescence congested; unusual leaves

1 Leaf microscopically pubescent to ciliate

2 Leaf deeply sulcate

3 Lip with blades narrowly oblong, apices long-ciliate, appendix

tridentate. L. cincinnata

3' Lip with blades oblong, minutely ciliate, appendix a small triangle.. L. manabina

2' Leaf not deeply sulcate

4 Lateral sepals caudate

5 Lateral sepals with caudae 0.5-1 mm long. L. ortiziana

5' Lateral sepals with caudae at least 2 mm long

6 Leaf ovate-cordate, obtuse; lateral sepals with caudae abruptly

everted. L. dodsonii

6' Leaf ovate to elliptical-ovate, acute; lateral sepals not with caudae everted

7 Lateral sepals abruptly contracted into caudae ca. 5 mm long. L.foreroi

7' Lateral sepals acuminate into caudae 2-3 mm long. L. tomentosa

4' Lateral sepals not caudate

8 Leaf corrugated; petals with a small filament from the margin near the

middle. L. corrugata

8' Leaf not corrugated; petals without a small filament

9 Leaf with apex long-acuminate, as long as the blade; petals with upper lobe

obliquely truncate, much shorter than lower lobe. L. impotens

9' Leaf with apex acute; petals with upper lobe oblong, equal in length to lower

lobe. L. smaragdina

1' Leaf glabrous

10 Leaf narrowly linear to elliptical-linear

11 Leaf canaliculate; petals with a filamentous midlobe. L. canaliculata

1 V Leaf not canaliculate; petals without a filamentous midlobe

12 Ramicauls 10-25 mm long; ovary long-spiculate; lateral sepals with apices

approximate. L. gustavoi

12' Ramicauls 4-5 cm long; ovary sulcate; lateral sepals with apices

diverging. L. aciculifolia

10' Leaf not narrowly linear

13 Leaf with margins undulate, crenulate, or crenulate-erose

14 Leaf heavily reticulated with purple; sepals strongly reflexed..... L. calodictyon

14' Leaf not heavily reticulated with purple; sepals not reflexed

15 Leaf to 1 cm long, margins crenulate-erose; sepals long-caudate. L. limbata

15' Leaf longer than 1 cm, margins undulate; sepals not caudate

16 Petals with upper lobe truncate, lower lobe triangular, acute; lip attached

with long claw, blades glabrous. L. troxis

16' Petals with lobes oblong, obtuse; lip with body broad, connate to base of

column, blades with margins long-ciliate. L. jubata

13' Leaf with margins not undulate, crenulate or crenulate-erose

17 Leaf subcircular, shortly acuminate. L. refracta

17' Leaf more or less ovate

18 Petals 3-lobed, with lobes linear. L. aguirrei

18' Petals transversely bilobed, lobes not linear

19 Petals with lobes caudate; lip bilobed without blades. L. calodictyon

19' Petals with upper lobe oblong, lower lobe narrowly triangular; lip with

oblong blades. L. reticulata

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

Key III: Inflorescence congested; petals with 3 or 4 lobes

1 Plants small, ramicauls usually 5 cm or less long

2 Petals with 4 lobes

3 Dorsal sepal acutely reflexed, lateral sepals nearly free; petals with lobes

bifurcate into narrowly linear-triangular segments. L. alcicornis

3' Dorsal sepal not acutely reflexed, lateral sepals completely connate; petals with

filamentous segments. L. octopus

2' Petals with 3 lobes, one of which may be a marginal process or apiculum

4 Petals with lower lobe shallowly bifurcate; lip without blades. L. cyclochila

4' Petals not with lower lobe shallowly bifurcate; lip with blades well developed

5 Petals deeply trifurcate

6 Petals with middle lobe the largest and longest; lip with blades

glabrous. L. trinaria

6' Petals not with middle lobe the largest and longest; lip with blades

pubescent to ciliate

7 Pedicels 5-6 mm long; lateral sepals nearly completely connate. L. skeleton

7' Pedicels 3 mm or less long; lateral sepals shallowly connate

8 Sepals caudate; petals with only upper lobe ciliate. L. aguirrei

8' Sepals not caudate; petals with all lobes ciliate

9 Leaf ovate; lip with appendix ovoid, apex bilobulate. L. hexapus

9' Leaf narrowly ovate; lip with appendix filiform, recurved. L. heptapus

5' Petals not deeply trifurcate

10 Lateral sepals with margins smooth

11 Lateral sepals connate nearly to the apices into a broadly ovate synsepal;

petals with upper lobe truncate, lower lobe triangular

12 Petals with upper lobe obliquely truncate; lip with blades not adherent

medially. L. andrenoglossa

12' Petals with upper lobe sharply truncate with angles shortly acuminate; lip

with blades adherent medially. L. mucronata

11' Lateral sepals connate half their length; petals with both lobes oblong,

truncate. L. sinuosa

10' Lateral sepals with margins denticulate or ciliate, may be microscopically or

minutely so

13 Lateral sepals completely connate or nearly so

14 Lateral sepals completely connate; petals with middle lobe slender,

arcuate. L. phalloides

14' Lateral sepals connate nearly to their apices; petals with middle lobe small,

triangular or erect. L. satyrica

13' Lateral sepals connate ca. half their length or less

15 Sepals each ca. 1 cm long, pubescent within. L. diabolica

15' Sepals each 6 mm or less long, glabrous

16 Petals with upper lobe truncate

17 Petals pubescent

18 Sepals obtuse; petals with middle lobe a minute lobule. L. fibulifera

18' Sepals acute; petals with middle lobe a slender process

19 Petals with upper lobe longer, broader than lower; lip with blades

glabrous. L. pyramidalis

19' Petals with lower lobe longer, narrower than upper; lip with blades

ciliate. L. dryades

XT Petals glabrous or at most cellular-pubescent

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

20 Pedicels 3.5 mm long; dorsal sepal smooth-margined. L. habenifera

20' Pedicels 1.5 mm long; dorsal sepal minutely denticulate. L. quandi

16' Petals with upper lobe not truncate

21 Flower not opening widely; dorsal sepal 5-veined; petals with upper lobe

narrowly oblong. L. ectopa

21' Flower fully expanded; dorsal sepal 3-veined; petals with upper lobe

triangular

22 Leaf canaliculate; lateral sepals with apices in apposition.... L. canaliculata

22' Leaf ovate; lateral sepals with apices diverging slightly. L. dryades

1' Plants medium to large in size, ramicauls usually exceeding 7 cm

23 Lateral sepals with margins smooth

24 Lateral sepals connate nearly to their apices into an ovate, bifid synsepal

25 Petals with upper lobe sharply truncate, middle lobe slender, protruding; lip

with blades minutely ciliate. L. mucronata

25' Petals with upper lobe ovate, middle lobe a minute lobule; lip with blades

glabrous. L. meleagris

24' Laterals sepals connate ca. half their length or less

26 Petals with upper lobe truncate, may be obliquely so

27 Petals with lower lobe narrowly falcate-triangular

28 Petals with middle lobe uncinate; lip with body large, saccate. L. ollaris

28' Petals with middle lobe setiform; lip not with body large, saccate

29 Sepals broadly ovate; petals with lobes subequal in length; column entire

with 1-lobed stigma. L. macrantha

29' Sepals ovate; petals with lower lobe much longer than upper; column

bifurcate with bilobed stigma. L. posadae

27' Petals with lower lobe not narrowly falcate-triangular

30 Petals indented between lobes, lower lobe triangular, middle lobe

filiform. L. praemorsa

30' Petals not indented between lobes, lower lobe oblong or narrowly

triangular, middle lobe not filiform

31 Petals with lower lobe truncate, middle lobe a minute apiculum; lip with

blades ovate, apices acute. L. aristata

31' Petals with lower lobe narrowly triangular, middle lobe narrow, linear; lip

with blades oblong, apices truncate. L. pilosiaures

26' Petals with upper lobe acute to obtuse

32 Petals with upper lobe oblong-ovate; lip with blades shallowly

concave. L. foveata

32' Petals with both lobes triangular, acute; lip with blades not shallowly

concave

33 Petals with a minute marginal lobule between the lobes; lip with blades

adherent medially. L. umbonata

33' Petals with a small marginal filament between the lobes; lip with blades not

adherent medially. L. corrugata

23' Lateral sepals with margins denticulate or ciliate, may be microscopically so

34 Dorsal sepal ca. 1 cm long

35 Dorsal sepal 5-veined, lateral sepals 3-veined. L. ophelma

35' Dorsal sepal 3-veined, lateral sepals 2-veined

36 Sepals ovate, glabrous within; lip with blades lunate with bases incurved,

convex. L. spelynx

36' Sepals acuminate, pubescent within; lip with blades elliptical with bases

obtuse. L. diabolica

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

34' Dorsal sepal less than 8 mm long

37 Lip with blades glabrous

38 Petals with middle lobe uncinate

39 Lateral sepals with apices diverging ca. 9(f; petals with upper lobe

rounded. L. myoxophora

39' Lateral sepals with apices diverging less than 9(T; petals with upper lobe

truncate. L. janitor

38' Petals with middle lobe a small marginal lobule

40 Leaf 5-8 cm long; lateral sepals 3 mm long, connate nearly to their

apices. L. meleagris

40' Leaf 4-5 cm long; lateral sepals 5 mm long, connate less than half

their length. L. parmata

37' Lip with blades minutely pubescent or ciliate

41 Lateral sepals each less than 4 mm long

42 Petals with upper lobe longer than lower lobe, middle lobe slender, 1 mm

long. L. heteroloba

42' Petals with lobes subequal in length, middle lobe a small apiculum

43 Petals with upper lobe broadly oblong; lip with appendix hinged,

saccate. L. saccata

43' Petals with upper lobe truncate or triangular; lip with appendix not saccate

44 Petals with upper lobe truncate, lower lobe acutely triangular. L. cactoura

44’ Petals with upper lobe broadly triangular, obtuse, lower lobe

oblong. L. subulata

41' Lateral sepals each more than 5.5 mm long

45 Petals with middle lobe a slender, horizontal process; lip with connectives

cuneate. L. hortensis

45' Petals with middle lobe a descending process; lip with connectives narrow,

oblique

46 Lip with blades adherent medially, appendix 1 mm long. L. agglutinata

46' Lip with blades not adherent medially, appendix 0.4 mm long. L. anemica

Key IV: Inflorescence congested; 3-veined lateral sepals

1 Ramicauls usually 5 cm or less long

2 Sepals strongly reflexed; petals with upper lobe larger than lower... L. viahoensis

2' Sepals not reflexed; petals with lower lobe much longer than

upper. L. oxybaphon

1' Ramicauls usually longer than 5 cm

3 Petals with lobes subequal in size, both lobes narrowly oblong. L. ligiae

3' Petals with upper lobe longer than lower, upper lobe narrowly triangular

4 Sepals smooth-margined, lateral sepals pubescent, 7-9.5 mm long; petals

with lower lobe triangular. L. callisto

4’ Sepals denticulate, lateral sepals glabrous, 4 mm long; petals with lower

lobe narrowly triangular. L. bipinnatula

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Key V: Inflorescence congested; plants small, ramicauls 5 cm long or less

1 Lateral sepals with margins denticulate or ciliate, may be minutely so

2 Lateral sepals caudate

3 Petals with lower lobe longer than upper

4 Dorsal sepal concave; lip with blades with erect, acute lobes. L. lycocephala

4' Dorsal sepal flat; lip bilobed, subcordate. L. pictoris

3' Petals with upper lobe as long as or longer than lower lobe

5 Petals with both lobes long-ciliate; lip with a large, pubescent

protuberance. L. hirsutula

5' Petals not with both lobes long-ciliate; lip with appendix small

6 Lateral sepals with caudae abruptly everted. L. dodsonii

6' Lateral sepals not with caudae abruptly everted

7 Lateral sepals abruptly contracted into caudae

8 Leaf densely pubescent; lateral sepals with caudae much longer

than the blades. L. foreroi

8' Leaf glabrous; lateral sepals with caudae shorter than the

blade. L. venusta

7' Lateral sepals gradually acuminate into caudae

9 Lateral sepals ca. 9 mm long; petals with upper lobe narrowly

oblong. L. eucerca

9' Lateral sepals ca. 4 mm long; petals with upper lobe oblong, truncate with

rounded comers. L. chocoensis

2' Lateral sepals not caudate

10 Lateral sepals nearly completely connate

11 Dorsal sepal concave; petals with lobes narrowly linear-triangular, long-

ciliate . L. satyrica

11' Dorsal sepal flat; petals with lobes triangular, minutely

pubescent. L. deficiens

10' Lateral sepals not nearly completely connate

12 Petals wider than the length of the dorsal sepal

13 Lateral sepals obtuse

14 Petals linear, wider than the length of the dorsal and lateral sepals

combined. L. tetracola

14' Petals not linear, narrower than the length of the dorsal and lateral sepals

combined

15 Petals with lower lobe longer than upper lobe, ciliate; lip with blades a

membranous veil over the column. L. deformis

15' Petals with lower lobe shorter than upper lobe, not ciliate; lip with blades

not a thin veil

16 Petals with upper lobe obliquely truncate; lip with apices

ciliate. L. dolabrata

16' Petals with upper lobe oblong; lip with margins long-ciliate. L.jubata

13' Lateral sepals acute

17 Sepals free, dorsal sepal obovate; petals caudate. L. calodictyon

17' Sepals shallowly connate, dorsal sepal broadly ovate; petals not caudate

18 Petals with upper lobe oblong-falcate, everted, lower lobe oblong-

triangular; lip with blades. L. tracheia

18' Petals with lobes ovate, oblique; lip thick, pyramid-shaped, without

blades. L. stelidilabia

12' Petals narrower or equal to the length of the dorsal sepal

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

19 Petals with lower lobe longer than upper lobe

20 Sepals obtuse; lip with blades broadly elliptical below middle, narrow

above. L. dumbo

20' Sepals acute; lip with blades elliptical

21 Sepals each 4 mm long; petals long-pubescent. L. alkaia

21' Sepals each 8 mm long; petals microscopically pubescent. L. solicitor

19' Petals with upper lobe as long or longer than lower lobe

22 Petals with upper lobe longer than lower lobe

23 Lateral sepals nearly free. L. acrogenia

23' Lateral sepals more deeply connate

24 Petals with lower lobe narrowly triangular

25 Sepals obtuse; petals with upper lobe oblong. L. reticulata

25' Sepals acute; petals with upper lobe very narrowly

triangular. L. antennifera

24' Petals with lower lobe oblong to oblong-triangular

26 Ovary long-spiculate; lateral sepals with apices approximate. L. gustavoi

26' Ovary sulcate; lateral sepals with apices diverging

27 Pedicels 3 mm long; petals with lobes narrowly oblong. L. scopulifera

27' Pedicels ca. 1 mm long; petals with lobes oblong. L. plectilis

22' Petals with lobes subequal in length

28 Lateral sepals acute

29 Leaf 15 mm long or less; petals with apices everted. L. confusa

29' Leaf 2 cm long or more; petals with apices not everted

30 Leaf with blade linear; petals with apices not incurved. L. aciculifolia

30' Leaf with blade ovate; petals with apices incurved

31 Sepals each 2.5 mm long; lip U-shaped with thickened

lobes. L. opetidion

31' Sepals each 5.5 mm long; lip with blades oblong. L. octavioi

28' Lateral sepals obtuse

32 Lip bilobed, subcordate with cleft. L. trichocaulis

32' Lip with blades

33 Petals with both lobes oblong, rounded, with margin deeply incised; lip

with apices long-ciliate. L. intonsa

33' Petals with upper lobe truncate, lower triangular; lip with apices

glabrous. L. escifera

V Lateral sepals with margins smooth

34 Petals wider than the length of the dorsal sepal

35 Lateral sepals nearly completely connate

36 Petals with upper lobe obliquely truncate; lip with connectives narrow,

oblong. L. debilis

36' Petals with upper lobe ovate; lip with connectives broadly cuneate...Z. tanekes

35' Lateral sepals less deeply connate

37 Lateral sepals obtuse to broadly obtuse to rounded

38 Lateral sepals essentially free

39 Petals with lobes obliquely subquadrate; lip bilobed with apex broadly

rounded. L. petalopteryx

39' Petals with lobes oblique, narrow; lip not bilobed with apex rounded

40 Lip 3-lobed, lateral lobes broadly oblong, middle lobe narrowly

triangular. L. insolita

40' Lip transversely oblong with apex apiculate. L. georgii

38' Lateral sepals not essentially free

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

41 Petals with lobes narrowly triangular; lip with blades triangular.... L. anserina

41' Petals with upper lobe not narrowly triangular; lip with blades not triangular

42 Petals with lobes oblong, rounded. L. hirpex

42' Petals with upper lobe truncate

43 Leaf narrowly ovate; petals with lower lobe triangular; lip with blades

shorter than column. L. cerambyx

43' Leaf broadly elliptical-ovate; petals with lower lobe obliquely ovate; lip

with blades subequal to column in length. L. dasyura

37' Lateral sepals acute

44 Petals with lobes subequal

45 Petals with lobes triangular to falcate

46 Petals with lobes falcate-incurved; lip with body narrow. L. larvina

46' Petals with lobes triangular; lip with body broad

47 Dorsal sepal broadly ovate, obtuse; lateral sepals connate ca. half their

length; lip with appendix long, conspicuous. L. hubeinii

A7 Dorsal sepal ovate, acute; lateral sepals shallowly connate; lip with

appendix minute. L. zapatae

45' Petals with lobes narrowly linear, oblong or triangular

48 Sepals reflexed; lip bilobed, cordate. L. culex

48' Sepals not reflexed; lip with blades

49 Sepals each ca. 3 mm long; lip with blades with base broadly

truncate. L. roezliana

49' Sepals each 5 mm or more long; lip with blades with bases rounded

50 Lip with blades ovate, subequal to column in length. L. petalolenta

50' Lip with blades narrowly elliptical, shorter than protruding

column. L. valenciae

44' Petals with lobes dissimilar

51 Sepals reflexed; lip bilobed, cordate. L. pleurorachis

51' Sepals not reflexed; lip with blades

52 Leaf equally long and wide

53 Petals with upper lobe ovate, acute; lip with bases subtruncate, apices

acute. L. cor data

53' Petals with upper lobe oblong; lip with bases rounded, apices broadly

falcate, incurved. L. forceps

52' Leaf longer than wide

54 Petals with lobes filamentous; lip connate to column above

middle. L. ramosii

54' Petals with lobes not filamentous; lip connate to column at base

55 Dorsal sepal oblong with apex rounded; petals with lower lobe

oblong. L. aures-asini

55' Dorsal sepal broadly ovate, subacute; petals with lower lobe more or less

triangular

56 Lip with blades narrowly elliptical, minutely pubescent. L. cogolloi

56' Lip with blades broadly elliptical, long-ciliate. L. penicillifera

34' Petals equal to or narrower than the length of the dorsal sepal

57 Lip without blades

58 Lateral sepals connate ca. half their length or more

59 Column straight; petals with lobes filamentous. L. nematodes

59' Column decurved; petals with lobes oblong or narrowly triangular

60 Petals with lobes oblong, obtuse; lip with lobes obtuse with appendix small,

oblong. L. yubarta

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

60' Petals with lobes narrowly triangular, acute; lip with lateral lobes triangular,

anterior lobe ligulate. L. pterygion

58' Sepals shallowly connate or free

61 Sepals reflexed

62 Petals with lower lobe truncate; lip H-shaped. L. microscopica

62' Petals with lower lobe triangular; lip not H-shaped

63 Lateral sepals with apices obtuse; lip transversely bilobed with apex

retuse. L. refracta

63' Lateral sepals with apices acute; lip subcordate with apex broadly

rounded. L. giraldoi

61' Sepals not reflexed

64 Petals filiform to narrowly triangular

65 Sepals with apices acute; petals bifurcate, filiform. L. hyphosa

65' Sepals with apices shortly acuminate; petals transversely narrowly

triangular. L. strumosa

64' Petals transversely bilobed-oblong

66 Peduncle longer than the leaf; lip with 3 acute lobes, middle lobe longest,

longer than the column. L. golondrina

66' Peduncle shorter than the leaf; lip cordate, minute, with apex

acute. L. micellilabia

57' Lip with blades weakly to completely developed

67 Sepals caudate

68 Petals with upper lobe oblong, rounded, lower lobe triangular, narrowly

obtuse. L. discolor

68' Petals with lobes triangular, acute

69 Sepals ovate, subacute. L. limbata

69' Sepals broadly ovate, obtuse. L. tsubotae

61' Sepals not caudate

70 Petals with lobes subequal

71 Petals glabrous

72 Lateral sepals narrowly ovate, 8 mm long. L. stellaris

72' Lateral sepals ovate, 5 mm or less long

73 Inflorescence longer than leaf, long-pedunculate; sepals acute. L. aperta

73' Inflorescence shorter than leaf; sepals obtuse. L. atomifera

IV Petals pubescent, may be minutely so

74 Lip with blades concave

75 Lip with blades with apices truncate, appendix cymbiform. L. wageneri

75' Lip with blades with apices rounded, appendix oblong, concave with

a transverse, bilobed, ciliate terminal segment. L. anchorifera

74' Lip with blades not concave

76 Petals with lobes cuneate; lip with blades long-ciliate, obovate. L. auditor

16' Petals with lobes narrowly triangular; lip with blades pubescent,

ovate. L. sericinitens

70' Petals with lobes dissimilar

77 Petals with upper lobe oblong to oblong-ovate, rounded

78 Dorsal sepal narrowly triangular, lateral sepals with apices

approximate. L. helicocephala

78' Dorsal sepal ovate-triangular, lateral sepals with apices diverging

79 Lip with blades glabrous, narrowly oblong, subequal to column in

length. L. popayanensis

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

79' Lip with blades pubescent, ovate-triangular, shorter than

column. L. cercion

17 Petals with upper lobe with apex truncate or narrowed

80 Sepals obtuse, not reflexed; petals with apex of upper lobe

truncate. L. ricaurtensis

80' Sepals acute, reflexed; petals with apex of upper lobe

narrowed. L. macrostylis

Key VI: Inflorescence congested; plants medium in size, ramicauls 5-10 cm long

1 Growth habit prolific

2 Sepals with margins denticulate, lateral sepals with apices

diverging. L. prolifer a

2' Sepals smooth-margined, lateral sepals with apices approximate. L. oreibates

1' Growth habit caespitose

3 Lateral sepals with margins denticulate or ciliate, may be minutely so

4 Petals with lobes subequal

5 Sepals caudate

6 Sepals with caudae curving inward; lip with blades narrowly

oblong. L. cincinnata

6' Sepals with caudae not curving inward; lip with blades oblong-

ovate. L. tomentosa

5' Sepals not caudate

7 Petals with lower lobe oblong

8 Lateral sepals connate ca. half their length; lip with blades semicircular,

adherent above column. L. subulata

8' Lateral sepals connate less then one-quarter their length; lip with blades

elliptical-oblong, not adherent above the column. L. aquila-borussiae

7' Petals with lower lobe triangular, may be narrow or obtuse

9 Lateral sepals connate less than half their length

10 Ramicauls very stout; petals with upper lobe oblong with apex more or less

contracted; lip with blades pubescent, oblong. L. dunstervilleorum

10' Ramicauls slender; petals with upper lobe oblong; lip with blades glabrous,

narrowly oblong. L. smaragdina

9' Lateral sepals connate more than half their length

11 Lip with appendix large, hinged, flap-like, with apical portion concave,

ciliate. L. oscillifera

11' Lip with appendix small, pedunculate, oblong. L. deficiens

4' Petals with lobes dissimilar

12 Petals with upper lobe much longer than lower

13 Lateral sepals completely connate into a subcircular synsepal with a shortly

acuminate apex. L. dicyrtopetala

13' Lateral sepals not completely connate

14 Dorsal sepal concave; lip with blades with apices long-acuminate

15 Lateral sepals narrowly triangular; petals with upper lobe shorter than the

dorsal sepal. L. elephantina

15' Lateral sepals ovate; petals with upper lobe longer than the dorsal

sepal. L. antennata

14' Dorsal sepal not concave; lip with blades with apices rounded, may be

narrowly so

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

16 Leaf with long-acuminate tip as long as the blade; petals with upper lobe

longer than a sepal. L. gelata

16' Leaf without a linear acumen; petals with upper lobe shorter than a sepal

17 Leaf with base deflexed; petals with upper lobe subcircular. L. vellicata

17' Leaf with base not deflexed; petals with upper lobe narrowly triangular

18 Sepals each 5-6 mm long; petals with lower lobe broadly triangular,

obtuse. L. mirador

18' Sepals each 9 mm long; petals with lower lobe narrowly triangular,

acute. L. silverstonei

12' Petals with lower lobe as long or longer than upper lobe

19 Pedicels 3-4 mm long; petals with lobes obliquely triangular.. L. cacique-tone

19' Pedicels 1.5 mm or less long; petals with upper lobe truncate or obtuse

20 Lateral sepals caudate

21 Lateral sepals with caudae 0.5-1 mm long; petals glabrous. L. ortiziana

21' Lateral sepals with caudae 4-6 mm long, incurved; petals minutely

pubescent. L. manabina

20' Lateral sepals not caudate

22 Petals with lower lobe much longer than upper

23 Sepals acute; lip lacking appendix. L. impotens

23' Sepals acuminate; lip with elaborate, hinged appendix. L. solicitor

22' Petals with lobes subequal in length

24 Lip with blades thick, body connate to base of column. L. escifera

24' Lip with blades thin, body attached to column with slender claw

25 Lip with blades lunate, entire. L. transparens

25' Lip with blades elliptical, notched towards apices. L. troxis

3' Lateral sepals with margins smooth

26 Petals with lobes subequal

27 Petals with lobes subcircular

28 Sepals each 7 mm long, dorsal sepal triangular, acute, laterals

subacute. L. ballatrix

28' Sepals each 4 mm long, dorsal sepal broadly ovate, obtuse, laterals obtuse,

abruptly apiculate. L. binaria

27' Petals with lobes triangular or oblong

29 Petals with lobes oblong

30 Sepals obtuse; petals with upper lobes overlapping. L. caesariata

30' Sepals acute; petals with upper lobes not overlapping. L. guttula-sanguinis

29' Petals with lobes triangular

31 Sepals acute, acuminate; lip with blades ovate. L. affinis

31' Sepals obtuse, apiculate; lip with blades broadly elliptical. L. planadensis

26' Petals with lobes dissimilar

32 Petals with each lobe longer than the length of a sepal. L. dewildei

32' Petals with each lobe shorter than the length of a sepal

33 Petals with lower lobe more or less triangular to falcate

34 Petals with upper lobe more or less triangular to falcate

35 Leaf with blade ca. as wide as long

36 Leaf subcircular, reticulated; sepals acutely reflexed. L. refracta

36' Leaf broadly transversely cordate; sepals not acutely reflexed. L. rutrum

35' Leaf with blade longer than wide

37 Sepals each 16 mm long, pubescent, laterals caudate. L. stupenda

37' Sepals each 8 mm or less long, glabrous, laterals more or less acute

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

38 Lip with blades glabrous

39 Lip with blades poorly developed, much shorter than and exposing the

column. L. anatina

39' Lip with blades well developed, as long as the column and adherent

medially. L. umbonata

38' Lip with blades pubescent

40 Petals with upper lobe obliquely falcate, much longer than broadly

triangular lower lobe. L. cocculifera

40' Petals with upper lobe obliquely triangular, shorter than falcate lower

lobe. L. aduncata

34' Petals with upper lobe not more or less triangular to falcate

41 Petals with upper lobe truncate, may be obliquely so

42 Sepals each 5-7 mm long; lip attached to column with a long, slender

claw. L. contingens

42' Sepals each 2-3.5 mm long; lip with body connate at base of column

43 Leaf obovate; sepals acute. L. obovata

43' Leaf narrowly ovate; sepals obtuse. L. micronyx

41' Petals with upper lobe rounded

44 Sepals obtuse

45 Leaf broadly elliptical; sepals each 5.5 mm long, dorsal sepal

5-veined. L. cunicularis

45' Leaf narrowly ovate; sepals each less than 2.5 mm long, dorsal sepal

3-veined. L. perdita

44' Sepals acute

46 Pedicel plus ovary 6 mm long; lip with bases reflexed. L. declivis

46' Pedicel plus ovary 3 mm long; lip with bases not reflexed

47 Inflorescence secund; lip with appendix large, concave,

pubescent. L. palaga

47' Inflorescence distichous; lip with appendix small, erect,

slender. L. setifera

33' Petals with lower lobe not more or less triangular to falcate

48 Lateral sepals approximate. L. porracea

48' Lateral sepals diverging

49 Leaf deflexed at base; petals transversely reniform. L. troglodytes

49' Leaf not deflexed at base; petals not transversely reniform

50 Petals with lower lobe much longer than upper; lip transversely

cordate. L. focalis

50' Petals with lobes subequal in length; lip with blades ovate. L. monitor

Key VII: Inflorescence congested; plants large, ramicauls 10 cm long or more

1 Habit prolific or repent

2 Habit repent, 1-3 cm between ramicauls. L. repens

2' Habit prolific

3 Flowers not opening widely; sepals with long caudae. L. chimaera

3' Flowers opening widely; sepals acuminate with apices

approximate. L. oreibates

1' Habit caespitose

4 Lateral sepals with margins denticulate, ciliate, or erose, may be minutely so

5 Petals with lobes subequal

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

6 Sepals forming a broad shallow cup. L. hirtzii

6' Sepals expanded, flowers more or less flat

7 Petals with lobes triangular; lip with blades with apices

long-ciliate. L. rodrigoi

7' Petals with lobes oblong; lip with blades with apices

glabrous. L. maria-victoriae

5' Petals with lobes dissimilar

8 Petals with upper lobe narrowly triangular

9 Sepals pubescent; petals with lower lobe uncinate, recurved. L. nicolasii

9' Sepals glabrous; petals with lower lobe more or less triangular

10 Sepals 9 mm long; petals with lower lobe narrowly triangular,

acute. L. vibrissa

10' Sepals 5-6 mm long; petals with lower lobe broadly triangular,

obtuse. L. mirador

8' Petals with upper lobe not narrowly triangular

11 Flower cup-shaped; sepals long-caudate. L. chimaera

11' Flower more or less flat; sepals not long-caudate

12 Dorsal sepal concave

13 Lateral sepals connate ca. 3 /4 their length into a concave synsepal; lip

attached to base of column with a narrow claw. L. aries

13' Lateral sepals very shallowly connate, not concave; lip with body connate

to column near base. L. elephantina

12' Dorsal sepal more or less flat

14 Petals minutely pubescent

15 Petals with upper lobe oblong, contracted medially with apex

narrowed. L. dunstervilleorum

15' Petals with upper lobe subcircular. L. vellicata

14' Petals glabrous

16 Lateral sepals with apices diverging more than 90°; petals with upper lobe

longer than lower lobe, subquadrate. L. uribei

16' Lateral sepals with apices diverging less than 90; petals with lobes

subequal in length, upper lobe not subquadrate

17 Sepals ovate, acuminate into very short caudae; petals with upper lobe

broadly uncinate, incurved, lower lobe oblong-triangular. L. ortiziana

17' Sepals ovate-triangular, acute; petals with upper lobe broadly ovate, lower

lobe oblong. L. profusa

4' Sepals with margins smooth

18 Petals with lobes subequal

19 Petals with lobes subcircular

20 Sepals each 7 mm long, dorsal sepal triangular, acute, lateral sepals

subacute. L. ballatrix

20' Sepals each 4 mm long, dorsal sepal broadly ovate, obtuse, lateral sepals

abruptly apiculate. L. binaria

19' Petals with lobes not subcircular

21 Petals with lobes oblong or oblong-cuneate

22 Lip with blades not carinate, distal half edged with dense, long, spindle-

shaped cilia. L. medinae

22' Lip with blades carinate, not with distal half edged with dense, long,

spindle-shaped cilia

23 Lateral sepals with apices diverging less than 90. L. steyermarkii

23' Lateral sepals with apices diverging more than 90

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

24 Lateral sepals obtuse; lip with appendix glabrous, flabellate. L. orion

24' Lateral sepals acute; lip with appendix pubescent, oblong. L. auriculata

21' Petals with lobes not oblong or oblong-cuneate

25 Petals with lobes triangular; lip with blades ovate. L. affinis

25' Petals with lobes ovate, contracted into long-attenuate apices; lip with

blades with basal portion subcircular. L. volvox

18' Petals with lobes dissimilar

26 Petals with lower lobe with apex long-acuminate to filiform

27 Sepals narrowly oblong-ovate, nearly free; petals with lower lobe nearly as

long as a sepal, upper lobe vestigial. L. alvarezii

27' Sepals ovate to broadly ovate, laterals connate ca. half their length; petals

not as above

28 Ovary 2 mm long; petals with upper lobe ca. twice as long as lower

lobe. L. medusa

28' Ovary 4-5 mm long; petals with lower lobe longer than upper. L. athena

26' Petals with lower lobe not with apex long-acuminate to filiform

29 Petals with lower lobe uncinate or falcate, may be narrowly so

30 Lateral sepals with apices approximate; clinandrium with protruding

margin lacerate. L. lacera

30' Lateral sepals with apices diverging; clinandrium with apex not lacerate

31 Petals with lower lobe incurved; column with elongated rostellar

projection. L. gemina

31' Petals with lower lobe recurved; column lacking an elongated rostellar

projection. L. uncifera

29' Petals with lower lobe not uncinate or falcate

32 Petals with upper lobe truncate, lower lobe sigmoid; stigma bifurcate with

lobes projecting beyond the column. L. furcata

32' Petals with upper lobe not truncate, lower lobe triangular or oblong; stigma

not bifurcate

33 Petals with lower lobe triangular

34 Petals with upper lobe triangular

35 Lateral sepals diverging ca. 90; petals with lobes obliquely

triangular. L. pachoi

35' Lateral sepals diverging less than 90; petals with lobes transversely more

or less triangular

36 Sepals pubescent below middle, lateral sepals caudate; lip connate to base

of the column. L. stupenda

36' Sepals glabrous, lateral sepals acute; lip connate above middle of the

column. L. juan-felipei

34' Petals with upper lobe oblong or elliptical

37 Dorsal sepal concave, lateral sepals deeply connate into a concave, bifid

synsepal. L. aries

37' Sepals more or less flat, lateral sepals connate less than half their length

38 Sepals broadly ovate, shortly caudate. L. gargantua

38' Sepals ovate, not shortly caudate

39 Sepals each ca. 13 mm long, long-acuminate, lateral sepals diverging ca.

90. L. acutissima

39' Sepals each ca. 6.5 mm long, short-acuminate, lateral sepals diverging

less than AS . L. darioi

33' Petals with lower lobe oblong to ovate, may be narrowly so

40 Blades of lip ca. half as long as column.

L. panope

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

40' Blades of lip and column subequal in length

41 Petals glabrous

42 Sepals with apices diverging more than 90; petals with lower lobe

narrowly oblong, twice as long as upper lobe. L. focalis

42' Sepals with apices diverging less than 90; petals not as above

43 Petals with upper lobe ovate-oblong with apex narrowed, everted, lower

lobe contracted below middle. L. monitor

43' Petals with upper lobe broadly ovate, lower lobe oblong, narrowly and

obliquely ovate. L. caudatisepala

41' Petals microscopically pubescent

44 Lip with blades glabrous

45 Petals with upper lobe oblong-ovate, lower lobe narrowly oblong; lip

with blades deeply convex, enclosing the column. L. cingens

45' Petals with lobes ovate with rounded apices; lip with blades more or less

flat, above the column. L. troglodytes

44' Lip with blades microscopically pubescent

46 Lip with appendix broad, triangular, membranous. L. deutera

46' Lip with appendix small, pedunculated, pubescent. L. elata

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Lepanthes abortiva Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 18(1): 22-24, 1991.

Ety.: From the Latin abortivus , “abortive,” referring to the vestigial lip.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 20-35 mm long, en¬

closed by 7-9 ciliated lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, ovate, acute, 11-16 mm long, 9-11

mm wide, the base broadly cuneate into a petiole 1 mm long. Inflorescence a loose, successively few-

flowered raceme up to 10 mm or more long, borne from the top side of the leaf by a filiform peduncle

up to 15 mm long; floral bracts 1 mm long; pedicels 1 mm long; ovary 1.25 mm long; sepals red-

brown, glabrous, sharply carinate, narrowly ovate, acute, margins denticulate, the dorsal sepal 6 mm

long, 2.75 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.75 mm, the lateral sepals oblique, 6

mm long, 1.5 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 1 mm; petals glabrous, yellow, 1-lobed, erect, narrowly

linear, 1 mm long, 0.3 mm wide, with a small angle on the labellar margin above the base; lip ex¬

tremely minute, microscopically pubescent, without blades, connectives or body, apparently reduced to

a ligulate structure resembling an appendix, 0.12 mm long, 0.05 mm wide, from the base of the column;

column comparatively large, terete, 1.25 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma apical.

Colombia: without collection data, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 18 Mar. 1989, C.

Luer 14221 (Holotype: MO).

Unfortunately, the collection data for this species have been lost. It is still

possible that a duplicate plant with collection data will flower in the future. This

species is unusual in the genus, having narrowly linear, erect, single-lobed petals

and an extremely minute lip without any of the usual anatomical features. The

Central American Lepanthes eximia Ames possesses similar single-lobed, linear

petals, although horizontal rather than erect. The lip is not known to have an equal.

It is reduced to an extremely minute organ only 0.12 millimeter in length.

At first, C. Luer thought that the lip had been lost or eaten by an insect, but

with high power magnification a tiny object could be seen. To confirm or deny his

suspicion, he dissected a nearly mature bud. This yielded the same microscopic

structure, devoid of lateral lobes, connectives or a body. This vestigial “lip” is

attached to the base of the comparatively large column, where it is invisible to the

naked eye.

Lepanthes acarina Luer, Phytologia 54(5): 326, 1983.

Ety.: From Acarina, the order of mites, in allusion to the little, red, prickly flowers.

Plant minute, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 10-35 mm long,

enclosed by 3-8 closely fitting, microscopically scabrous lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous,

elliptical-ovate, subacute to obtuse, 7-10 mm long, 4-6 mm wide, the rounded base contracted into a

petiole ca. 1 mm long. Inflorescence a subdense, successively few- to several-flowered raceme 3-10

mm long, borne by a capillary peduncle up to 10 mm long, beyond the apex of the leaf; floral bracts

muricate, 1 mm long; pedicels 1 mm long; ovary 1.5 mm long; sepals yellow or red, minutely serrulate-

ciliate on the margins and carinate externally, the dorsal sepal broadly ovate-triangular, subacute, 2-2.5

mm long, 2.5 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1 mm, the lateral sepals ovate,

oblique, acute, diverging, 2.5 mm long, 2.5 mm wide together, each 2-veined, connate 1 mm; petals

red, microscopically pubescent, transversely bilobed, 0.5 mm long, 1.75 mm wide, the upper lobe

oblong, oblique, obtusely angled, truncate, the lower lobe smaller, narrowly oblong, subfalcate, obtuse;

lip red, bilaminate, the blades ovate, subacute, microscopically pubescent, 1 mm long, the connectives

cuneate, the body narrow, connate to the base of the column, the sinus obtuse with the appendix biseg-

mented, pubescent, constricted above the middle with the apical portion deflexed, the basal portion

concave; column stout, 1 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Mun. Cocorna, forest in quebrada near Rio Cocorna, alt. 1600 m, 24 Apr. 1983, C.

Luer, R. Escobar, et al. 8810 (SEL); Mun. Frontino, Alto de Cuevas, alt. 2050 m, 14 May 1983, R.

Escobar 2602 (SEL); Mun. Jardin, Alto de Ventanas, alt. 2800 m, 25 May 1983, R. Escobar 2726

(SEL); Mun. Sonson, Tres Cruces, alt. 2750 m, 30 Apr. 1983, C. Luer, R. Escobar, et al. 8903 (SEL);

Mun. Yarumal, Alto de Ventanas, alt. 2100 m, 20 May 1983, R. Escobar 2614 (SEL); in forest remnant

east of Santo Domingo, 2170 m, 12 May 1985, C. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 11353 (MO); Tres

Cruces, collected by Marguerite Webb et al. 1983, flowered in cultivation at J & L Orchids, Easton,

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

Connecticut, 25 Apr. 1987, C. Luer 12834 (MO); in forest remnant about 10 km north of Santa Rosa de

Osa, above Estadero Manicomio, 2580 m, 14 Mar. 1989, C. Luer et al. 14149 (MO).

Norte de Santander: Mun. Toledo, Alto de Santa Inez, alt. 2100 m, 23 May 1982, C. Luer, R.

Escobar & D. Portillo 7962 (SEL).

Cauca: without locality, flowered in cultivation at J & L Orchids, Easton, Connecticut, 28 Sep.

1991, C. Luer 15437 (MO).

Also Ecuador (Pichincha, Holotype, C. Luer et al. 4399\ MO; Carchi; Imbabura; Napo; Pastaza;

Morona-Santiago; Loja; Zamora-Chinchipe), Peru (Huanuco), Bolivia (Cochabamba).

Although uncommonly found in herbaria, this diminutive species is one of the

most common in the genus in the Andes. It is usually overlooked or ignored

because of its size. It usually grows on mossy twigs, often in association with other

small pleurothallids. Lepanthes acarina is easily recognized by its tiny size with

minute, spiculate flowers borne in a subcongested raceme beyond the apex of the

leaf. The sepals are minutely serrulate, the dorsal broadly triangular, the laterals

ovate and acute; the blades of the lip are lunate and between them the appendix is

proportionally large, pubescent, and deflexed in the middle. Racemes frequently

bear capsules and flowers simultaneously.

Lepanthes aciculifolia Luer, Orquideologia 20(2): 194-196, 1996.

Ety.: From the Latin aciculifolius , “with needle-like leaves,” referring to the narrow, terete leaves.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 4-5 cm long, enclosed

by 6-7 glabrous, closely appressed, long-acuminate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, narrowly linear-

semiterete, longitudinally shallowly channeled, with a sharply tridentate apex, 33-38 mm long, 2 mm

wide, 1 mm deep, narrowed below into the base. Inflorescence a congested, distichous, successively

many-flowered raceme, up to 10 mm long, borne by a slender peduncle 8-12 mm long; floral bracts

acute, 1 mm long; pedicels 1.5 mm long; ovary sulcate, 1 mm long; sepals rose with whitish margins,

glabrous, margins sparsely ciliate, the dorsal sepal ovate, concave, obtuse, minutely short-acuminate, 3

mm long, 1.66 mm wide unexpanded, 2 mm wide expanded, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for

0.3 mm, the lateral sepals ovate, oblique, acute, diverging, 3 mm long, 1.2 mm wide, 2-veined, connate

0.5 mm; petals rose, transversely bilobed, 0.2 mm long, 2.5 mm wide, the lobes oblong, subequal,

obtuse, pubescent, the upper lobe slightly broader, with a small lobule on the outer margin between the

lobes; up rose, bilaminate, 1.2 mm long, the blades elliptical with rounded ends, ciliate, the connectives

oblong, the body broad, connate to the base of the column, the sinus obtuse, the appendix external,

bipartite, the 2 parts brush-like; column stout, 1.5 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Likely Valle del Cauca: without collection data, purchased in Cali with Lepanthes calodictyon

Hook, by Karen Zendig, flowered in cultivation by John Sullivan in New Jersey, Dec. 1991, C. Luer

15536 (Holotype: MO).

Narino: collection data unknown, collected by J. L. Aguirre, flowered in cultivation by J & L Or¬

chids, Easton, Connecticut, 31 May 1997, C. Luer 18514 (MO).

This distinctive species is recognized by the long, narrow, semiterete leaves,

more slender than those of the other more or less terete-leaved species known from

Colombia, Lepanthes gustavoi Luer & R. Escobar. The apex of the leaf is sharply

tridentate. The rose-colored sepals have sparsely ciliate margins and the oblong

petals are pubescent. The elliptical blades of the lip are ciliate. The two-part,

brushlike appendix is located on the outer undersurface of the body of the lip.

Lepanthes canaliculata Luer & R. Escobar is another small species with

narrowly linear leaves, but the leaves are longitudinally concave with involute

sides. The larger flowers of L. canaliculata are distinguished by lateral sepals with

approximate apices, and petals with triangular lobes with acute apices and a fila¬

mentous middle lobe.

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Lepanthes acrogenia Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 18(1): 24, 1991.

Ety.: From the Greek akrogeneios , “with a prominent chin,” referring to the large appendix.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots fine. Ramicauls erect, slender, 2-4 cm long, enclosed by 4-

6 ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect to suberect, coriaceous, narrowly ovate, acute, 28-43 mm

long, 6-8 mm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole less than 1 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, dis¬

tichous, successively several-flowered raceme up to at least 5 mm long, borne on top of the leaf by a

slender peduncle 10-12 mm long; floral bracts 1 mm long; pedicels 3 mm long; ovary 1 mm long;

sepals orange, denticulate-spiculate-carinate, margins denticulate, the dorsal sepal elliptical, deeply

concave, 5 mm long, 3 mm wide unexpanded, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.25 mm, the

lateral sepals narrowly triangular, oblique, diverging, 6 mm long, 1.6 mm wide, essentially free, 2-

veined; petals purple, cellular-glandular, transversely bilobed, 0.8 mm long, 2.6 mm wide, the upper

lobe obovate, obtuse, the lower lobe much smaller, obliquely narrowly triangular, acute, incurved; lip

purple, bilaminate, the blades narrowly elliptical as thickened margins of broadly cuneate connectives,

the apices acute, the bases narrowly rounded, 1.5 mm long, the body broad, connate to the column

above the base, the sinus occupied by a thick, descending, ovate, minutely pubescent appendix; column

slender, 2 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma apical.

Narino: epiphytic in cloud forest above Ricaurte, alt. 1600 m, 3 Nov. 1979, C. Luer, J. Luer, A.

Hirtz & K. Walter 4624 (Holotype: SEL).

This species is characterized by the long-pedicellate, distichous raceme borne

on top of a narrowly ovate leaf. The sepals are orange with denticulate margins

with the veins externally spiculate-carinate, the dorsal deeply cucullate, the laterals

narrowly triangular, free, and spreading. The petals are bilobed with the obtuse

upper lobe much larger than the lower lobe. The blades of the lip are merely thick¬

ened margins of broad connectives. The appendix is large and fleshy, descending

downward from the body.

The lip of Lepanthes satyrica Luer & Hirtz is similar, with a thick, blunt,

protuberant body beneath a rostellar flap, differing with a minute appendix

precariously attached to the summit. The overall smaller dimensions, a short-

pedicellate raceme, flowers with deeply connate lateral sepals, and petals with

narrow lobes further differentiate L. satyrica.

Lepanthes acutissima Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 19(2): 76-77, 1994.

Ety.: From the Latin superlative of acute, acutissimus, “very, very acute,” referring to the sepals.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 10-17 cm

long, enclosed by 12-14 closely fitting, microscopically ciliate-scabrous lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf

erect, thinly coriaceous, ovate, acute, acuminate, 7-9 cm long, 2.5 cm wide, the base rounded, con¬

tracted into a petiole 3 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, distichous, successively many-flowered

raceme, up to 3.5 cm long, borne behind the leaf by a filiform peduncle 2.5-3.5 cm long; floral bracts

acuminate, 3 mm long; pedicels 1.5-2 mm long; ovary costate, 2 mm long; sepals translucent greenish

white, glabrous, subcarinate, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal ovate-triangular, acute, long-acuminate,

13 mm long, 3.5 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals

diverging ca. 9O’, ovate, oblique, acute, long-acuminate, 15 mm long, 2.5 mm wide, 2-veined, connate

2.5 mm; petals minutely pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1 mm long, 4.5 mm wide, the upper lobe

rose, more or less oblong with the apex rounded, the lower lobe yellow, shorter, triangular, obtuse; lip

rose, bilaminate, the blades microscopically pubescent, convex, ovate with obtuse ends, 2 mm long, the

connectives broadly cuneate, the body connate to the base of the column, the sinus obtuse with a thick,

triangular appendix; column 2 mm long, with the anther dorsal and the stigma ventral.

Risaralda: above Pueblo Rico, epiphytic in cloud forest below TV antenna, alt. 2400 m, 14 May

1993, C. Luer, J. Luer, A. de Wilde & J. Gomez 16821 (Holotype: MO).

This species is known only from one area of cloud forest in the Western Cor¬

dillera. It is distinguished by relatively large flowers with greenish white, long-

acuminate sepals, borne in a congested raceme nearly reaching the apex of the

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

acuminate leaf. The ovate convex blades of the lip cover the column. The appendix

is thick and triangular. The similar but smaller Lepanthes ingridiana Luer from

Ecuador bears even larger flowers. The blades of the sepals of the two species are

subequal in length, but the acuminate tails of L. ingridiana are much longer, result¬

ing in a length of three centimeters for each sepal.

Lepanthes aduncata Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 19(1): 31-32, 1994.

Ety.: From the Latin aduncatus , “hooked inward,” referring to the lobes of the petals.

Plant medium to large in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect, slender, 10-15

cm long, enclosed by 10-11 thin lepanthiform sheaths, ciliate along the ribs and margins. Leaf suberect

to spreading, thinly coriaceous, ovate, acute, lightly acuminate, with the basal margins involute, 4-7 cm

long, 2-3 cm wide, contracted below into a petiole 3 mm long. Inflorescence a dense, distichous, suc¬

cessively many-flowered raceme up to 5.5 cm long, borne beneath the leaf by a peduncle 1.5-2.5 cm

long; floral bracts 1.5 mm long; pedicels 1 mm long; ovary 3 mm long; sepals light yellow, carinate,

glabrous, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal narrowly triangular, acute, slightly acuminate, 8 mm long,

3.5 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1 mm, the lateral sepals ovate, oblique, acute,

slightly acuminate, 8 mm long, 2.75 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 2.5 mm; petals red-purple, micro¬

scopically pubescent, transversely bilobed, the upper lobe obliquely triangular, narrowly obtuse,

overlapping the other upper lobe, 2 mm long, 1 mm wide at the base, the lower lobe falcate, acute,

incurved, overlapping the other lower lobe beneath the column, 3 mm long, 1 mm wide at the base; lip

red-purple, bilaminate, with the blades microscopically pubescent, oblong, with the ends rounded, 2

mm long, the connectives cuneate, the body connate to the base of the column, the sinus broad with the

appendix long-pubescent, oblong, bifid at the apex; column 1.5 mm long, the anther apical and the

stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Mun. San Jose de la Montana, alt. 2500 m, collected by E. Valencia, Feb. 1990, R.

Escobar 4060 (Holotype: JAUM; Isotype: MO), C. Luer illustr. 14922.

This species is distinguished by the tall, slender ramicauls and ovate leaves

with the margins decurved above the base. The congested inflorescence begins

flowering beneath the leaf, but eventually far surpasses the leaf in length. The

sepals are narrowly acute. The narrow lobes of the petals curve inward to overlap

above and below the column, with sharply hook-shaped lower lobes. The lip is

unremarkable, with oblong blades and a pubescent appendix with a bifid apex.

Lepanthes affinis Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 17(3): 145-148, 1988.

Ety.: From the Latin affinis , “allied to,” referring to the similarity to Lepanthes dunstervilleorum

Foldats.

Plant medium to large in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect, 5-25 cm tall,

enclosed by 10-22 ciliate lepanthiform sheaths markedly dilated at the ostia. Leaf erect, coriaceous,

elliptical-ovate, 5-8 cm long, 2-2.7 cm wide, the apex acute, acuminate, the base rounded, abruptly con¬

tracted into a petiole 3-4 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, successively flowered raceme up to 15

mm long, borne behind the leaf by a filiform peduncle up to 20 mm long; floral bracts 1.25 mm long;

pedicels 1.5 mm long; ovary 2 mm long; sepals yellow, carinate, glabrous, margins smooth, the dorsal

sepal triangular, acute, shortly acuminate, 6 mm long, 3.75 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral

sepals for 1.5 mm, the lateral sepals ovate, oblique, acute, shortly acuminate, 5.75 mm long, connate

4.5 mm, 4.75 mm wide together, each 2-veined, suffused with rose on the medial halves; petals yellow-

orange, suffused with red medially, microscopically pubescent, transversely elliptical, bilobed, 1 mm

long, 3.5 mm wide, the lobes subequal, triangular, narrowly obtuse; lip bilaminate, the blades violet

with yellow margins, glabrous to microscopically pubescent, ovate, acute, 1.5 mm long, the connectives

broadly cuneate, the body connate to the base of the column, the sinus notched with a flexibly hinged,

long-ciliate, oblong appendix; column 1.5 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Norte de Santander: epiphytic in cloud forest, Alto de Santa Inez, alt. 2250 m, 13 May 1984, C.

Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 10331 (Holotype: MO).

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

This large, handsome species is most similar to the widespread Lepanthes

dunstervilleorum. Lepanthes affinis is distinguished from L. dunstervilleorum by

its smooth-margined rather than denticulate sepals, and a lip with blades that are at

most microscopically pubescent with a longer, narrower appendix, rather than

pubescent with an oblong appendix.

Lepanthes aggeris Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 19(1): 32-33, 1993.

Ety.: From the Latin agger, aggeris , “of the dam,” referring to the locality near a large, earthen

dam.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 15-27 mm long,

enclosed by 5 microscopically ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, ovate, obtuse, 9-12

mm long, 6-9 mm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole 0.5 mm long. Inflorescence a loose, flexuous,

successively many-flowered raceme, up to 6 cm or more long including the peduncle ca. 1 cm long,

borne far beyond the leaf; floral bracts 1 mm long; pedicels 1 mm long; ovary 1 mm long; sepals yel¬

low, glabrous, unicarinate, margins with an infrequent, microscopic tooth, the dorsal sepal broadly

ovate, obtuse, shortly acuminate, 2.8 mm long, 2.5 mm wide, barely 3-veined, connate to the lateral

sepals for 0.4 mm, the lateral sepals ovate, oblique, diverging, 3 mm long, 1.33 mm wide, 1-veined,

connate 1.4 mm, the apices subacute, contracted into caudae less than 0.5 mm long; petals light orange,

ciliate, transversely bilobed, 0.75 mm long, 2.8 mm wide, the lobes similar, more or less oblong,

obtuse, angled obliquely inward with the upper lobes overlapping; lip light orange, bilaminate, the

blades lunate with rounded ends, ciliate, 1.5 mm long, the connectives broadly cuneate, the body broad,

connate to the base of the column, the sinus shortly excavated with a microscopic appendix, nearly

invisible, bacillus-like, supported by an invisible membrane; column 1.5 mm long, with the anther

dorsal and the stigma apical.

Antioquia: Mun. Santa Rosa, near Represa de Miraflores, alt. 2200 m, collected by E. Valencia,

June 1991, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 3 Jan. 1993, R. Escobar 5244 (Holotype:

JAUM; Isotype: MO), C. Luer illustr. 16561.

This species is distinguished by the long, flexuous, successively flowered

raceme far surpassing the little, ovate leaf. The yellow sepals are broad with

shortly acuminate apices; the laterals are single-veined. The upper lobes of the

oblong, ciliate petals overlap. The lip with incurved blades is similar to many in

the genus, but the appendix is most remarkable for its microscopic size. Barely

visible, the slender, bacillus-like appendix is suspended between the margins of the

excavate sinus by an invisible web.

Lepanthes agglutinata Luer, Phytologia 54(5): 327, 1983.

Ety.: From the Latin agglutinatus, “glued together,” referring to the blades of the lip.

Syn.: Lepanthesporphyrea Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 53: 922, 1984.

Ety.: From the Greek porphyreos , “purple,” in reference to the leaves.

Plant medium to large in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 5-18

cm long, enclosed by 8-16 minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, thinly coriaceous, often

suffused with purple, ovate, acute, long-acuminate, 4-9 cm long, 1-2.7 cm wide, the base cuneate to

rounded, contracted into a petiole 2-4 mm long. Inflorescence a secund, congested, long-pedicellate,

successively many-flowered raceme up to 25 mm long, borne by a slender peduncle 10-25 mm long,

along the back of the leaf; floral bracts 1-1.5 mm long; pedicels 3-4 mm long; ovary 2-3 mm long,

winged; sepals translucent white or light yellow, glabrous, carinate, acute, shortly acuminate, margins

minutely denticulate, the dorsal sepal broadly ovate-triangular, 5.5-6 mm long, 4.25-5 mm wide, 3-

veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1.5 mm, the lateral sepals ovate, oblique with the apices diverg¬

ing, 5.5-6.5 mm long, 2.5-3 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 1.5-2 mm; petals green with the upper margin

dark purple, shortly pubescent, transversely oblong, 1.5 mm long, 4.5-5 mm wide, with a 1 mm long,

descending process from the outer margin at the midvein, the upper lobe oblong, obliquely obtuse, the

lower lobe smaller, oblong, obtuse; lip green to rose, bilaminate, the blades thin, lunate, micro¬

scopically pubescent, oblong with rounded ends, 1.5-1.75 mm long, adherent medially over the column,

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

the connectives narrow, oblique, from the apical portion of the blade, the body narrow, connate to the

base of the column, the sinus obtuse, the appendix relatively large, 1 mm long, oblong, ciliate, concave,

truncate-retuse, with a ciliated, apical gland; column 1.5-2 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma

ventral.

Antioquia: collection data unknown, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 5-9 May 1983,

C. Luer 16722 (MO); epiphytic in cloud forest along Rio El Oro, north of Yarumal, alt. 2700 m, 1 May

1984, C. Luer, J. Luer & R. Escobar 10071 (holotype of L. porphyrea: MO; isotype, SEL); lithophytic,

Autopista to Bogota, Rio Cocorna, alt. 1650 m, 21 Aug. 1984, R. Escobar, C. Head & E. Valencia 3381

(MO); same collection, flowered in cultivation at J & L Orchids in Easton, Connecticut, May 6 1990, C.

Luer 14742 (MO); Yereda San Fermin, via Ventanas-Briceno, alt. 2100-2300 m, 11 Nov. 1987, R.

Callejas et al 5528 (HUA); Cocorna, Rio Cocorna, flowered in cultivation in Bristol, Connecticut by H.

P. Jesup, 10 Dec. 1988, C. Luer 13788 (MO); Parque Nacional Natural “Las Orquideas,” Sector Calles,

margen izquierda del rio Calles, alt. 1460 m, 11 Feb. 1989, A. Cogollo, D. Cardenas & O. Alvarez 3861

(MO); Jardin, alt. 2500 m, collected by M. Zapata, 1990, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas,

15 Dec. 1992, R. Escobar 5036 (MO); epiphytic in cloud forest north of the pass between Urrao and

Carmen de Atrato, alt. 2700 m, 30 May 1995, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar, L. Moreno de Posada, G.

Arteaga, B. & F. Lopez 17640, 17646 (MO).

Santander: Mun. Velez, epiphytic in cloud forest west of Velez toward Landazuri, alt. 2000 m, 5

May 1984, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 10140 (MO); Virolin, El Taladro, collected by

E. Valencia, April 1992, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 16-19 May 1883, C. Luer 16929

(MO).

Choco: San Jose del Palmar, Cerro del Torra, Rio Negro below the heliport, alt. 1900 m, 12 Aug.

1988, J. E. Ramos, P. Silverstone-Sopkin, L. H. Ramos, et al.( CUVC).

Valle del Cauca: Buenaventura, carretera vieja Cali-Buenaventura, alt. 50 m, 9 May 1997, J. T.

Otero & B. Angulo C. 100 (MO).

Narino: Altaquer, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 5-9 May 1983, C. Luer 16734

(MO).

Caqueta: Reserva Municipal Andaqui, alt. ca. 1200 m, July 2011, D. Cardenas et al. 41969

(COAH).

Also Ecuador (Zamora-Chinchipe, Holotype: D’Alesssandro 165: SEL; Sucumbios; Pichincha;

Napo; Morona-Santiago; El Oro).

This species is frequent and widely distributed in Colombia and Ecuador. It is

easily identified by the very congested, many-flowered raceme that lies behind the

leaf that is commonly suffused with purple; rather large, translucent flowers with

emerald green petals edged in dark purple, with a slender, descending lobule on

the outer margin; and a lip with thin, membranous blades adherent over the col¬

umn. The blades are borne near their apices by narrow, oblique connectives. The

appendix is comparatively large and boat-shaped.

A number of Colombian species are similar vegetatively and florally.

Lepanthes agglutinata is similar to L. janitor Luer & R. Escobar, but the inflores¬

cence of L. janitor is not secund and its column has a large rostellar flap. The

inflorescence of the similar L. pilosiaures Luer & R. Escobar is also not secund,

and the margins of the sepals are smooth rather than denticulate. The petals of L.

posadae Luer & R. Escobar are distinguished by scimitar-shaped, much longer

lower lobes; and the column is bifurcated with a bilobed stigma.

Lepanthes aguirrei Luer, Selbyana, 30(1): 4, 2009.

Ety.: Named in honor of J. L. Aguirre, who collected this species in southern Colombia.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 4-4.5 cm long, enclosed

by 9-10 microscopically ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, reticulated with purple, elliptical, sub¬

acute, 14-20 mm long, 9-10 mm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole 1-2 mm long. Inflorescence a

congested, distichous, successively few-flowered raceme, 3-4 mm long, borne on top of the leaf by a

filiform peduncle 5-6 mm long; floral bracts oblique, acute, 1 mm long; pedicels 1-1.5 mm long; ovary

1 mm long; sepals dull red with purple margins, margins minutely denticulate, caudate, the dorsal sepal

subcircular, 5.5 mm long, 3 mm wide, 5-veined, with the rounded apex abruptly acuminate into a

relatively stout cauda 1.5 mm long, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals connate

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

E5 mm, ovate, oblique, acute, diverging, 6 mm long including the caudae 1.5 mm wide, 2-veined,

contracted into caudae 2.5 mm long; petals orange, deeply trifid, the lobes narrowly linear, the upper¬

most lobe slightly longer, long-ciliate, 1.5 mm long, the lower 2 lobes microscopically pubescent, 1 mm

long; lip orange-brown, bilaminate, the blades elliptical, convex, pubescent, 1.5 mm long, embracing

the column, with connectives very broad, more than half the length of the blade, to form a broad body,

connate to the column above the base, the appendix external, narrowly oblong, recurved, pubescent;

column semiterete, 2 mm long, with the anther dorsal and the stigma ventral.

Narino: collected by J. L. Aguirre, flowered in cultivation by J & L Orchids, Easton, Connecticut,

June 1998, Jc& L 1296-536 (Holotype: MO), C. Luer illustr. 18825.

This small species is characterized by an ovate, purple-reticulated leaf with a

much shorter, few-flowered inflorescence. The sepals are minutely denticulate and

contracted into relatively stout tails. The petals are deeply trifid, with the lobes

narrowly linear and diverging, the upper lobe being slightly broader and pubes¬

cent. The blades of the lip are convex and pubescent, and the connectives are

exceptionally broad and form an exceptionally broad and long body. The appendix

is oblong, pubescent, and recurved.

Lepanthes heptapus Luer & R. Escobar and L. hexapus Luer & R. Escobar

share a Colombian origin and the characteristic deeply trifurcate petals with slen¬

der lobes. Lepanthes aguirrei is distinguished from these two others by its larger

size, with ramicauls four centimeters in length instead of two centimeters or less,

and its stoutly caudate rather than acute sepals.

Lepanthes alcicornis Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 53(4): 368,

1984.

Ety.: From the Latin alcicornis , “elk-horned,” referring to the appearance of the forked petals.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, suberect, 2-4 cm long,

enclosed by 6-8 close, minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, ovate-elliptic,

acute, acuminate, 25-28 mm long, 8-13 mm wide, the base cuneate into the 1 mm long petiole. Inflo¬

rescence a very congested, distichous, successively flowered raceme up to 6 mm long, borne behind the

leaf by a filamentous peduncle 3-7 mm long; floral bracts 0.8 mm long; pedicels 1.25 mm long; ovary

1.5 mm long; sepals yellow, suffused with rose centrally, glabrous, essentially free to near the base,

margins smooth, the dorsal sepal reflexed, obovate, obtuse, 3 mm long, 1.33 mm wide, 3-veined, the

lateral sepals elliptical, subacute, diverging, 2.66 mm long, 1.33 mm wide, 2-veined; petals bright

yellow, 4-lobed, 0.5 mm wide at the middle, the two halves bifurcate, the lobes narrowly linear-

triangular, 1-2.66 mm long; lip magenta, minutely pubescent, more or less elliptical-cordate, 1.66 mm

long, 1 mm wide expanded, with narrowly obtuse, oblique, basal lobes erect, embracing the column, the

obtuse apex shallowly cleft, the base connate to the column below the middle; column 1.5 mm long,

the anther apical, the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Mun. Yarumal, Quebrada El Oro, alt. 1730 m, 21 May 1983, R. Escobar & E. Valencia

2646 (Holotype: SEL), C. Luer illustr. 9103; same collection, flowered in cultivation by L. & J. Posada

at Colomborquideas, 13 Jan. 1984, R. Escobar 3191 (Clonotype: JAUM); same locality, flowered in

cultivation by L. & J. Posada at Colomborquideas, 5 Dec. 1983, R. Escobar 3182 (JAUM); Mun.

Yarumal, road to Briceno, Quebrada El Oro, alt. 1800 m, 22 Aug. 1984, R. Escobar, O. Monsalve, C.

Head, E. de Escobar & E. Valencia 3403 (MO); Parque Nacional Natural “Las Orquideas,” Sector

Calles, alt. 2180-2320 m, 2 June 1988, A. Cogollo & J. G. Ramirez 3158 (JAUM); Parque Nacional

Natural “Las Orquideas,” Sector Venados, alt. 900 m, 7 June 1988, A. Cogollo, J. G. Ramirez & O.

Alvarez 3366 (JAUM); Valdivia, epiphytic in forest remnant along the road to Briceno, Quebrada El

Oro, alt. 1850 m, 16 Mar. 1989, C. Luer, J. Luer, S. Dalstrom & W. Teague 14200 (MO).

This little species is remarkable for the forked petals, both petals with their four

rami resembling the antlers of an elk. The sepals are essentially free, the dorsal

sepal obovate and reflexed; and the lip is elliptical with the obtuse apex cleft with¬

out an appendix.

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

This species is one of a group characterized by a cordate lip with a round, cleft

apex. Lepanthes alcicornis is similar to L. culex Luer & R. Escobar, with which it

grows sympatrically. Both are small vegetatively, with small flowers with reflexed

sepals and the cordate lip with the base connate to about the middle of the column.

Vegetatively, L. culex is larger than L. alcicornis , with flowers with two-pronged

petals rather than four-pronged petals.

Lepanthes alkaia Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 54(5): 580-582,

1985.

Ety.: From the Greek alkaia , “a lion’s tail,” referring to the long, pubescent appendix with a

shaggy tip.

Plant small, weak, epiphytic, caespitose; roots filamentous. Ramicauls slender, erect to suberect,

2-3.5 cm long, enclosed by 5-7 shortly ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf suberect to spreading, coria¬

ceous, ovate, acute, acuminate, 23-30 mm long, 8-11 mm wide, the base rounded or cuneate into a peti¬

ole 1-1.5 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, distichous, successively flowered raceme up to 5 mm

long, borne on top of the leaf by a filiform peduncle 12-15 mm long; floral bracts 1 mm long; pedicels

1.25-1.5 mm long; ovary 1 mm long; sepals light orange, glabrous, carinate, ovate, acute, margins

sparsely cellular-denticulate, the dorsal sepal 4 mm long, 2.5 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral

sepals for 1 mm, the lateral sepals connate 1.5 mm, diverging, 3.75 mm long, 3.25 mm wide together,

each 2-veined; petals dark orange, long-pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1 mm long, 3.75 mm wide,

with a minute lobule on the outer margin between the lobes, the upper lobe subquadrate, obliquely

truncate, the lower lobe longer, narrowly triangular, acute; lip orange, the blades thin, elliptical, micro¬

scopically ciliate, 1.6 mm long, the ends rounded, the connectives short and broad, the body broad,

pubescent, connate to the column above the base, the sinus occupied by a narrowly oblong, long-

pubescent appendix 1 mm long, with a concave, bilobed, long-ciliate, apical segment; column 1.5 mm

long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Santander: Mun. Velez, epiphytic in cloud forest west of Velez toward Landazuri, alt. 2150 m, 4

May 1984, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 10142 (Holotype: MO), 10141 (MO); same

collection, flowered in cultivation by L. & J. Posada at Colomborquideas, El Retiro, 9 July 1984, R.

Escobar 3297 (JAUM).

This frail little species resembles Lepanthes dryades Luer & R. Escobar, with

which it grows in forests in the western part of the Eastern Cordillera. Lepanthes

alkaia is most remarkable for the long-pubescent petals with only a minute rem¬

nant of a lateral lobe, and the lip with an elongated, pubescent appendix with a

concave, bilobulate, long-ciliate apical segment. The petals of L. dryades are dis¬

tinguished by well-developed lateral lobes, and the appendix is broadly triangular.

Lepanthes alvarezii P. Ortiz, Orquideologia 24(2): 115, 2006.

Ety.: Named after Luis Eduardo Alvarez of Bogota, who discovered and cultivated this species.

Plant large, epiphytic, caespitose, occasionally prolific; roots filiform. Ramicauls erect, at least 10-

14 cm long, enclosed by ca. 9 lepanthiform, hirsute sheaths, 10-12 mm long, with dilated ostia. Leaf

brilliant green above, suffused with purple on the underside, erect, elliptical, with a nerve on either side

of the central one, with an acute, triapiculate apex, 6 cm long, 3 cm wide, the base cuneate into the

petiole. Inflorescence a flaccid, arcuate, lax, successively many-flowered raceme ca. 5-6 cm long

including the filiform peduncle ca 4 cm long; floral bracts unknown; pedicels unknown; ovary

unknown; sepals similar, violet-red with a yellow longitudinal band or yellow suffused with purple,

glabrous, margins smooth, narrowly oblong-ovate, acute, essentially free to the base, 5 mm long, 1.8

mm wide, the dorsal 3-veined, the laterals each 2-veined, diverging more than 9(T; petals yellow at the

base, then suffused with red, transversely bilobed, ca. 0.25 mm long, 4 mm wide, the upper lobe

minute, obtuse, the lower lobe filiform, very narrowly acuminate, ca. 4 mm long, with margins ciliate,

the apex convolute; lip yellow to orange-red, slightly pubescent on the middle lower surface, trumpet¬

shaped, with a small median lobe, the ends rounded; column with the anther and stigma apical.

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Cundinamarca: Guatavita, eastern slope of Paramo de Guasca, ca. 2800 m, June 2005, L. E.

Alvarez & P. Ortiz 1247 (Holotype: HPUJ); same collection, flowered in cultivation by L. E. Alvarez,

June 2009, L. Thoerle 132 (MO), C. Luer illustr. 21479.

Lepanthes alvarezii shares unusual relatively large, triangular, star-shaped

flowers, each sepal five to seven millimeters long, with L. isosceles Luer & R.

Escobar. Lepanthes alvarezii is readily distinguished by the much larger size of the

plant, with ramicauls at least ten centimeters rather than five centimeters or less

long; and flowers with petals with a minute, rounded upper lobe and a much

longer, filiform lower lobe, as long as a lateral sepal, rather than the small oblong

lobes of L. isosceles.

Lepanthes amplior Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 18(1): 26-28, 1991.

Ety.: From the Latin amplior , “greater,” referring to the large size of the flowers in comparison to

the plant.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 1-2.5 cm long, enclosed

by 4-6 ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical, subacute to obtuse, 9-12 mm long,

5-7 mm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole 1-2 mm long. Inflorescence a loose, flexuous, suc¬

cessively few-flowered raceme up to 4 cm long including the filiform peduncle 2-3 cm long; floral

bracts 1.5 mm long; pedicels 2.5-3 mm long; ovary dentate-carinate, 2.5 mm long; sepals yellow-

orange, glabrous, broadly ovate, subacute, slightly acuminate, carinate, margins smooth, the dorsal

sepal 12 mm long, 9-10 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 4 mm to form a broadly

expanded, flat flower, the lateral sepals with a central, red-brown stripe, oblique, 12 mm long, connate

7.5 mm, 11 wide together, forming a shortly bifid synsepal, each 2-veined; petals yellow, micro¬

scopically pubescent, transversely bilobed, 0.6 mm long, 5 mm wide, the upper lobe suboblong, obtuse,

the lower lobe longer, oblique, narrowly triangular, acute; lip red-brown, bilaminate, the blades nar¬

rowly oblong, long-ciliate, the apices acute, the bases rounded, 2.75 mm long, the connectives broadly

cuneate, the body broad, connate to the column above the base, the appendix narrowly oblong, acute,

incurved; column slender, 2.5 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Norte de Santander: epiphytic in cloud forest near Alto de San Francisco above Villacaro, alt.

2850 m, 11 May 1984, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 10267 (Holotype: MO).

This species is notable for the extremely large flower produced by a very small

plant. It is similar to the Venezuelan Lepanthes calocodon Luer (in Venezuelan

Orchids Illustrated as L. capitanea Rchb. fi), but the flowers of L. amplior are flat

instead of concave. The similar flowers of L. matisii Luer, Thoerle & P. Ortiz are

smaller, with petals with lobes subequal in length, and a lip as long as the column.

Lepanthes amplisepala Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 19(2): 77-78, 1994.

Ety.: From the Latin amplisepalus , “with large sepals,” referring to the size of the sepals and

proportionally small petals and lip.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, scandent; roots slender from the apices of ramicauls. Ramicauls

erect, stout, prolific, 9-11 cm long, enclosed by 8-9 minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect,

coriaceous, elliptical, acute, 4-5 cm long including the 3-5 mm long petiole, the blade 1.5 cm wide,

cuneate below into the petiole. Inflorescence racemose, a loose, strict, secund, successively many-

flowered raceme, up to 17 cm long including the peduncle 3-4 cm long; floral bracts oblique, 3 mm

long; pedicels 3 mm long; ovary 3.5 mm long, the ribs subverrucose; sepals bright purple, glabrous,

carinate, margins minutely denticulate, the dorsal sepal ovate-triangular, acute, 14 mm long, 5.5 mm

wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1.5 mm, the lateral sepals connate into an ovate, bifid

synsepal with the apices acute, 14.5 mm long, 7.5 mm wide, each 2-veined; petals purple, minutely

pubescent, transversely bilobed, 0.9 mm long, 3 mm wide, the lobes oblong, obtuse, the lower lobe

slightly smaller; lip purple, bilaminate, the blades minutely ciliate, oblong with rounded ends, 1.5 mm

long, the connectives cuneate, the body broad, connate to the base of the column, the sinus broad, the

appendix minute, oblong; column 1.5 mm long, the anther apical, the stigma ventral.

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

Cauca: Mun. Silvia, epiphytic in Paramo de Guanacas northeast of Popayan, alt. 3150 m, 15 Nov.

1982, C. Luer & R. Escobar 8430 (Holotype: SEL).

This scandent species is apparently endemic in the cool, scrubby forests of the

Paramo de Guanacas in southern Colombia. A long, strict, secund raceme produces

a series of comparatively large, bright purple flowers in succession. Although the

petals and lip are about average in size for many species of Lepanthes , they are

proportionally very small compared to the large sepals. The sepals are glabrous

with minutely denticulate margins; the petals are minutely pubescent; and the lip is

minutely ciliate.

Lepanthes amplisepala most closely resembles L. illex Luer, both notable for

flowers with large sepals that dwarf the relatively tiny petals and lip. Lepanthes

amplisepala is prolific in habit and bears flowers with a lip with minutely ciliate

blades and a minute, oblong appendix, while L. illex is caespitose and bears

flowers with a lip with glabrous blades and an ovate, pedunculate appendix.

Lepanthes anatina Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 20(3): 281-283, 1997.

Ety.: From the Latin anatinus , “of a duck,” in allusion to the fancied appearance of the lip and

column.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots very slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 3-9 cm

long, enclosed by 7-11 microscopically ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, thinly coriaceous,

ovate, acute, lightly acuminate, 4-6 cm long, 1.8-2.3 cm wide, the base rounded or broadly cuneate,

contracted into a petiole 2-3 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, distichous, successively many-flow¬

ered raceme, up to 20 mm long, borne behind the leaf by a filiform peduncle 15-25 mm long; floral

bracts, lightly muriculate, 1 mm long; pedicels 1.25 mm long; ovary 1.5 mm long; sepals orange,

glabrous, subcarinate, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal ovate-triangular, 3.25 mm long, 2 mm wide, 3-

veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals ovate, oblique, subacute, acuminate,

diverging, 3 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 1 mm; petals purple, microscopically

pubescent, transversely bilobed, 0.8 mm long, 3 mm wide, 1-veined, the lobes opposite, triangular, nar¬

rowly obtuse, the upper lobe larger; lip purple, bilaminate, the blades poorly developed, glabrous,

narrowly ovate as thickened margins of the connectives, 0.75 mm long, much shorter than and not

covering the column, the connectives cuneate, the body connate to the base of the column, the sinus

acute with the appendix oblong, pubescent, with tufts of hairs at the base; column 1 mm long, the

clinandrium large with the anther and stigma apical.

Risaralda: above Pueblo Rico, epiphytic in wet forest along the road to the TV antenna, alt. 1630

m, 14 May 1993, C. Luer, J. Luer, A. de Wilde & J. Gomez 16847 (Holotype: MO).

This species, known only from one area in the Western Cordillera, is similar to

Lepanthes anserina Luer & R. Escobar from farther north, also in the Western

Cordillera. Although the flowers are basically similar, L. anatina is considerably

larger vegetatively with much larger, ovate-acuminate leaves rather than small,

elliptical, acute leaves. The apices of the lateral sepals of L. anatina are acuminate;

those of L. anserina are obtuse and apiculate. The petals of L. anatina are broader

and not as acute. The shape of the lobes of the lip and their position to either side

of the exposed column are essentially the same in both species. Instead of a

broadly triangular, membranous web, the appendix of L. anatina is brushlike with

tufts of fine hair at the base.

Lepanthes anchorifera Luer, Revista Soc. Boliv. Bot. 4(1): 3-4, 2003.

Ety.: From the Latin anchorifer , “bearing an anchor,” referring to the appendix.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 3-5 cm long, enclosed

by 6-7 microscopically ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf suffused with purple beneath, margined,

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

erect, coriaceous, elliptical-ovate, acute, acuminate, 2.5-3 cm long, 1-1.2 cm wide, the base rounded,

contracted into a petiole 1-1.5 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, distichous, successively several-

flowered raceme, up to 5 mm long, borne behind the leaf by a slender peduncle 7-8 mm long; floral

bracts 1 mm long; pedicels 1 mm long; ovary 2 mm long; sepals suffused with purple with the margins

remaining green, glabrous, carinate, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal ovate, subacute, slightly acu¬

minate, 5 mm long, 3 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1 mm, the lateral sepals

ovate, oblique, diverging, 4.5 mm long, 2.25 mm wide, connate 1.75 mm, 2-veined; petals orange, red

at the base, transversely bilobed, 1 mm long, 3.5 mm wide, 1-veined, more or less oblong, nearly of

equal length, obtuse, pubescent; lip red, bilaminate, 1.2 mm long, with the blades oblong, shallowly

concave, with rounded ends, long-ciliate at the apex, the connectives nearly as broad as the blades are

long, obtusely angled on the anterior margin, forming a broad body, connate to the base of the column,

with the appendix oblong and concave with a transverse, bilobed, ciliate terminal segment; column

stout, 1.5 mm long, with the anther-bed 1 mm long, the anther dorsal and the stigma subapical.

Risaralda: Santuario, flowered in cultivation at Orquideas del Valle, 14 Jan. 2001, A. Niessen & J.

C. Uribe 087 (Holotype: MO), C. Luer illustr. 19898.

This species is characterized by its small size; caespitose habit; and a succes¬

sively flowered raceme shorter than the ovate, acuminate leaf. The sepals are

acute, and the petals are transverse with pubescent, equal-sized, oblong lobes. The

blades of the lip are oblong and concave, with long-ciliate apices. The connectives

are as broad as the blades are long, with an obtuse angle on the anterior margin.

Most distinctive is the straplike, concave appendix with a transverse, pubescent,

anchor-shaped terminal segment.

Lepanthes andrenoglossa Rchb. f., Bonplandia 3: 241, 1855.

Ety.: Presumably from Andrena Fabricius, a genus of bee, and the Greek glossa , “tongue,” for the

resemblance of the appendix to this furry insect.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender erect, 1.5-5 cm long, enclosed

by 7-10 closely fitting, microscopically scabrous lepanthiform sheaths with narrowly acuminate ostia.

Leaf more or less horizontal, coriaceous, ovate, acute, acuminate, 11-22 mm long, 7-10 mm wide, the

base broadly cuneate to rounded, contracted into a petiole 1 mm long. Inflorescence a congested,

successively many-flowered raceme up to 15 mm long, borne on top of the leaf by a filiform peduncle

less than 10 mm long; floral bracts 1 mm long; pedicels 2 mm long, overlapping; ovary 1.25 mm long;

sepals orange, glabrous, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal broadly ovate, obtuse, minutely acuminate at

the apex, 3 mm long, 2.75 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral

sepals connate into a broadly ovate, shortly bifid synsepal, 3 mm long, 3 mm wide, each 2-veined, the

apices acute, shortly acuminate; petals purple, microscopically pubescent, transversely bilobed, with a

slender marginal process between the lobes ca. 0.5 long, the petal 1 mm long, 3 mm wide, the upper

lobe oblong, obliquely truncate, 2 mm long, 1 mm wide, the lower lobe triangular, acute, 1 mm long,

0.5 mm wide; lip purple, bilaminate, blades thin, free, elliptical with rounded ends, minutely ciliate, 1.5

mm long, borne at the base by short connectives, the body occupied by the appendix, connate to the

base of the column, the sinus obtuse with a proportionally large, oblong, acute, concave, ciliate appen¬

dix; column 1.5 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Quindio: epiphytic at the pass between Salento and Tocha, alt. 3300 m, 10 May 1993, C. Luer, J.

Luer, R. Escobar & A. de Wilde 16746 (MO).

Putumayo: epiphytic in scrub forest in the paramo between La Cocha and Sibundoy, alt. 3000 m,

26 Jan. 1987, C. Luer, J. Luer, C. H. Dodson, O. de Benavides, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 12532 (MO).

Also Ecuador (Pichincha, Holotype, Jameson 66\ W).

This small species, recognized by Reichenbach as distinct from Lepanthes

mucronata Lindl., has been treated as a synonym of the latter common, widely

distributed relative (Luer 1996b). Lepanthes andrenoglossa is distinguished from

L. mucronata by shorter, shortly acuminate, broadly ovate leaves; a single short,

very congested raceme; petals with a much reduced marginal process, the apex of

the upper lobes simply obliquely truncate, rather than truncate with shortly

acuminate apices; and a lip with free rather than adherent blades.

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

Lepanthes anemica Luer & Thoerle, Harvard Pap. Bot. 16(2): 322, 2011.

Ety.: From the Greek anhaemeticos , “anemic,” referring to the pale colors of the flower.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots and rhizome unknown. Ramicauls slender, erect,

at least 7.5 cm long, enclosed by at least 8 microscopically ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect,

thinly coriaceous, ovate, acute, acuminate, 5.5 cm long, 3 cm wide, the base broadly cuneate to

rounded, contracted into a petiole 2-4 mm long. Inflorescence an extremely congested, long-pedicel¬

late, successively many-flowered raceme up to 15 mm long, borne by a slender peduncle 5-22 mm

long, along the back of the leaf; floral bracts 1-1.5 mm long; pedicels 2-3 mm long; ovary 2 mm long;

sepals translucent light yellow, glabrous, carinate, acute, acuminate, margins microscopically den¬

ticulate, the dorsal sepal ovate-triangular, 7.5 mm long, 4.25 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral

sepals for 1.5 mm, the lateral sepals ovate, oblique, acute, acuminate, diverging, 8.5 mm long, 2.5 mm

wide, 2-veined, connate 2 mm; petals white with the upper and inner margins pale rose, shortly pubes¬

cent, transversely bilobed, 1.25 mm long, 4.5 mm wide, 3-veined, with a 0.5-mm long, descending

process from the outer margin at the midvein, the upper lobe oblong, obliquely obtuse, 2.4 mm long,

the lower lobe triangular, obtuse, 1.8 mm long; lip rose, bilaminate, the blades thin, free, micro¬

scopically pubescent, oblong-ovate with rounded ends, 1.2 mm long, the connectives narrow, oblique,

from the central portion of the blade, the body broad with the basal halves of the connectives, connate

to the base of the column, the sinus bitumorous, the appendix pubescent, triangular, narrowly truncate,

concave basally, 0.4 mm long; column stout, 1.7 mm long, the apex 1 mm wide, the anther apical, the

stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Cocorna, Rio Vino, collected Mar. 1999, by Francisco Lopez, flowered in cultivation

by Colomborquideas, El Retiro, 15 June 2009, L. Thoerle 142 (Holotype: MO), C. Luer illustr. 21485.

This species from the Central Cordillera of Colombia is similar to the frequent

and widely distributed Lepanthes agglutinata , and may have been identified as

that. In habit similar, it is distinguished from L. agglutinata by larger flowers with

narrower, longer-acuminate sepals. The petals of the two species are similar except

for color: those of L. agglutinata are green with the upper portion dark purple. In

the present specimen, the blades of the lip do not adhere over the column, unlike

those of L. agglutinata. The lip of L. agglutinata has blades supported by connec¬

tives from the apex, and a large, cymbiform appendix, while L. anemica has blades

supported by connectives from the center and a smaller, triangular appendix.

Lepanthes anserina Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 53(3): 258,

1984.

Ety.: From the Latin anserinus , “like a goose,” referring to the lip and column that resemble a

goose in flight.

Plant small, epiphytic, densely caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 3-5 cm long,

enclosed by 4-6 close, minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical, acute,

20-35 mm long, 8-9 mm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole 2 mm long. Inflorescence racemose,

approaching the leaf in length, floriferous, the racemes congested, successively flowered, up to 15 mm

long, borne behind the leaf by a filiform peduncle up to 10 mm long; floral bracts 1 mm long, spiculate;

pedicels 1.5 mm long; ovary 1.5 mm long; sepals translucent yellow with red basally, glabrous, mar¬

gins smooth, the dorsal sepal ovate, acute, 3.3 mm long, 1.75 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral

sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals ovate, obtuse, apiculate, connate 1 mm, diverging, 3 mm long, 3

mm wide, 2-veined; petals yellow, suffused with red medially, cellular-pubescent, narrowly

transversely elliptical, 0.6 mm long, 4.75 mm wide, the lobes subequal, narrowly triangular, acute,

attenuate; up red, the blades triangular, widespread, 1 mm long, the margins revolute, exposing the

column, acute and incurved at the apex, cellular-pubescent, the connectives narrowly cuneate, the body

narrow, connate to the base of the column, the appendix a ciliate, triangular membrane across the sinus;

column slender, clavate, 2.5 mm long, the anther and the stigma apical.

Antioquia: Mun. Canasgordas, Boqueron de Toyo, alt. 2120 m, 2 May 1983, C. Luer, R. Escobar,

et al. 8920 (Holotype: SEL; Isotypes: COL, JAUM); Mun. Frontino, El Plateado, alt. 2060 m, 5 May

1983, C. Luer, R. Escobar, et al. 9039 (SEL); Pabon, epiphytic in forest remnant along the road to

Santa Ana, alt. 2050 m, 31 May 1995, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar, et al. 17673 (MO).

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

This floriferous little species is distinguished by congested racemes often

reaching the same length as the elliptical leaves; ovate sepals; transversely atten¬

uated petals; and a long, protruding, clavate column exposed between winglike

blades of the lip. It resembles Lepanthes anatina , but differs vegetatively in its

smaller size, and leaves that are elliptical and acute rather than ovate and

acuminate. The flowers of L. anatina are borne by a longer peduncle, 15 to 25 mil¬

limeters long, with lateral sepals that are acuminate rather than obtuse and

apiculate. The petals are broader and less acute, with the upper lobe larger than the

lower lobe. The lip and column of the two species are similar, but the appendix of

L. anserina is broadly triangular and membranous, while that of L. anatina is small

and brushlike.

Lepanthes antennata Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 19(2): 81, 1994.

Ety.: From the Latin antennatus , “with antennae,” referring to the upper lobes of the petals.

Plant small to medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, weak, erect,

7-10 cm long, enclosed by 13-14 microscopically ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf more or less

spreading, suffused with purple, coriaceous, elliptical with the apex acute, long-acuminate, the sides

convex with recurved margins, 4-5 cm long, 1-1.2 cm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole 1 mm long.

Inflorescence a congested, distichous, successively few-flowered raceme, up to ca. 5 mm long, borne

on top of the leaf by a slender peduncle 10-15 mm long; floral bracts acute, lightly muricate, 1 mm

long; pedicels 2.5 mm long; ovary 2 mm long; sepals red, glabrous, margins denticulate, the dorsal

sepal elliptical-ovate, acute, concave, 5 mm long, 2.25 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals

for 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals ovate, oblique, acute, diverging, 4.5 mm long, 1.75 mm wide, 2-veined,

connate 1.5 mm at the base; petals microscopically cellular-pubescent, transversely bilobed, 0.5 mm

long at the widest point, the upper lobe red, erect, filamentous, 5.5 mm long, the lower lobe yellow,

triangular, acute, 1 mm long; lip red, glabrous, bilaminate, 3 mm long, the blades oblong with acute,

long-acuminate apices, the connectives very short, cuneate, the body narrow, connate to the base of the

column, the appendix triangular, hinged to the margin of the transverse sinus, concave behind erect

margins, convex and pubescent centrally, with the apex inflexed, microscopically bilobulate; column 2

mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Choco: Mun. San Jose del Palmar, Alto de Los Galapagos, alt. 2000 m, collected by E. Valencia,

Sept. 1990, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 21 Dec. 1992, R Escobar 5064 (Holotype:

JAUM; Isotype: MO), C. Luer illustr. 16573; in humid secondary cloud forest, road to Valle depart¬

ment, alt. 2100 m, 22 Feb. 1992, A. de Wilde 4407 (MO, herb. A. de Wilde); Mun. San Jose del Palmar,

Cerro del Torra, Rio Negro below the heliport, alt. 1800 m, 12 Aug. 1988, J. E. Ramos, P. Silverstone-

Sopkin, L. H. Ramos, et al. 1179 (CUVC, MO), C. Luer illustr. 18461.

Valle del Cauca: Galapagos, at the pass between Valle del Cauca and Choco, alt. 2050 m, 13 May

1993, C. Luer et al. 16814 (MO).

This species is characterized by a slender, weak ramicaul bearing a more or

less spreading, purplish leaf with a long-acuminate apex. The leaf is sulcate

between the convex halves with recurving margins. The short, congested raceme

lies on top of the leaf with the flower resembling a red insect with a pair of long

antennae. The upper lobes of the petals are erect and filamentous, longer than the

denticulate sepals. The lower lobe is very short and triangular. The apices of the

blades of the lip are also long-acuminate. The appendix is a complicated flap,

hinged from the margin of the sinus. The center of the appendix is convex and the

margins are narrow but erect. The apex is inflexed and microscopically bilobulate.

Superficially, the flowers of Lepanthes antennata resemble those of L. silver-

stonei Luer, sharing ovate, acute, shortly acuminate sepals; and petals with an

elongated, narrowly linear upper lobe greatly exceeding the lower lobe in length.

Lepanthes silverstonei is readily distinguished by its ciliate sepals with the dorsal

sepal flat, and a lip with oblong blades with rounded apices.

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

Lepanthes antennifera Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 54(1): 52-54,

1985.

Ety.: From the Latin antennifer , “antenna bearing,” referring to the appearance of the petals.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect, stout, 3.5-6.5 cm long,

enclosed by 5-7 long-pubescent lepanthiform sheaths with dilated ostia. Leaf erect, coriaceous, ovate,

acute, 22-30 mm long, 12-22 mm wide, the rounded base contracted into a petiole 2-3 mm long. Inflo¬

rescence a congested, distichous, successively flowered raceme up to 15 mm long, borne along the

back of the leaf by a filiform peduncle up to 8 mm long; floral bracts 1 mm long; pedicels 1.5 mm long;

ovary 1.5 mm long; sepals light rosy tan, glabrous, carinate, ovate, acute, shortly acuminate, margins

smooth, the dorsal sepal 5.5 mm long, 2.8 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1 mm,

the lateral sepals minutely denticulate, oblique, 5.5 mm long, connate 2 mm, diverging, 4.5 mm wide

together, each 2-veined; petals yellow, suffused with red, microscopically pubescent, transversely

bilobed-falcate, 0.75 mm long, 4.5 mm wide, the upper lobe very narrowly triangular, oblique, acute,

the lower lobe similar but smaller; lip red, microscopically pubescent, the blades narrowly oblong with

rounded ends, 2 mm long, the apices incurved beneath the stigma, the connectives broad and short

forming a broad body, connate to the column near the middle, the sinus rounded without an appendix;

column stout, 2 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma apical.

Norte de Santander: Mun. Toledo, epiphytic in cloud forest, Alto de Mefue, alt. 2500 m, 12 May

1984, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 10288 (Holotype: MO; Isotype: JAUM); same

collection, flowered in cultivation by L. & J. Posada at Colomborquideas, El Retiro, 5 July 1984, R.

Escobar 3284 (COL, JAUM); same locality, alt. 2000 m, 12 May 1982, C. Luer & R. Escobar 7787

(SEL); epiphytic in cloud forest below the Paramo de Jurisdicciones, alt. 3150 m, 10 May 1984, C.

Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 10231 (MO).

This species with short, stout ramicauls with long-ciliate sheaths is easily rec¬

ognized by the slender, pointed, diverging lobes of the petals like two pairs of

antennae. However, the most interesting feature is the total absence of an appen¬

dix, except perhaps for a couple of short hairs in the sinus of the lip. The slender,

crescent-shaped petals of Lepanthes meniscophora Luer & Hirtz, from northern¬

most Ecuador, are similar, but the flowers with obtuse sepals with denticulate

margins are borne by a secund raceme.

Lepanthes aperta Luer, Selby ana, 30(1): 5, 2009.

Ety.: From the Latin apertus , “open,” referring to the exposed column between the expanded

labellar blades.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose. Ramicauls slender, erect, 15-20 mm long, enclosed by 4-5

minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf coriaceous, erect, elliptical, acute, 15-20 mm long, 7-9 mm

wide, cuneate below into a petiole 2 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, successively several-flow¬

ered rachis up to 7 or more mm long, borne by a capillary peduncle 18-25 mm long, exceeding the leaf

in length; floral bracts 1 mm long; pedicels 2 mm long; ovary 0.6 mm long; sepals dull yellow suffused

with purple, the dorsal sepal lightly suffused, the lateral sepals heavily suffused, glabrous, margins

smooth, the dorsal sepal ovate-triangular, acute, acuminate, 5 mm long, 3.5 mm wide, 3-veined,

connate 1 mm to the lateral sepals, the lateral sepals ovate, acute, acuminate, 5 mm long, 2.25 mm

wide, connate 2 mm into a broad, bifid synsepal 4.5 mm wide, each 2-veined; petals orange, glabrous,

transversely bilobed, 1 mm long, 3 mm wide, 1-veined, the lobes similar, triangular, narrowly obtuse;

lip orange, glabrous, bilaminate, the blades narrowly ovate with the apices acute and bases rounded,

1.25 mm long, the connectives cuneate from near the middle of the blade into a narrow body, connate

to the column above the base, the sinus acute, the appendix segmented, with the terminal segment

rounded, pubescent and with a pair of slender, microscopic papillae; column terete, 1 mm long, the

anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Colombia: without collection data, flowered in cultivation at Ecuagenera, Gualaceo, Ecuador, 5

Mar. 2001, C. Luer 19668 (Holotype: MO).

This small Colombian species without collection data is characterized by an

elliptical leaf slightly surpassed by a short, congested raceme borne by a thrice-

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

longer peduncle. The sepals are acuminate; the triangular lobes of transverse petals

are similar in size and shape; and the blades of the lip are far apart, exposing the

column. The distal segment of the appendix is round with a pair of slender, micro¬

scopic papillae.

Lepanthes aquila-borussiae Rchb. f., Bonplandia, 2: 22, 1854.

Ety.: From the Latin aquila , “eagle,” and borussiae , “Prussian,” presumably referring to the

fancied resemblance of the lip to the eagle on the Prussian coat of arms.

Syn.: Lepanthes rabei Foldats, Acta Bot. Venez. 3: 341, 1968.

Ety.: Named in honor of the co-collector of this species, M. Rabe.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect, slender, 3-7 cm long, enclosed

by 6-8 long-ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, thickly coriaceous, narrowly ovate, acute, 2.5-5.5

cm long, 0.5-1.2 cm wide, contracted below into a petiole 1-2 mm long. Inflorescence an erect, con¬

gested, distichous, successively few- to many-flowered raceme to 5 cm long, including the peduncle 5-

10 mm long, borne behind the leaf; floral bracts echinate, 1-1.5 mm long; pedicels 1-1.5 mm long;

ovary costate, 1.25-2 mm long; sepals yellow, yellow suffused with brown, orange, or rose-brown,

slightly concave, glabrous, margins ciliate-denticulate, the dorsal sepal ovate, acute, acuminate, 4-5 mm

long, 2.5-3 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for ca. 1 mm, the lateral sepals ovate,

oblique, acute, acuminate, diverging, 4-5 mm long, 1.75-2 mm wide, 2-veined (the lateral vein is faint,

not shown in Dunsterville’s illustration of Lepanthes rabei), connate 1 mm; petals yellow or orange,

red medially, minutely pubescent, bilobed, 0.5-0.75 mm long, 2.5-4 mm wide, the lobes similar, more

or less oblong, rounded at the ends; lip red or yellow suffused with red, minutely pubescent, bilaminate,

the blades curved, elliptical-oblong, 1.5 mm long, the connectives broadly cuneate, embracing the

column, the body broad, connate just above the base of the column, the appendix minute, pubescent,

pedunculate; column 1.5 mm long, with the anther and the stigma apical, occupying half the length of

the column.

Norte de Santander: Paramo de Jurisdicciones, alt. 3130 m, 11 Nov. 1981, C. Luer 6650 , 6651

(SEL); epiphytic in cloud forest below the Paramo de Jurisdicciones, alt. 3150 m, 10 May 1984, C.

Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 10229 (MO); Alto de San Francisco above Villacaro, alt.

2850-2900 m, 11 May 1984, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 10261, 10263, 10272, 10359

(MO).

Santander: epiphytic in cloud forest, east of Bucaramanga toward Berlin, alt. 2550 m, 7 May

1984, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 10202 (MO).

Also Venezuela (Distrito Federal, Holotype, Wagener s.n .: W; Tachira, type of L. rabei, J. A.

Steyermark & M. Rabe 96936 : VEN; Merida).

This small species with long-ciliate lepanthiform sheaths is relatively frequent

and variable in its distribution in Venezuela and easternmost Colombia. A succes¬

sively flowered raceme is shorter than the thickened, acutely ovate leaf The sepals

are denticulate with acuminate apices. The lobes of the small petals vary in shape.

The lip is most distinctive with the broad connectives and blades encircling the

column, as shown in Reichenbach’s sketch on the herbarium sheet, resembling an

eagle with raised, spread wings. The flowers of the similar Lepanthes eucerca Luer

& Thoerle are nearly twice as large with long-acuminate sepals, and a lip with a

bristle for the appendix.

Lepanthes arbuscula Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 19(1): 33-34, 1994.

Ety.: From the Latin arbuscula , “a little tree,” referring to the stout, branching ramicaul.

Plant large, epiphytic, prolific; roots slender, basal and from the apices of the ramicauls. Rami¬

cauls stout, erect, superposed, the lowermost ramicaul up to 40 cm long, enclosed by 12-13 lepanthi¬

form sheaths with microscopically scabrous margins, the upper ramicauls ca. 5 cm long, enclosed by 6-

7 similar lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical-ovate, acute, shortly acuminate, 3-12

cm long including the petiole, 1-4.5 cm wide, cuneate to rounded below into a petiole 0.5-1 cm long.

Inflorescence a loose, successively few-flowered raceme, 4-5 cm long, including the slender peduncle

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

2.5-3.5 cm long; floral bracts acute, 3 mm long; pedicels 2 mm long; ovary costate, 2.5 mm long;

sepals yellow, glabrous, margins microscopically cellular-denticulate, the dorsal sepal triangular, acute,

acuminate, 15 mm long, 5 mm wide at the base, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 2 mm, the

lateral sepals ovate, oblique, acuminate, acute, widely diverging, 15 mm long, 4.5 mm wide, connate 4

mm into a synsepal 9 mm wide, each 2-veined; petals dark yellow with red margins, microscopically

cellular-pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1 mm long, 2.25 mm wide, the lobes about equal in size and

shape, ovate, obtuse; lip red, bilaminate, minutely ciliate, elliptical, lightly concave, 2 mm long, the

connectives broad, thick, cuneate, the body broad, connate to the base of the column, the sinus broad,

the appendix broad with a bifurcated apical gland; column 2 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma

ventral.

Cauca: Paramo de Purace, alt. ca. 2900 m, collected by E. Valencia, May 1992, flowered in culti¬

vation at Colomborquideas, 12 Dec. 1992, R. Escobar 5009 (Holotype: JAUM; Isotype: MO), C. Luer

illustr. 16570.

This species is the largest known among the climbing, or prolific, species of

the genus. The lowermost ramicauls are stout and can be 40 centimeters long.

Progressively smaller ramicauls are produced from the apices of the ramicauls,

creating a branching effect. The leaves produced by the lower, longer ramicauls

are larger than the leaves produced by the much shorter, upper ramicauls. The

loose few-flowered raceme is about as long as the shorter leaves. The flowers are

large, measuring three centimeters between the tips of the dorsal and lateral sepals.

The sepals are long-acuminate; the laterals are diverging. The transverse petals are

very small for the size of the flower. The large flowers with acuminate sepals

resemble those of Lepanthes acutissima , but the latter is caespitose.

Lepanthes argentata Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 17(3): 150-153, 1988.

Ety.: From the Latin argentatus , “silvered,” referring to the crystals easily seen in the preserved

flower parts.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender but thicker than the ramicauls. Ramicauls very

slender, weak, suberect, 5-6 cm long, enclosed by 8-9 thin, tightly fitting, microscopically scabrous

lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, narrowly ovate, acute, 2.5-4 cm long, 0.8-1 cm wide, the

base cuneate into the 1-2 mm long petiole. Inflorescence a loose, successively several-flowered raceme

up to 30 mm long, borne on top of the leaf by a filiform peduncle 10-12 mm long; floral bracts 1 mm

long; pedicels 0.75-1 mm long; ovary 0.75 mm long; sepals light yellow with a central red stripe,

glabrous, carinate, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal ovate, acute, 2.75 mm long, 1.6 mm wide, 3-

veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.25 mm, the lateral sepals ovate, oblique, acute, 2.5 mm long,

connate 1.5 mm into a broadly ovate synsepal 2.5 mm wide, with the apex shortly bifid, each 2-veined;

petals dark yellow, microscopically pubescent, transversely bilobed, 0.5 mm long, 2.5 mm wide, the

lobes equal in size and shape, oblong with the apex rounded, the upper lobe suffused with red-purple;

lip red-purple, blades poorly developed, the lobes cuneate with thick, ovate, blade-like margins with

rounded ends, 1 mm long, cellular-ciliate, with silverish crystals, the body broad, connate to the base of

the column, the sinus acute with an oblong, pubescent appendix; column stout, 1 mm long, the anther

and stigma apical.

Norte de Santander: Mun. Toledo, epiphytic in cloud forest, Alto de Santa Inez, alt. 2100 m, 13

May 1984, collected by R. Escobar, E. Valencia, C. Luer & J. Luer, flowered in cultivation by L. & J.

Posada at Colomborquideas, 27 June 1984, R. Escobar 5274 (Holotype: MO), C. Luer illustr. 11534;

same area, alt. 2000 m, collected by E. Valencia, May 1992, flowered in cultivation by L. & J. Posada

at Colomborquideas, 3 Jan. 1993, R. Escobar 5245 (MO).

This little species is identified by the loose but straight, weak raceme only

slightly shorter than the narrowly ovate leaf. The sepals are acute, with the laterals

connate for more than half their length; the petals are transversely oblong with

rounded apices; and the lip is divided into two cuneate halves with thickened mar¬

gins as poorly developed blades. All flower parts contain silver-like crystals as

occasionally seen in other species of the genus but seen here to a more marked

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

degree. Similar crystals are frequently seen in the flower parts of the genus Stelis

Sw. Lindley first recorded their presence when he described S. argentata.

Lepanthes aries Luer, Phytologia 54: 329, 1983.

Ety.: From the Latin aries , “a ram,” referring to the recurved blades of the lip.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots coarse. Ramicauls slender, erect, 8-15 cm tall,

enclosed by 8-11 ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, thinly coriaceous, oblong, acute, shortly acu¬

minate, 5-6.5 cm long, 1.5-2.5 cm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole 5 mm long. Inflorescence 2

congested, distichous, successively flowered racemes up to 9 cm long, borne by a filiform peduncle up

to 45 mm long along the back of the leaf; floral bracts 1.5 mm long; pedicels 2.5-3.5 mm long; ovary 2-

2.5 mm long; sepals red to red-brown with thin yellow margins, glabrous to minutely pubescent, con¬

cave with apices often recurved, gaping, ovate, acute, acuminate, margins smooth or serrulate, the

dorsal sepal 7.5 mm long, 3-3.75 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1 mm, the lateral

sepals oblique, diverging, 7.25 mm long, connate 4 mm, 4.5 mm wide together, each 2-veined; petals

red, glabrous to ciliate, transversely bilobed, 1.2 mm long, 3.5-5 mm wide, the upper lobe elliptical,

acuminate, subacute to acute, the lower lobe smaller, triangular, acute; lip red to rosy brown,

bilaminate, the blades oblong, 3 mm long, the apices acute to obtuse, with or without cilia, the bases

elongate, acute, recurved, the connectives broadly cuneate, the body broad, connate to the column with

a slender claw, the appendix minute, minutely pubescent, 3-lobed, one lobe beneath the other 2 lobes,

in the sinus; column terete, 2.5 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Cauca: Sotara, alt. 2800 m, obtained from J. L. Miranda, May 2003, flowered in cultivation at

Colomborquideas, 14-16 June 2009, L. Thoerle 138 (MO), C. Luer illustr. 21471.

Also Ecuador (Imbabura, Holotype: C. Luer, J. Luer, A. Hirtz, etal. 6044\ SEL).

Lepanthes aries is known from southern Colombia and northwestern Ecuador.

It is distinguished by the congested, distichous inflorescence borne by a peduncle

nearly as long as the ovate, acuminate leaf; deeply connate lateral sepals; and the

blades of the lip with recurved bases. Specimens with pubescent sepals with serru¬

late margins, and ciliate petals and blades of the lip are known from Ecuador. The

Colombian specimen examined was almost completely glabrous, with smooth-

margined sepals. The basic morphology remains consistent, however. Similarly

hornlike blades of the lip are seen in L. cornualis Luer & R. Escobar, also from

southern Colombia, but the latter has one-veined, shallowly connate lateral sepals.

Lepanthes aristata Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 54(5): 582-584,

1985.

Ety.: From the Latin aristatus , “abruptly terminated into a slender point,” referring to the leaves of

this species.

Plant small to medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots filamentous. Ramicauls slender, erect,

3-11 cm tall, enclosed by 8-18 close, microscopically scabrous lepanthiform sheaths with aristate

apices. Leaf suberect to spreading, thinly coriaceous, elliptical, 3-5 cm long including the apex, 1.5-2

cm wide, the apex obtuse to rounded, abruptly contracted into an aristate segment 1-1.5 cm long, the

base broadly cuneate to rounded, contracted into a petiole 2 mm long. Inflorescence a congested,

secund, successively flowered raceme up to 15 mm long, borne on top of the leaf by a filiform peduncle

10-22 mm long; floral bracts 1.5 mm long; pedicels 2.5 mm long; ovary 2 mm long; sepals yellow-

orange, glabrous, broadly ovate, obtuse, shortly acuminate, subcarinate, margins smooth, the dorsal

sepal 5 mm long, 4.75 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1.5 mm, the lateral sepals

oblique, 5 mm long, connate 2 mm, diverging, 5.25 mm wide together, each 2-veined; petals bright

orange, microscopically pubescent, transversely bilobed, with a minute apiculum (a third lobe) on the

outer margin between the lobes, the upper lobe oblong, obliquely truncate, the lower lobe smaller,

oblong, truncate; lip orange-brown, microscopically pubescent, the blades ovate, adherent medially

over the column, 1.75 mm long, acute at the apices, obtuse at the bases, the connectives cuneate, the

narrow body connate to the base of the column, the appendix oblong, shallowly sulcate, ciliate, the apex

truncate with 2 hairs on the ciliate margin protruding beyond the others; column 2 mm long, the anther

dorsal, the stigma ventral.

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

Norte de Santander: Mun. Toledo, epiphytic in cloud forest, Alto de Santa Inez, alt. 2250 m, 13

May 1984, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 10332 (Holotype: JAUM; Isotype: MO); same

collection, flowered in cultivation by L. & J. Posada at Colomborquideas, El Retiro, 14 July 1984, R.

Escobar 3302 (COL, JAUM); same area, alt. 2200 m, 13 May 1982, C. Luer & R. Escobar 7828 (SEL);

same location, alt. 2150 m, 23 May 1982, C. Luer & R. Escobar 7947 (SEL).

This species may be recognized by the slender ramicauls with long-pointed

sheaths; elliptical leaves with long-pointed apices that approach the blade in

length; and transverse petals with a minute marginal apiculum between the lobes.

Both the upper and lower lobes of the petals are bluntly truncate. The ovate blades

of the lip and the oblong appendix are not particularly noteworthy.

Lepanthes athena Luer, Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 61(3): 38, 1996.

Ety.: Named for the lepidopteran genus Athena Hiibner, “the dagger-wings,” referring to the petals.

Plant medium to large in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect, slender to

stout, 7-28 cm long, enclosed by 9-16 coarsely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous,

elliptical, acute, acuminate, 5-11.5 cm long, 2-5 cm wide, the base rounded, contracted into a petiole 3-

5 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, distichous, successively many-flowered raceme up to 20 mm

long, borne behind the leaf by a filiform peduncle 15-25 mm long; floral bracts 1.5-2 mm long; pedicels

1 mm long; ovary 4-5 mm long; sepals light yellow, glabrous, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal ovate,

acute, 4-6.25 mm long, 2.25-3.25 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1 mm, the lateral

sepals ovate, oblique, obtuse, 4-5.5 mm long, 2.75-3.5 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 1.5 mm, with the

apices acuminate, diverging widely; petals yellow-orange with purple margins, pubescent, transversely

bilobed, 1.2-1.5 mm long, 4-7 mm wide, the upper lobe obovate with the obtuse apex contracted into a

0.5-mm long, diverging cauda, the lower lobe narrower, falcate, subovate, with the apex narrowly

acuminate; lip red, bilaminate, the blades glabrous, flat, ovate, 1.3-1.8 mm long, acute at the apex,

rounded at the base, the connectives broadly cuneate, forming a broad body, connate to the column

above the base, the sinus subacute with a small, ovoid, bilobed appendix; column 2 mm long, the

anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Narino: Ricaurte, wet forest around La Planada, alt. 1800 m, cultivated at La Planada Orquideario,

25 Jan. 1987, C. Luer 12505A (MO); in montane pluvial forest, La Planada, 7 km south of Ricaurte on

road from Pasto to Tumaco, 1820 m, 21 July 1989, C. H. Dodson, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 18050

(MO); locality unknown, collected by J. Aguirre, April 1992, flowered in cultivation at Colombor¬

quideas, 16-19 May 1993, C. Luer 16887 (MO).

Colombia: without collecting data, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 27 Apr. 1983, C.

Luer 8845 (MO).

Also Ecuador (Carchi, Holotype: C. Luer, S. Dalstrom & T. Hdijer 9933 : MO).

This species from northernmost Ecuador and southern Colombia was consid¬

ered conspecific with Lepanthes actias-luna Luer & Hirtz from the province of El

Oro in southwestern Ecuador. However, this species is sufficiently distinct from L.

actias-luna to be recognized. Superficially, the two species are inseparable from

many of the large species with short, congested racemes.

The flowers of Lepanthes athena are distinguished from those of L. actias-luna

by their smaller size and pubescent petals. Instead of the overlapping upper lobes

of the petals with incurving apices of L. actias-luna , the upper lobes are ovate with

short, diverging tails. The lower lobes are slender in both species, but acuminate

and broader in L. athena. The lips are similar, but the microscopic morphology of

the appendices differs, that of L. athena consisting of a smaller, ovoid body bi¬

lobed at the apex, while that of L. actias-luna is intricate, hinged by a membrane,

with a bilobulate terminal segment.

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Lepanthes atomifera Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 53(1): 26,

1984.

Ety.: From the Latin atomus, “a tiny particle,” and -fir, “bearing,” in reference to the microscopic

appendix.

Plant very small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Secondary stems slender, erect, 1-4 cm long,

enclosed by 3-8 close, minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf more or less spreading, purple

beneath, coriaceous, ovate, acute, 10-18 mm long, 4-9 mm wide, the base rounded, abruptly contracted

into the 1 mm-long petiole. Inflorescence a very congested, secund, successively flowered raceme up

to 5 mm long, borne by a filiform peduncle 4-7 mm long on top of the leaf; floral bracts 0.5 mm long;

pedicels 1 mm long; ovary 1.5 mm long; sepals rose-red, glabrous, ovate, subacute, margins smooth,

the dorsal sepal 3 mm long, 2.2-2.5 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for nearly 1 mm,

the lateral sepals connate to above the middle, 3 mm long, 3 mm wide together, each 2-veined; petals

deep rose, glabrous or at most cellular, transversely oblong, 0.75 mm long, 2.5 mm wide, the lobes

oblong-triangular with rounded apices; lip white, suffused with rose along the margins, the blades

oblong, 1.3 mm long, convex, the ends rounded, the connectives cuneate, from the base of the blades,

the body narrow, attached to the base of the column, the sinus incurved with an extremely minute,

triangular appendix; column stout, 1.3 mm long, the anther apical, the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Mun. Frontino, Alto de Cuevas, alt. 2050 m, 4 May 1983, C. Luer, R. Escobar, et al.

8965 (Holotype: SEL); same area, 12 April 1974, R. Escobar et al. 1202 (JAUM); same area, 14 May

1983, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 2597 (SEL), C. Luer illustr. 9094; Frontino, km 15.5 of road between

Nutibara and Murri, disturbed wet/very wet montane vegetation, alt. 1830 m, 22 Sep. 1987, J. L.

Zarucchi, A. E. Brant & C. J. Castano 5594 (MO).

The appendix of this small species is a microscopic, triangular process in the

deep sinus of the lip. The blades of the lip are microscopically pubescent, borne by

connectives from their bases; and the petals are glabrous with both lobes triangular

with rounded apices. The flowers superficially resemble those of L. sericinitens

Luer & R. Escobar, but the flowers of L atomifera are borne by a secund rather

than distichous raceme, and the leaves are ovate and acute rather than broadly

ovate and obtuse.

Lepanthes auditor Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 17(3): 154, 1988.

Ety.: From the Latin auditor , “a hearer,” in allusion to the earlike petals.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender but thicker than the ramicauls. Ramicauls very

slender, weak, suberect, 3-7 cm long, enclosed by 5-9 thin, tightly fitting, microscopically scabrous

lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf thinly coriaceous, more or less spreading, ovate, 25-30 mm long, 10-15 mm

wide, the apex acute, long-acuminate, prominently tridenticulate, the rounded base contracted into the

0.5 mm long petiole. Inflorescence a congested, more or less secund, successively many-flowered

raceme up to 8 mm long, borne on top of the leaf by a filiform peduncle ca. 3-6 mm long; floral bracts 1

mm long; pedicels 1.5-2 mm long; ovary 1.75 mm long; sepals translucent pale yellow, glabrous,

margins smooth, the dorsal sepal broadly ovate, obtuse, 2.8 mm long, 2.4 mm wide, 3-veined, connate

to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals ovate, oblique, connate 1 mm into a broadly ovate

synsepal 2.8 mm long, 2.8 mm wide, with the apex cleft for 1 mm, the apices subacute, each 2-veined;

petals bright yellow, red-purple at the base, microscopically pubescent, broadly cuneate-bilobed, 1 mm

long, 2.5 mm wide, the upper lobe obliquely and broadly triangular, obtuse, the lower lobe nearly equal

in size and shape; lip yellow, suffused with light purple, bilaminate, the blades diverging, thick, oblong-

obovate with rounded ends, 1.25 mm long, ciliate, the connectives from the bases, short, oblong, the

body transverse, connate to the base of the column, the appendix ovoid long-pubescent, biglandular at

the apex; column 1 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Mun. Mesopotamia, between La Union to Sonson, alt. 2400 m, collected 25 Aug. 1984

by L. de Posada, C. Head & F. Lopez, flowered in cultivation by L. & J. Posada at Colomborquideas, 2

Sept. 1984, R. Escobar 5417 (Holotype: JAUM; Isotype: MO); C. Luer illustr. 11525; Mun.

Mesopotamia, collected by J. Lopez, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 23 May 1995, C.

Luer 17620 (MO).

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

This weak-stemmed species resembles many other species of the genus vegeta-

tively, but the flowers are distinctive. The sepals are broadly ovate; the proportion¬

ally large, broadly cuneate petals stand out in the manner of intently listening ears;

and the thick, oblong blades of the lip are prominently ciliate. The little, ovoid,

long-pubescent appendix is minutely biglandular at the apex.

Lepanthes aures-asini Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 53(2): 158,

1984.

Ety.: From the Latin aures asini, “the ears of a donkey,” in reference to the appearance of the large

petals.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots filiform. Secondary stems slender, erect, 18-35 mm tall,

enclosed by 4-5 close, microscopically ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, thickly coriaceous to

semiterete, very narrowly ovate, acute, 22-26 mm long, 4-5 mm wide, 3 mm thick, the base cuneate

into a petiole 1 mm long. Inflorescence a dense, distichous, successively-flowered raceme up to 9 mm

long, borne behind the leaf by a filiform peduncle 4-10 mm long; floral bracts 1 mm long; pedicels 1.5

mm long; ovary 3 mm long; sepals red-purple, glabrous, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal oblong, 3

mm long, 2 mm wide, the apex rounded, 3-veined, the base connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the

lateral sepals ovate, oblique, subacute, diverging, 3 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 1 mm;

petals red, large, glabrous, transversely bilobed, 1 mm long, 3.5 mm wide, the upper lobe ovate,

oblique, obtuse, the lower lobe larger, oblong, obtuse, concave; lip red with a yellow margin, the blades

elliptical, 2 mm long, thin, glabrous, concave, the apices acute, incurved, the bases rounded, the

connectives short, broadly cuneate, connate to the base of the column, the sinus acute with a pubescent,

broadly ligulate, concave appendix; column 2 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Mun. La Union: Alto El Chuzcal, alt. 2570 m, 10 May 1983, R. Escobar & E. Valencia

2540 (Holotype: SEL), C. Luer illustr. 9092; Retiro, 2400 m, 17 April 1988, collected by W. Teague, C.

Luer 13223 (MO).

This little species, from the Central Cordillera of Colombia, has semiterete

leaves, with a short, congested inflorescence below. The small, purple flowers are

distinguished by large petals, the lower lobes concave and nearly covering the

lateral sepals. The tips of the blades of the lip are acutely incurved, and the appen¬

dix is a small, pubescent, concave organ at the sinus.

Lepanthes auriculata Luer, Phytologia 54(5): 330, 1983.

Ety.: From the Latin auriculatus , “shaped like an ear,” in reference to the blades of the lip.

Plant large, epiphytic, caespitose; roots coarse. Ramicauls erect, slender to stout, 8-30 cm tall,

enclosed by 10-16 minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, thinly coriaceous, elliptical, acute,

long-acuminate, 5-13 cm long, 2.5-5 cm wide, minutely ciliate along the veins beneath, the rounded

base contracted into a petiole 3-5 mm long. Inflorescence a dense, successively many-flowered raceme

up to 20 mm long, borne by a filiform peduncle 25-50 mm long behind the leaf; floral bracts 1.5 mm

long; pedicels 1.25 mm long; ovary 3-4 mm long, narrowly winged; sepals yellow, glabrous, margins

smooth, the dorsal sepal triangular, acute, acuminate, 9 mm long, 4 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the

lateral sepals for 1.5 mm, the lateral sepals ovate, oblique, 9 mm long, 4 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 3

mm, the apices acute, acuminate, diverging more than 90; petals yellow, suffused with purple, trans¬

versely bilobed, 1.25 mm long, 5 mm wide, the upper lobe oblong-cuneate with the apex subtruncate -

rounded, the lower lobe similar but smaller and narrower; lip yellow, edged in purple, bilaminate, the

blades thick, elliptical, carinate, longitudinally concave, 2 mm long, the apex narrowly rounded, the

base rounded, the connectives broad, short, oblique, the body broad, protruding and rounded, connate to

the column above the base, the appendix short, oblong, pubescent; column 2 mm long, the anther

dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Valle del Cauca: El Cairo, Cerro del Ingles, Serrania de los Paraguas, between El Cairo and Rio

Blanco, alt. 2250 m, 30 Mar. 1988, P. Silverstone-Sopkin, N. Paz, R. Eriksson, et al. 3786 (CUVC).

Also Ecuador (Zamora-Chinchipe, Holotype: D’Alessandro 164 : SEL; Napo; Morona-Santiago;

Loja), Bolivia (Cochabamba).

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

This large species, relatively frequently encountered in southeastern Ecuador

and recorded less frequently from Colombia and Bolivia, is similar to several other

large species with mostly yellow flowers, e.g., Lepanthes ballatrix Luer, L. data

Rchb. f. Lepanthes auriculata is distinguished by the concave, earlike blades of the

lip. Two other large Colombian species share a lip with blades that are thick and

concave between poorly defined calli. From L. steyermarkii Foldats, L. auriculata

is distinguished by its widely diverging lateral sepals and the oblong, pubescent

appendix in contact with the stigma. Lepanthes orion Fuer & R. Escobar shares the

widely diverging lateral sepals and the appendix appressed to the stigma with L.

auriculata , but differs with obtuse rather than acute sepals, and an appendix that is

glabrous and flabellate rather than pubescent and oblong.

Lepanthes ballatrix Fuer, Phytologia 54(5): 331, 1983.

Ety.: From the Latin ballatrix , “a dancer,” in reference to the fancied illusion of the flower.

Plant medium to large in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots coarse. Ramicauls slender to stout, 10-

30 cm long, enclosed by 8-15 lepanthiform sheaths, glabrous to microscopically scabrous on the upper

sheaths, more or less microscopically ciliate on some of the stomata of the lower sheaths. Leaf erect,

thinly coriaceous, narrowly ovate-elliptical, acute, acuminate, 6-12 cm long, 2.5-4 cm wide, the base

rounded, abruptly contracted into a petiole 3-4 mm long. Inflorescence a very congested, distichous,

short-pedicellate, successively flowered raceme up to 4 cm long, borne by a filiform peduncle up to 3

cm long behind the leaf; floral bracts 1-1.5 mm long; pedicels 1-1.5 mm long; ovary 2 mm long; sepals

yellow, glabrous, carinate, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal triangular, acute, with apex reflexed, 7-9

mm long, 3.5-4.5 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1 mm, the lateral sepals ovate,

subacute, diverging, connate 2.5-3 mm, 7-8.5 mm long, 5-7 mm wide together, each 2-veined; petals

yellow to orange with red to purple margins, transversely bilobed, 1.5-2 mm long, 4-5 mm wide, the

lobes subcircular to broadly elliptical; lip orange to red, more or less suffused with purple, bilaminate,

the blades oblong-lunate, 2 mm long, narrowly obtuse, minutely pubescent, the connectives broadly

cuneate and short, the body broad, connate to the column below the middle, the appendix triangular,

concave, ciliate; column 2 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Putumayo: east of San Francisco, alt. unknown, 5 March 1989, C. Luer & R. Escobar 14102

(MO); San Francisco, Rio Blanco, alt. 3300 m, June 1987, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas,

15 Dec. 1992, R. Escobar E. Valencia & H. Voiles 5037 { MO).

Also Ecuador (Pichincha, Holotype, C. Luer et al. 7294\ SEL; Sucumbios, Tungurahua, Morona-

Santiago, Loja, Zamora-Chinchipe).

This large species is frequent and widely distributed in the Andes of Ecuador,

but has been found less frequently in Colombia. Lepanthes ballatrix is similar to L.

data of Colombia and Central America, and L. monitor Fuer of southern

Colombia to Bolivia, but is distinguished by its narrow dorsal sepal and petals with

subcircular lobes.

Lepanthes barclaya Luer & Thoerle, Harvard Pap. Bot. 16(2): 323, 2011.

Ety.: Named in honor of Harriet Barclay, who collected the species.

Plant large, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls stout, red-violet, 15-17 cm long, enclosed by 10-

12 glabrous, ribbed lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, oblong-ovate, subacute, shortly acu¬

minate, 9-10 cm long, 3-3.5 cm wide, the base rounded, contracted into a petiole 5 mm long. Inflores¬

cence a fascicle of 5-10 loose, successively flowered racemes 4-9 cm long, borne up the back of the

leaf; floral bracts 3 mm long; pedicels 2 mm long; ovary 1.5 mm long; sepals described as yellowish by

the collector, carinate, microscopically pubescent within, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal broadly

ovate, 8 mm long, 5 mm wide, 3-veined, the apex subacute, acuminate into a slender cauda 2 mm long,

connate to the lateral sepals for 2 mm, the lateral sepals ovate, oblique, connate 5 mm into a broadly

ovate synsepal 8 mm long, 5 mm wide, each 2-veined, the apices approximate, acute, acuminate into 2-

mm long caudae similar to that of the dorsal sepal; petals shortly pubescent, transversely oblong with

obtuse tips, 1 mm long, 4 mm wide, the dorsal lobe slightly longer than the lower lobe; lip rose,

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

bilaminate, the blades glabrous, oblong with obtuse ends, 3 mm long, the connectives broadly cuneate,

from the central portion of the blade, the body broad, connate to the column above the base, with a

small ovoid, pubescent appendix in the obtuse sinus; column slender, 2 mm long, the anther apical, the

stigma ventral.

Cauca: Paramo de Papas, near Laguna de Cusiyaco, alt. 3375 m, 13 Oct. 1958, Harriet G. Barclay

& P. Duajibioy 6070 (Holotype: MO; Isotype: US), C. Luer illustr. 21516.

This large species from a high altitude in southern Colombia is characterized

by stout ramicauls that bear a fascicle of several loosely flowered racemes shorter

than the oblong leaf with a shortly acuminate tip. The tips of the sepals are also

shortly acuminate. The broad synsepal appears to be only two-veined. The trans¬

versely bilobed petals are narrowly oblong. The blades of the lip are similarly nar¬

rowly oblong, and the appendix is very small and ovoid-oblong.

Lepanthes beatrizae Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 20(3): 283-284, 1997.

Ety.: Named in honor of Beatriz Lopez, manager of the collection of species at Colomborquideas,

El Retiro, Colombia.

Plant very small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 16-20 mm long,

enclosed by 6-7 microscopically ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical-obovate,

obtuse to rounded at the apex, 9-10 mm long, 7 mm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole ca. 1 mm long.

Inflorescence a loose, successively 2- to 3-flowered raceme, up to 35 mm long including the filiform

peduncle 20-25 mm long, borne far above the leaf; floral bracts oblique, muricate, 2 mm long; pedicels

3 mm long; ovary cristate-spiculate, 1 mm long; sepals translucent cream, lightly suffused with rose

centrally, glabrous, low-spiculate-carinate, margins microscopically ciliate, the blade of the dorsal sepal

ovate-triangular, subacute, 8 mm long, 6 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 2.5 mm,

the apex caudate, contracted into a slender cauda 4 mm long, the lateral sepals ovate, oblique, obtuse,

connate 4 mm into a bifid synsepal, 8 mm long, 10 mm wide, each 3-veined, the diverging apices

caudate, contracted into caudae 4 mm long; petals orange, microscopically cellular-pubescent,

transversely bilobed, 0.8 mm long, 2.5 mm wide, the lobes oblong with rounded ends, the upper lobe

larger; lip red, bilaminate, the blades microscopically pubescent, ciliate at the apices, elliptical with

rounded ends, 1.3 mm long, the connectives broadly cuneate, the body broad, connate to the base of the

column, with the appendix oblong, pubescent; column stout, 1 mm long, the anther apical and the

stigma ventral.

Norte de Santander: below Santa Inez, alt. 2200 m, collected with Lepanthes echidion Luer & R.

Escobar by E. Valencia, May 1992, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, Nov. 1992, R. Escobar

5382 (Holotype: MO), C. Luer illustr. 17156.

This species is known only from a single collection in the Eastern Cordillera of

Colombia, cultivated at Colomborquideas. It is one of the tiny species with giant

flowers several times larger than the leaf. Only a very few flowers are produced

successively far above the leaves. The sepals are slender-tailed; the petals are

minute and transversely lobed; and the lobes of the lip are oblong, as is the pubes¬

cent appendix. Lepanthes fonnegrae Luer & R. Escobar is another tiny Colombian

species with proportionally huge flowers with caudate sepals, but with two-veined

lateral sepals; larger petals, the upper lobe obliquely truncate, the lower lobe

narrowly triangular; and a smooth ovary.

Lepanthes biglomeris Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 19(1): 34-35, 1993.

Ety.: From the Latin biglomeris , “with two balls,” referring to the upper lobes of the petals.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 7-10 cm long,

enclosed by 8-9 minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, narrowly elliptical, acute,

5-5.5 cm long, 1-1.4 cm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole 2 mm long. Inflorescence a loose, disti¬

chous, successively several-flowered raceme, 3-4 cm long including the slender peduncle 1.5-2 cm

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

long, borne up the back side of the leaf; floral bracts minutely muricate, acute, 2 mm long; pedicels 1.5

mm long; ovary 1 mm long; sepals yellow, suffused with light red, glabrous, the dorsal sepal elliptical-

ovate, obtuse, 3 mm long, 2.25 mm wide, 3-veined, slightly concave near the apex, margins smooth,

connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals flat, ovate, oblique, acute, diverging, 2.75

mm long, 1.25 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 0.5 mm, the margins denticulate; petals transversely

bilobed, the lobes subcircular, the upper lobes red, overlapping, velvety pubescent, 1.5 mm long, 1.5

mm wide, the lower lobes red-orange, 0.5 mm long, 0.5 mm wide; lip red-orange, bilaminate, 1.4 mm

long, the blades narrowly ovate, microscopically pubescent, with the apices narrowly obtuse, the

connectives short but very broad, the body broad, connate to the undersurface of the column for half its

length, the appendix pubescent, oblong, protruding as far forward as the tips of the blades of the lip;

column slender, 2 mm long, the dilated apex protruding beyond the lip, the anther dorsal, the stigma

apical.

Santander: El Taladro near Yirolin, alt. 2400 m, collected by E. Valencia, Feb. 1991, flowered in

cultivation at Colomborquideas, 29 Dec. 1992, R. Escobar 5122 (Holotype: JAUM; Isotype: MO), C.

Luer illustr. 16567.

This species is similar to Lepanthes hemirhoda Garay, also found in the East¬

ern Cordillera of Colombia. Both are characterized by erect, narrowly elliptical

leaves with loosely flowered racemes that do not reach the apex of the leaf. Both

have flowers with petals with the upper lobes much larger than the lower lobes, but

the single-veined lateral sepals of L. hemirhoda are smooth-margined. The blades

of the lips of the two species are similarly narrowly ovate with acute apices, but

the body of the lip of L. hemirhoda is narrow with the oblong appendix recessed

within the sinus, rather than broad with a protruding sinus.

Lepanthes biloba Lindl., Companion Bot. Mag. 2: 356, 1836.

Ety.: From the Latin bilobus , “bilobed,” referring to the lip.

Syn.: Lepanthes otostalix Rchb. f., Bonplandia 3: 241, 1855.

Ety.: From the Greek otostalyx , “a column with ears,” referring to the column and petals.

Syn.: Lepanthespeniculus Luer, Phytologia 54: 362, 1983.

Ety.: From the Latin peniculus , “a small organ,” in reference to the appendix.

Syn.: Lepanthes metaxy Luer & Hirtz, Orchidee (Hamburg) 42: 185, 1991.

Ety.: From the Greek metaxy , “the middle,” referring to the features intermediate among L. biloba,

L. electilis Luer, and L. elongata Luer & Hirtz.

Plant medium to large in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender to stout,

erect, 3-37 cm long, enclosed by 5-17 minutely ciliate-scabrous lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect,

coriaceous, elliptical-oblong to elliptical-ovate, 3-8 cm long, 1-2.5 cm wide, the apex acute to obtuse,

shortly or slightly acuminate, the base cuneate, contracted into a petiole 3-7 mm long. Inflorescence

racemose, 1-5 loose, flexuous to nearly strict, flexible, successively many-flowered racemes up to 23

cm long including the filiform peduncle 1-2 cm long; floral bracts 1.5-2 mm long; pedicels 1-2 mm

long; ovary 1.5 mm long; sepals yellow, yellow-green, purple or brown, glabrous, ovate, subacute to

obtuse, usually shortly acuminate, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal 3.5-7 mm long, 2.3-3.5 mm wide,

3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1 mm, the lateral sepals oblique, 3.5-7 mm long, connate 1.5-

3 mm into a broadly ovate, bifid synsepal, 3-5 mm wide, each 2-veined; petals bright purple, red,

orange or brown, minutely pubescent, transversely bilobed, 0.6-1 mm long, 1.8-5 mm wide, the lobes

subequal, triangular with obtuse to acute apices, sometimes long-acuminate, the lower lobe slightly

smaller; lip bright purple, red, or orange, minutely pubescent, bilaminate, the blades elliptical or ovate,

convex, 1-2 mm long, the apices narrowly obtuse, the bases rounded, the connectives broadly oblong,

short, the body broad, connate to the column near the base, the appendix oblong, long-pubescent, with

apex variably rounded; column 1.5-2 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Risaralda: La Linea, alt. 3280 m, collected by R. Escobar 3762, flowered in cultivation at

Colomborquideas, 18 March 1989, C. Luer 14222 (MO); same area, 2900 m, collected by R. Escobar

3773, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 18 March 1989, C. Luer 14224 (MO).

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

Cauca: Mun. Silvia, epiphytic in Paramo de Guanacas northeast of Popayan, alt. 3150 m, 15 Nov.

1982, C. Luer & R. Escobar 8420 (SEL).

Putumayo: between La Cocha and Sibundoy, alt. 2800 m, collected by R. Escobar, E. Valencia

and H. Voiles, June 1987, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 3 January 1993, R. Escobar

5218 (MO).

Also Ecuador (Pichincha, Holotype, Hall s.n.: K; holotype of L. otostalix, Jameson 266: G;

Esmeraldas; Carchi; Sucumbios, holotype of L. peniculus , C. Luer, J. Luer & A. Hirtz 4672 : SEL;

Imbabura; Napo; Cotopaxi; Tungurahua, holotype of L. metaxy , A. Hirtz 1981 : MO; Pastaza; Morona-

Santiago; Loja).

Lepanthes biloba is one of the more frequently encountered species of the

genus in the Andes. It varies both vegetatively and florally. The inflorescence of

Lindley’s type is incompletely developed, being no longer than the leaf The shape

of the leaf varies from oblong and obtuse to narrowly ovate and acute, with all

intermediate shapes commonly being found throughout the distribution. Some

forms grade into L. elongata.

The loose, flexuous racemes sometimes begin flowering when shorter than the

leaf, but continue lengthening to far surpass the leaf. The flowers are small, bila¬

biate, and variable in color, but are often yellow with small, red or purple petals

and lip. The degree of pubescence of the petals and lip varies. The lobes of the

petals are triangular, but often the apices are acuminate. The body of the lip is

broad, connate to the column near the base. The appendix is small, pubescent, and

oblong with the tip rounded but sometimes bilobed.

The large form with narrower, acute leaves and acuminate petals was segre¬

gated as Lepanthes metaxy , but examination of numerous specimens from numer¬

ous localities shows that all degrees of intermediates are common. Lepanthes

elongata bears similar flowers but on strict, long-pedunculate inflorescences.

Lepanthes binaria Luer & Hirtz, Orchidee (Hamburg) 38(6): 291, 1987.

Ety.: From the Latin binarius , “consisting of two parts,” referring to the bilobed petals.

Plant medium to large in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 5-23

cm long, enclosed by 6-14 dark brown, microscopically ciliate-scabrous lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf

erect, suffused with purple beneath, coriaceous, convex, oblong, obtuse, abruptly acuminate, 3-6 cm

long, 1.5-2.5 cm wide, the rounded base contracted into a petiole 4-5 mm long. Inflorescence a very

congested, successively many-flowered raceme up to 12 mm long, borne on the concave, back surface

of the leaf by a filiform peduncle 12-20 mm long; floral bracts oblique, 1 mm long; pedicels 1 mm

long; ovary 2 mm long; sepals white, sometimes suffused with red, glabrous, broadly ovate to

subcircular, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal obtuse, abruptly apiculate, 4 mm long, 2 mm wide, 3-

veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1 mm, the lateral sepals oblique, obtuse, abruptly acute,

diverging, 3.5 mm long, 2 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 1.5 mm; petals white, sometimes suffused with

yellow, microscopically pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1.5 mm long, 3.25 mm wide, the lobes

subequal, subcircular; lip rose, bilaminate, the blades minutely pubescent, oblong with rounded ends,

1.75 mm long, the connectives broadly oblong from the base of the blades, connate to the base of the

column, the sinus acute with a minute, oblong appendix pubescent on the end; column 1.5 mm long,

the anther and stigma ventral.

Narino: epiphytic in cloud forest east of La Victoria, alt. 3200 m, 4 Nov. 1979, C. Luer, J. Luer &

A. Hirtz 4651 (SEL).

Also Ecuador (Carchi, Holotype, Luer et al. 11080 : MO).

This species occurs in northernmost Ecuador and adjacent Colombia. The most

distinctive feature is the pair of proportionally large, bilobed petals, each lobe

more or less round. The small, white flowers are borne within the concavity of the

under surface of the leaves. The plants grow in high altitude, cool, wet cloud

forests in the company of several other species of Lepanthes. Lepanthes ballatrix ,

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

from Ecuador and southern Colombia, shares petals with subcircular lobes but

differs with much longer, yellow sepals reaching seven millimeters in length.

Lepanthes bipinnatula Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 20(3): 284-286, 1997.

Ety.: From the Latin bipinnatulus , “with two little feathers,” referring to the appendix.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots comparatively coarse. Ramicauls slender, suberect, 9-10

cm long, enclosed by 12-14 closely fitting, microscopically scabrous lepanthiform sheaths with long-

acuminate apices. Leaf spreading to pendent, coriaceous, narrowly elliptical-ovate, acute, with recurved

margins, suffused with purple beneath, 4 cm long, 7-8 mm wide with the margins recurved, the base

cuneate, contracted into a petiole ca. 1 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, subsecund, successively

several-flowered raceme up to 7 mm long, borne on top of the leaf, 2 commonly simultaneously, by fili¬

form peduncles 7-24 mm long; floral bracts 1 mm long; pedicels 2-2.5 mm long; ovary 2 mm long;

sepals reddish orange-brown, membranous, 3-veined, carinate, widely spread, margins denticulate, the

dorsal sepal broadly ovate, subcircular, rounded and slightly concave at the apex, minutely apiculate, 4

mm long, 3.5 mm wide, connate to the lateral sepals for 1 mm, the lateral sepals ovate, oblique, acute, 4

mm long, 2.25 mm wide, connate 1 mm; petals brown, finely ciliate-pubescent, transversely bilobed,

0.5 mm long, 5 mm wide, the lobes narrowly triangular, acute, the upper lobe longer than the lower

lobe; up brown, bilaminate, the blades microscopically ciliate-pubescent, elliptical, with the ends

rounded, 1.5 mm long, the connectives short, narrowly oblong, the body connate to the base of the

column, the sinus obtuse, with the appendix in two parts, one above the other, both slender, elongated,

long-pubescent; column 2 mm long, the anther apical and the stigma subapical.

Antioquia: epiphytic in cloud forest north of the pass between Urrao and Carmen de Atrato, alt.

2700 m, 30 May 1995, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar, L. Moreno de Posada, G. Arteaga, B. & F. Lopez

17653 (Holotype: MO).

Vegetatively, this species resembles the widely distributed Lepanthes mucro-

nata Lindl., with a narrow leaf with recurved sides, borne horizontally or pen-

dently by a very slender ramicaul. Commonly two simultaneous racemes are borne

on top of the leaf by short and long peduncles. The flowers, however, do not show

any close relationship to the “mucronata complex.” The sepals of L. bipinnatula

are obtuse, denticulate, and three-veined. The lobes of the petals are narrowly

triangular and acute. The blades of the lip are free and elliptical, with the long-

ciliate-pubescent appendix in two vertical parts in the sinus.

Several other species of Lepanthes share the characteristic petals with an

elongate, narrowly triangular upper lobe, nearly as long as the dorsal sepal, and

longer than the similarly shaped lower lobe. From them, L. bipinnatula is distin¬

guished by its three-veined lateral sepals, and a lip shorter than the protruding

column, with a slender, two-part appendix.

Lepanthes bitriangularis Luer & R. Escobar, Selbyana, 30(1): 5, 2009.

Ety.: From the Greek bitriangularis , “with two triangles,” referring to the lobes of the petals.

Plant large, epiphytic, caespitose. Ramicauls stout, erect, 15-16 cm long, enclosed by 10-11 gla¬

brous, tubular lepanthiform sheaths, obliquely dilated at the orifice. Leaf coriaceous, erect, elliptical-

ovate, acute, acuminate, 10 cm long, 3.5 cm wide, the base rounded, contracted into a petiole 3 mm

long. Inflorescence a sublax, successively many-flowered raceme 10 or more centimeters long

including the slender peduncle 3.5 cm long behind the leaf; floral bracts 2 mm long; pedicels 2 mm

long; ovary 2 mm long, ribbed; color of flowers not recorded, sepals glabrous, margins smooth, the

dorsal sepal triangular, acute, shortly acuminate, 6 mm long, 5.5 mm wide, 3-veined, connate 2 mm to

the lateral sepals, the lateral sepals connate 2.5 mm into a broadly ovate, bifid synsepal 6 mm long,

each sepal 3 mm wide, 2-veined, the apices obtuse, shortly acuminate, diverging; petals

microscopically pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1.5 mm long, 3 mm wide, 1-veined, the lobes

subequal, obliquely triangular, acute, ca. 1.5 mm long, 1.5 mm wide; lip bilaminate, microscopically

pubescent, the blades ovate, narrowly obtuse at the apex, rounded at the base, convex, 2.25 mm long,

the connectives cuneate, the body nearly 1 mm broad, connate to the column at the base, the appendix

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

minute, pedunculate, microscopically bilobulate at the tip; column 1.5 mm long, the anther dorsal, the

stigma ventral.

Narino: forest near La Cocha, collected by R. Escobar, Feb. 1979, flowered in cultivation at

Colomborquideas, Medellin, May 1993, R. Escobar 5220 (Holotype: MO), C. Luer illustr. 16566.

This large species, apparently endemic in southern Colombia, is similar in

habit to Lepanthes caudatisepala C. Schweinf., but differs primarily in having

flowers with smaller petals, with the two lobes similar and triangular with acute

apices. In addition, the sheaths of the ramicauls are glabrous, and the raceme is

subdensely flowered instead of congested. The flowers resemble those of the

variable L. biloba , but are borne by an inflorescence with a much longer peduncle,

three and one-half centimeters in length rather than one to two centimeters in

length; and the ramicauls of L. bitriangularis are clad in glabrous sheaths, while

those of L. biloba are minutely scabrous-ciliate.

Lepanthes boyacensis Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 53(8): 820,

1984.

Ety.: Named for the Department of Boyaca where the species was discovered.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots coarse. Ramicaul slender, erect, 2-3 cm long, enclosed by

3-5 minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical, subacute, 15-21 mm long,

8-9 mm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole ca. 1 mm long. Inflorescence an erect to arching,

flexuous, successively flowered raceme up to 15 mm long, borne by a filiform peduncle 15-25 mm

long; floral bracts 1.5 mm long, echinate; pedicels 2 mm long, clavate; ovary 1.25 mm long, the ribs

crested; sepals red-orange, glabrous, margins smooth, ovate, carinate, the apices obtuse, shortly

acuminate, shortly caudate, the dorsal sepal 11-12 mm long, 8-9 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the

lateral sepals for 2.5 mm, the lateral sepals oblique, diverging, 11-12 mm long, 5-6 mm wide, connate

3.5 mm, 2-veined; petals dark red-orange, microscopically pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1 mm long,

5 mm wide, the lobes oblong, obtuse, about equal in length; lip dark red-orange, microscopically

pubescent, the blades oblong, concave, 2 mm long, with the apices acute and the bases rounded, the

connectives cuneate from the bases of the blades, the body narrow with a membranous appendix 0.3

mm long, terminated by a tuft of hairs; column purple, stout, 1.5 mm long, the anther dorsal, the

stigma ventral.

Boyaca: south of Sogamoso, collected March 1972 by J. Velasquez, flowered in cultivation

at Colomborquideas, 23 Apr. 1983, C. Luer 8777 (Holotype: SEL).

This large-flowered but little species is similar to several vegetatively

small species with sepals about one centimeter long. It is distinguished from

Lepanthes beatrizae and L. fonnegrae by sepals with very short, rather than

long, caudae. The lateral sepals of the similar L. amplior are tailless and sub¬

acute, and the longer lower lobe of the petals is narrowly triangular.

Lepanthes brevipedicellata Luer, R. Escobar & Thoerle, Harvard Pap. Bot.

16(2): 323, 2011.

Ety.: From the Latin brevipedicellata , “with short pedicels,” referring to the abbreviated pedicels.

Plant very small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots fleshy. Ramicauls slender, erect, 7-10 mm long, en¬

closed by 3-4 minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical, obtuse, 11-13 mm

long, 7 mm wide, the base rounded, contracted into a petiole 2 mm long. Inflorescence a subcongested,

successively flowered raceme of up to 13 flowers, 9 mm long, borne beyond the leaf by a minutely,

sparsely pubescent peduncle 12-18 mm long; floral bracts spiculate, 1 mm long; pedicels 0.5 mm long;

ovary 1 mm long with papillose ribs; sepals red-purple with dull orange veins, membranous, glabrous,

ovate, acute, slightly acuminate, carinate, margins minutely ciliate, the dorsal sepal 7 mm long, 4.25

mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 2 mm, the lateral sepals oblique, diverging, each

7.5 mm long, 3.5 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 3 mm; petals yellow with red margins, microscopically

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1 mm long, 3.75 mm wide, the upper lobe oblong, rounded at the apex,

1.8 mm long, 1 mm wide, the lower lobe narrowly oblong-subtriangular, obtuse, 1.8 mm long, 0.9 mm

wide; lip red, bilaminate, the blades flat, oblong with the ends rounded, microscopically pubescent,

ciliate at the apices, 1.2 mm long, the connectives broadly triangular, connate to the base of the column,

the sinus broad with the appendix small, oblong, ciliate, with a minute apical process; column 1 mm

long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Norte de Santander: between Alto de Pozo and Villa Caro, alt. 2000 m, collected May 1982 by R.

Escobar, D. Portillo, J. and C. Luer, R Escobar 3246 , flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, May

1984, C. Luer 10041 (Holotype: MO).

This species is known from one collection in the Eastern Cordillera. It shares a

very small size; elliptical, obtuse leaves; and proportionally large flowers with

some forms of Lepanthes norae Foldats. Lepanthes brevipedicellata is usually

even smaller in size, but the roots are thicker than the ramicauls. The pedicels are

very short, less than half a millimeter long, rather than one and one-half milli¬

meters or more long. The ovary is papillose along the ribs, rather than smooth or

spiculate. The sepals of the proportionally large flowers are membranous and

acute. The lobes of the petals are about equally long with the upper lobe twice as

wide, while those of L. norae are subequal in size and shape. The blades of the lip

are oblong and borne by broadly triangular connectives, and the appendix is small

and pubescent with a minute apical process.

Lepanthes cacique-tone Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 20(3): 286-287, 1997.

Ety.: Named for the local Indian chief Tone, murdered by the Spaniards in 1570.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 3-7 cm long,

enclosed by 9-14 microscopically scabrous, closely fitting lepanthiform sheaths with acuminate apices.

Leaf spreading, thinly coriaceous, elliptical, acute, acuminate, 4-5.5 cm long, 1.2-2 cm wide, the base

cuneate, contracted into a petiole less than 1 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, secund, long-

pedicellate, successively many-flowered raceme up to 20 mm long, borne on top of the leaf by a fili¬

form peduncle 6-35 mm long; floral bracts 1 mm long; pedicels 3-4 mm long; ovary 2.5 mm long;

sepals rose, membranous, glabrous, carinate, margins minutely denticulate, the dorsal sepal ovate,

acute, 6 mm long, 3.25 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1 mm, the lateral sepals

ovate, oblique, diverging, acute, 6 mm long, 2.5 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 1.5 mm; petals deep red,

microscopically pubescent, transversely bilobed, 0.75 mm long, 2.5 mm wide, the lobes obliquely

triangular, lower lobe longer and narrower than upper, the tips of the upper lobes overlapping; lip deep

red, bilaminate, the blades finely pubescent, ovate, 1.6 mm long, with bases rounded, apices narrowly

rounded, ciliate, the connectives narrowly cuneate, the body connate to the base of the column, the

sinus obtuse, with a small, triangular, membranous appendix in apposition to a cylindrical process from

the stigma; column 1.5 mm long, the anther dorsal and the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: epiphytic in cloud forest north of the pass between Urrao and Carmen de Atrato, alt.

2700 m, 30 May 1995, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar, L. Moreno de Posada, G. Arteaga, B. & F. Lopez

17641 (Holotype: JAUM; Isotype: MO); same area, 23 May 1995, C. Luer 17552 (MO).

This species is apparently endemic in the Western Cordillera of Colombia,

where it has been found at a mountain pass. The flowers are reminiscent of those

of Lepanthes dunstervilleorum , which is found in western Venezuela and the

Eastern Cordillera and the Central Cordillera of Colombia. Although the leaves of

the two species are similar in size and shape, the ramicaul of L. dunstervilleorum is

stout while that of L. cacique-tone is shorter and much more slender. The pedicels

of L. dunstervilleorum are distichous and short, often shorter than the floral bracts,

while the pedicels of L. cacique-tone are densely secund and elongate. The flowers

of the two species are very similar, except that the petals of L. cacique-tone are

proportionally smaller with the tips of the upper lobes overlapping.

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

Lepanthes cactoura Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 18(1): 28, 1991.

Ety.: From the Greek kaktos and -our a, “a cactus-like tail,” referring to the thick, cylindrical,

pubescent appendix.

Plant medium to large in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots fine. Ramicauls slender, erect, 6-20 cm

long, enclosed by 10-15 minutely ciliate, long-acuminate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, thinly coria¬

ceous, more or less reticulate, narrowly ovate, with the apex acute, acuminate, 5-7 cm long, 1.5-2.2 cm

wide, the base broadly cuneate into a petiole 1 mm long. Inflorescence a very congested, successively

many-flowered raceme up to 10 mm long, borne on the dorsum of the leaf by a filiform peduncle 15-25

mm long; floral bracts 1.5 mm long; pedicels 4 mm long; ovary lightly crested, 2 mm long; sepals

translucent white, glabrous, margins minutely denticulate, the dorsal sepal broadly ovate, obtuse, 3.5

mm long, 3 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals ovate,

oblique, diverging, 3.5 mm long, 1.75 mm wide, connate 1 mm, each 2-veined; petals cream with

brown tips and red-brown inner margin, microscopically pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1 mm long, 3

mm wide, with a small apiculum on the lateral margin near the middle, the upper lobe suboblong,

truncate, the upper edge more or less minutely erose, the lower lobe triangular, acute, obtusely angled

on the outer margin, shorter than the upper lobe; lip red-brown with a white stripe on each side,

bilaminate, the blades thin, microscopically pubescent, semicircular with rounded apices and obtuse

bases, 1.4 mm long, adherent over the column, the connectives broadly cuneate, the body narrow, con¬

nate to the column at the base, the appendix thick, pubescent, terete to subconical, with a small, similar

apical segment; column slender, 1.5 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Mun. Mesopotamia, epiphytic in cloud forest between La Union and Sonson, alt. 2400

m, collected by L. Moreno de Posada, C. Head & F. Lopez, 25 Aug. 1984, flowered in cultivation at

Colomborquideas, 26 Aug. 1984, R. Escobar 3399 (Holotype: MO), C. Luer illustr. 10469; road

between La Union and Sonson, alt. 2400 m, collected by E. Valencia, 1992, flowered in cultivation at

Colomborquideas, 21 Dec. 1992, R. Escobar 5059 (MO).

Colombia: locality unknown, collected by J & L Orchids, September 1984, flowered in cultivation

by H. P. Jesup in Bristol, Connecticut, 10 Dec. 1988, C. Luer 13785 (MO).

This species is another of several that seem closely related to Lepanthes agglu-

tinata , with thin blades of the lip adherent over the column. Lepanthes cactoura ,

however, is distinguished by a small apiculum between the lobes of the petals

rather than a slender, descending process; broadly cuneate connectives of the lip,

instead of very narrow connectives supporting the blades above the middle; and a

large, thick, cylindrical, pubescent appendix.

Lepanthes caesariata Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 19(2): 82, 1994.

Ety.: From the Latin caesariatus , “with long hair,” referring to the petals.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 9-11 cm long,

enclosed by 10-11 microscopically scabrous lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf suberect, coriaceous, ovate,

acute, lightly acuminate, 28-35 mm long, 12-15 mm wide, the base rounded to cuneate, contracted into

a petiole 2 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, distichous, successively several-flowered raceme, up

to 6 mm long, borne behind the leaf by a filiform peduncle 6-15 mm long; floral bracts 1-1.5 mm long;

pedicels 1.5-2 mm long; ovary 1 mm long; sepals dull green, glabrous, broadly ovate, obtuse, margins

smooth, the dorsal sepal 3 mm long, 3 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.8 mm, the

lateral sepals oblique, connate 1.4 mm into a transversely ovate, bifid synsepal with apices diverging,

2.8 long, 3.5 mm wide, each 2-veined; petals orange with the upper edge purple, densely long-

pubescent-ciliate, transversely bilobed, 1 mm long, 3 mm wide, 3-veined, the lobes opposite, oblong,

oblique, obtuse, the upper lobes overlapping, slightly larger than the lower lobe; lip lavender,

bilaminate, the blades thin, microscopically pubescent, oblong, 1.5 mm long, with the ends subtruncate,

adherent medially over the column, the connectives oblong, from below the middle, the body broad,

connate to the base of the column, the sinus broadly rounded, protuberant, with the appendix short,

oblong, pubescent; column 1.5 mm long, with the anther and the bilobed stigma apical.

Choco: Carmen de Atrato, alt. 2000 m, road to Guaduas, collected by E. Valencia, Nov. 1990,

flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 5 May 1993, C. Luer 16733 (Holotype: MO).

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

This medium-sized species from the Western Cordillera is distinguished by

more or less spreading, ovate, lightly acuminate leaves bearing the short, con¬

gested raceme underneath. The sepals are broad and obtuse. The transverse petals

are densely long-pubescent. The thin, oblong blades of the lip are supported by

oblong connectives from the basal thirds and adhere to each other medially. The

body is rounded and protuberant with a pubescent, oblong appendix at its summit.

The stigma is transversely bilobed as seen in Platystele Schltr., Stel is and a number

of other pleurothallids.

Lepanthes calimae P. Ortiz, Orquideologia 2(1): 69, 1998.

Ety.: Named for the area of the Calima dam site near Cali, where the species was collected.

Plant very small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots proportionally thick. Ramicauls abbreviated, erect, 2-

3 mm long, enclosed by 2 ribbed sheaths with the margins of the oblique ostia microscopically scab¬

rous. Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical, obtuse, mucronate, 6-11 mm long, 3.5-4.5 mm wide, the base

cuneate into a petiole ca. 1 mm long. Inflorescence a loose, successively few-flowered raceme up to 8

mm long, borne beyond the leaf by a filiform peduncle 15-25 mm long; floral bracts 1.5 mm long,

sparsely ciliate; pedicels 2-2.5 mm long; ovary 0.8 mm long; sepals glabrous, carinate, narrowly ovate,

long-acuminate, acute, margins microscopically ciliate, the dorsal sepal rose, 8-9.5 mm long, 1.5-1.8

mm wide, 3-veined, free from the lateral sepals, the lateral sepals similar, rosy white, diverging, con¬

nate 1.5 mm, each 2-veined; petals glabrous, 1 mm wide at the base, bifurcated into linear lobes 1 mm

above the base, the segments equal, capillary, diverging ca. 45°, 7-8.5 mm long, the upper segment

rose, the lower segment light yellow; lip light yellow, glabrous, bifurcate less than 1 mm above the

base, with a minute, triangular angle in the sinus between the lobes, the lobes narrowly long-acuminate,

7.5 mm long, 1 mm wide, 2-veined, with the margins slightly revolute in the basal half, the base

connate to the base of the column; column terete, 1 mm long, the anther and the stigma apical.

Valle del Cauca: Represa de Calima, alt. ca. 1500 m, June 6 1996, P. Ortiz, J. H. Ramirez & J. A.

Gonzalez 1090 (Holotype: COL); Represa de Calima, collection data unknown, R. Escobar 8167 , C.

Luer illustr. 18415.

This species is endemic in southern Colombia where it has been discovered on

several occasions, each time in association with Lepanthes tsubotae Luer & R.

Escobar. It is distinguished by its very small size, with ramicauls less than three

millimeters long enclosed by two ribbed sheaths that are microscopically scabrous

on the oblique, thickened margins. The elliptical leaves are mucronate at the apex.

The inflorescence is a few-flowered raceme of successive, spindly, white flowers

that look like minute spiders held above the smaller leaf. The petals are bifurcate

above the base into capillary processes. The unique lip is similarly bifurcate above

the base into narrowly ovate, attenuate lobes. In the sinus between the lobes is a

minute, triangular lobule that could be considered the appendix. The column is

short with the anther, rostellum, and stigma apical.

The similar Lepanthes filamentosa Luer & Hirtz was recently located in the

same department, and shares the minute size and pale flowers with long-attenuate

sepals and bifurcated petals. Lepanthes filamentosa is distinguished by single-

veined lateral sepals and a lip with auricular lobes.

Lepanthes callisto Luer & Hirtz, Orchidee (Hamburg) 38(6): 287-289, 1987.

Ety.: Named for the Greek nymph Kallisto who was turned into a bear, in allusion to the dark,

coarsely pubescent lepanthiform sheaths.

Plant medium to large in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots coarse. Ramicauls stout, erect, 5-20 cm

long, enclosed by 6-13 blackish, coarsely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, remarka¬

bly convex, dark green, purple beneath, oblong, subacute to obtuse, abruptly short-acuminate, 4-6.5 cm

long, 2-3.8 cm wide, the rounded base contracted into a petiole 4-5 mm long. Inflorescence a very

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

congested, distichous, successively many-flowered raceme up to 22 mm long, borne on the concave,

back surface of the leaf by a filiform peduncle 20-35 mm long; floral bracts oblique, imbricating, 1.5

mm long; pedicels 1.5 mm long; ovary 3 mm long; sepals dark red-purple, margins smooth, 3-veined,

the dorsal sepal glabrous, triangular, concave, acute, 7.5-9 mm long, 5-7 mm wide, connate to the

lateral sepals for 2 mm to form a lightly to deeply concave flower, the lateral sepals pubescent within,

broadly ovate, oblique, obtuse, abruptly acute, apiculate, diverging, 7-9.5 mm long, 5.5-7 mm wide,

concave below the middle, convex above the middle, connate 3 mm; petals orange, suffused with red

medially, minutely pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1 mm long, 5 mm wide, the upper lobe narrowly

triangular, acute, much larger than the lower lobe, the lower lobe oblique, triangular, obtuse; lip orange,

bilaminate, the blades glabrous, narrowly ovate, acute at the apex, 2.25 mm long, the connectives thick,

broadly oblong from the base of the blades, connate to the base of the column, the sinus broad with the

appendix reduced to a membranous margin appressed to the stigma; column 2 mm long, the anther

dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Narino: La Planada, purchased from a collector, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas,

Medellin, 5 July 1996, C. Luer 17949 (MO).

Also Ecuador (Carchi, Holotype, C. Luer et al. 11076 : MO; Pichincha; Tungurahua).

This unique species from the Andes of southern Colombia and northern Ecua¬

dor is easily recognized by the stout ramicaul enclosed by dark, coarsely ciliate

lepanthiform sheaths. The thickly coriaceous, dark green leaf is convex, with the

comparatively large, dark purple flower borne in the concavity of the undersurface

of the leaf, which is intensely suffused with purple. The lateral sepals are three-

veined and pubescent. The dark niche behind the leaf attracts spiders searching for

a refuge for their tiny webs. The plants grow in the darker, more sheltered ravines

of high-altitude cloud forests.

Lepanthes calodictyon Hook., Bot. Mag. 5259, 1861.

Ety.: From the Greek calodictyon , “a beautiful net,” referring to the reticulated leaves.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect to suberect, slender, 1.5-3.5 cm

long, enclosed by 5-11 microscopically ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf spreading, thinly coriaceous,

light green, heavily reticulated with purple, subcircular to broadly ovate, broadly obtuse, 10-25 mm

long, 8-25 mm wide, the margins undulate outside a marginal vein, the base rounded, abruptly con¬

tracted into a petiole ca. 1 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, subsecund, successively several-flow¬

ered raceme up to 4 mm long, borne on top of the leaf by a filiform peduncle 2-6 mm long; floral bracts

0.5-1 mm long; pedicels 1-1.5 mm long; ovary 1.5-2 mm long; sepals red with yellow margins,

glabrous, strongly reflexed, free, carinate, margins sparsely ciliate, the dorsal sepal obovate, obtuse,

1.5-4 mm long, 1.25-2.25 mm wide, 3-veined, the lateral sepals ovate, oblique, subacute, shortly

acuminate, diverging, 1.75-4 mm long, 1-1.75 mm wide, 2-veined; petals red to purple, microscopi¬

cally pubescent, ciliate, transversely bilobed, 0.5-1 mm long, 1.25-2 mm wide excluding caudae, the

upper lobe ovate, oblique, with apex acute, acuminate-caudate, the cauda 0.5-3 mm long, the lower lobe

transversely ovate, oblique, the rounded apex abruptly contracted at the base into a cauda 1.25-3 mm

long; lip red, minutely pubescent, transversely oblong-reniform, shallowly retuse, 0.66-1 mm long,

1.25-2 mm wide, connate to the column near the middle; column clavate, 0.75-1.25 mm long, the

anther and the stigma apical.

Antioquia: Parque Nacional Natural “Las Orquideas,” Sector Venados, margen derecha del

camino hacia Venados arriba, 900 m, 7 June 1988, A. Cogollo, J. Ramirez & O. Alvarez 3367 (MO).

Valle del Cauca: old road from Cali to Buenaventura, 800 m, collected by E. Valencia 1991, flow¬

ered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 2 Jan. 1993, R. Escobar 5166 (MO).

Colombia: without collection data, purchased by Sra. Lupe de Dreyfus at the Cali Orchid Show,

1984, flowered in cultivation in El Valle, Panama, 20 Feb. 1985, C. Luer 10647 (MO).

Also Ecuador (Chimborazo, Holotype, R. Spruce s.n .: K; Esmeraldas; Pichincha; Cotopaxi;

Bolivar).

This species is widely distributed in the Andes through the Western Cordillera

of Colombia and the western declivity of Ecuador. It is well known and widely

cultivated for the attractive reticulated foliage as well as the intricate flower. It was

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

first illustrated in Curtis’s Botanical Magazine, where Hooker published the

original description.

Lepanthes calodictyon is famous for the broad, green leaves with a purple net¬

work of veins and ruffled or scalloped margins. The flower sits on top with

reflexed sepals exposing red, long-tailed petals. The lip is reniform beneath the

column. Variations in the size, margins and markings of the leaves are seen

throughout its range.

Lepanthes canaliculata Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologla 20(3): 287-289, 1997.

Ety.: From the Latin canal iculatus, “longitudinally concave,” referring to the mature leaf.

Plant small, weak, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, immature ca. 10

mm long, mature to 40 mm long, enclosed by 6-7 microscopically ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf

coriaceous, the immature leaf erect, elliptical, subacute, flat, ca. 10 mm long, 3 mm wide, the base sub-

sessile, the mature leaf more or less horizontal, narrowly linear, acute, canaliculate with involute sides,

up to 40 mm long, 1.5 mm wide unexpanded, the base subsessile. Inflorescence a congested, dis¬

tichous, successively few-flowered raceme, up to 2 mm long, borne by a filiform peduncle 6-7 mm

long, within the channel on the dorsum of the leaf; floral bracts 0.5 mm long; pedicels 2 mm long;

ovary 1 mm long; sepals purplish tan, glabrous, carinate-spiculate, margins denticulate, the dorsal sepal

oblong-ovate, acute, 4.75 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1.5 mm,

the lateral sepals connate 1.25 mm, elliptical, oblique, acute, 3.5 mm long, 2.6 mm wide together, with

the apices in apposition, each 2-veined; petals red-brown, pubescent, transversely bilobed, 0.75 mm

long, 4.5 mm wide, 3-veined, the lobes diverging, subequal, narrowly triangular, oblique, acute, acu¬

minate, with a filamentous marginal process between the lobes, 0.75 mm long; lip red-brown,

bilaminate, the blades pubescent, elliptical-oblong with the ends narrowly rounded, 2 mm long, the con¬

nectives short, broadly cuneate, the body broad, connate to the base of the column, the sinus obtuse

with the appendix discoid, shallowly concave, apiculate, ciliate; column 2 mm long, with the anther

dorsal and the stigma ventral.

Choco: above San Jose del Palmar, Alto de Los Galapagos, epiphytic in cloud forest, alt. 2100 m,

collected by A. de Wilde, flowered in cultivation at his home above Pereira, 10 May 1993, C. Luer

167S9 (Holotype: MO); Alto de Los Galapagos, at the pass between Valle del Cauca and Choco, alt.

2050 m, 13 May 1993, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar, A. de Wilde & J. Gomez 16798 (MO).

This rare species occurs as a twig epiphyte in a wet, windy pass between the

departments of Choco and Valle del Cauca. It is distinguished by the very narrow,

longitudinally concave leaf only one and one-half millimeters in diameter. The

sides curve up so that the dorsum of the leaf is the bottom of the channel. The base

is subsessile with the peduncle borne within the channel. Immature leaves are

much shorter, flat, and twice as broad.

The sepals are denticulate, the approximate laterals conspicuously so. The

transverse lobes of the petals are pubescent and acuminate with a filamentous

middle lobe between them. The pubescent blades of the lip are elliptical with short,

broad connectives. The appendix is discoid and shallowly concave like a human

red blood cell.

The leaves of Lepanthes aciculifolia are also narrowly linear, but terete and

shallowly channeled. The smaller flowers are distinguished by lateral sepals with

spreading apices, and petals with oblong lobes with a small marginal lobule.

Lepanthes carrilloi Luer & Thoerle, Harvard Pap. Bot. 16(2): 325, 2011.

Ety.: Named in honor of Arturo Jose Carrillo of Bogota, Colombia, collector of this species.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots unknown. Ramicauls slender, erect, 7-15 cm tall,

enclosed by 8-9 lepanthiform sheaths with microscopically ciliate margins of the ostia. Leaf erect,

coriaceous, elliptical, obtuse, shortly acuminate, 3.5 cm long, 1.5 cm wide, the rounded base contracted

into a petiole 5 mm long. Inflorescence 2-3 loose, flexuous, successively flowered racemes up to 15

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

cm long, borne by a filiform peduncle 0.5-1 cm long; floral bracts 2 mm long; pedicels 1.5 mm long;

ovary 1 mm long; sepals red, microscopically finely pubescent toward the base, margins smooth, the

dorsal sepal ovate, acute, 3.5 mm long, 2.5 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm,

the lateral sepals ovate, acute, shortly acuminate, diverging, 3.5 mm long, 2.5 mm wide, 2-veined;

petals red, pubescent, transversely bilobed, 0.5 mm long, 1.6 mm wide, lobes oblong-triangular, obtuse,

the upper lobe 1 mm long, the lower 0.6 mm long, 0.4 mm wide; lip red, bilaminate, the blades micro¬

scopically pubescent, oblong, convex with rounded ends, 0.75 mm long, 0.4 mm wide, the connectives

broadly oblong, the body broad, connate to the column with a broad claw above the base, the appendix

broadly triangular with a minute terminal segment, densely long-pubescent; column thick, terete, 1.5

mm long, the anther apical, the stigma ventral.

Cundinamarca: alt. 2700 m, collected and cultivated by A. J. Carrillo 047-B, at his finca El Car-

tujo, Gachancipa, June 2009, L. Thoerle 104 (Holotype: MO), C. Luer illustr. 21470.

This species is distinguished by long, flexuous, successively flowered racemes

that far exceed the small, elliptical, shortly acuminate leaf. The flowers are also

small with acute sepals, the laterals diverging and shortly acuminate. The petals

are minute, transverse, and pubescent; and the convex blades of the lip are also

minute with a long-pubescent appendix.

Superficially, the flowers resemble those of Lepanthes macrostylis Luer & R.

Escobar, with spreading sepals and a large column protruding from between the

small, rounded blades of the lip. The smaller flowers of L. macrostylis are borne in

a short, congested raceme; the sepals are narrower; and the petals are larger.

Lepanthes carunculigera Rchb. f., Flora 69: 557, 1886.

Ety.: From the Latin carunculiger , “bearing caruncles,” referring to the verrucose surface of the

upper lobes of the petals.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls suberect to horizontal, slender, 1.5-2.5

cm long, enclosed by 6-8 minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf spreading or horizontal, coria¬

ceous, suffused with purple beneath, satiny green above, elliptical-ovate, subacute, 15-21 mm long, 10-

14 mm wide, the base broadly cuneate into a petiole ca. 1 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, succes¬

sively 2- to 3-flowered raceme 15-20 mm long, borne on top of the leaf by a filiform peduncle 12-17

mm long; floral bracts 1.5 mm long, with a minutely ciliate crest; pedicels 2 mm long; ovary 2-3 mm

long; sepals red-purple, glabrous, carinate-ciliate, margins minutely ciliate, the dorsal sepal with a

transverse yellowish white band across the middle, broadly ovate, concave, obtuse, abruptly shortly

acuminate, 10 mm long, 8 mm wide, 5-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 3 mm, the lateral sepals

with a longitudinal yellowish white band down the center, ovate, oblique, acute, more or less undulate,

diverging, 10 mm long, 4 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 1 mm; petals olive green, glabrous, oblique,

oblong, erect, 4.5 mm long, 2 mm wide, forked above the middle, the lower lobe merely an obtuse

angle at the base, the upper lobe with a diagonal carina near the middle, with an acute, erect lobule

above the middle on the outer margin, the apical portion rounded with the surface irregularly verrucose;

lip olive green, glabrous, deeply cordate, lightly concave, the apex bifid into two rounded lobules, with

a minute oblong appendix between on the outer surface, the basal lobes rounded, embracing the

column, connate to the base of the column; column 2 mm long, the anther dorsal, the rostellum

elongated, protruding, the stigma small, on the ventral surface of the rostellum near the apex.

Colombia: without collection data, F. C. Lehmann 3213 (Holotype not designated, Lectotype

designated here: Reichenbach s.n.\ W 54517).

Risaralda: Mun. Pueblo Rico, La Linea, alt. ca. 2000 m, collected by E. Valencia, 16 Feb. 1985,

flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas near El Retiro, 6 Apr. 1988, C. Luer 13017 (MO); same

area, alt. 2100 m, 11 May 1993, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & J. Gomez 16786 (MO).

This unusual species was first collected by Consul Lehmann over a century

ago, but unlike most of his collections, no data other than “carunculigera” and his

name accompanied the two specimens on a single sheet in Reichenbach’s

herbarium. On a second sheet, also devoid of legible collection information save

for Lehmann’s name and number, Reichenbach’s very serviceable sketch is

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

mounted. Although this specimen has been cited as the holotype, it was not

identified as such by Reichenbach, who specified only “Nov. Gran.” in his original

publication. We follow Reichenbach’s intentions by declaring the herbarium sheet

with his drawing as the lectotype. One hundred years later, Lepanthes

carunculigera was rediscovered by Eladio Valencia in the Central Cordillera in the

department of Risaralda.

The flower, gaping and large for the size of the plant, hangs over the edge of

the horizontal leaf near the apex. The distinctive petals are erect and thick, typical

for a member of Lepanthes sect. Felinae, and the upper lobe is incised with a

small, erect lateral lobule. The greater part of the lobe is verrucose. The lip is hip-

pocrepiform, with the basal lobes flanking the column. The plant and flowers of L.

quadricornis Luer & R. Escobar are similar, but the latter is distinguished by

petals forked near their bases.

Lepanthes caudata Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 53(3): 260,

1984.

Ety.: From the Latin caudatus , “with a tail,” referring to the caudate sepals.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 5-22 mm long, enclosed

by 3-5 minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical, obtuse, 7-14 mm long

including a 2-3 mm long petiole, 6-8 mm wide, cuneate below into the petiole. Inflorescence a loose,

flexible, flexuous, successively several-flowered raceme up to 11 cm long including the filiform

peduncle 2-3 cm long; floral bracts 1-2 mm long, minutely spiculate; pedicels 1.5-2 mm long; ovary 1

mm long, the ribs lightly spiculate; sepals translucent purple to yellowish red, glabrous, ovate, obtuse,

abruptly caudate, carinate-spiculate, margins fimbriate, the dorsal sepal 6-11 mm long including the 1-

2.5 mm long cauda, 2.5-4.5 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1 mm, the lateral

sepals oblique, 6-12 mm long including the 1-2.5 mm long caudae, connate 2.5-6 mm, 4.5-9 mm wide

together, each 2-veined; petals red-orange, microscopically pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1 mm

long, 2.5-3 mm wide, the upper lobe oblong with the apex rounded, the lower lobe much smaller than

the upper lobe, narrowly triangular, oblique; lip red orange, microscopically ciliate, bilaminate, the

blades elliptical, lightly concave, with rounded ends, 1.5 mm long, the connectives thick, cuneate, from

the basal half of the blades, the body narrow, connate to the base of the column, the appendix glabrous,

thick, uncinate, the acute apex incurved; column stout, 1 mm long, the anther apical, the stigma ventral.

Putumayo: epiphytic in cloud forest between La Cocha and Sibundoy, alt. 3000 m, 12 Nov. 1982,

C. Luer & R. Escobar 8345 (Holotype: SEL); same area, 26 Jan. 1987, C. Luer, J. Luer, C. H. Dodson,

O. de Benavides, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 12529 (MO); Sibundoy, flowered in cultivation at

Colomborquideas, 20 Apr. 1983, C. Luer 8742 (SEL); epiphytic in cloud forest, Alto de Santa Inez, alt.

2200 m, 13 May 1984, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 10355 (MO).

Also Ecuador (Zamora-Chinchipe).

This minute species has been found in cold, wet, scrubby cloud forests at high

altitudes in widely separated localities in Colombia and southern Ecuador. It is

characterized by loose racemes much longer than the tiny leaves. The size of the

denticulate, caudate sepals is variable, those of some flowers being twice the

dimensions of those of others. The petals and lip, however, remain constant.

Among small species with a loose inflorescence and relatively large, caudate flow¬

ers, Lepanthes caudata is distinguished by sepals with fimbriate-erose margins.

Lepanthes caudatisepala C. Schweinf., Bot. Mus. Leafl. 10: 123, 1942.

Ety.: From the Latin caudatisepalus , “with caudate sepals,” referring to the shortly acuminate

sepals.

Plant large, epiphytic, shortly ascending, caespitose; roots coarse. Ramicauls stout, erect, 10-40

cm long, enclosed by 10-14 glabrous, closely fitting lepanthiform sheaths, microscopically ciliate on

the margins of the upper ostia. Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical-ovate, acute, lightly acuminate, 7-12

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

cm long, 2-5 cm wide, the base rounded or broadly cuneate, contracted into a petiole 3-6 mm long.

Inflorescence racemose, successively many-flowered, congested, up to 5 cm long including the

peduncle 1.5-2 cm long, borne behind the leaf; floral bracts 1.5 mm long; pedicels 1 mm long; ovary

2.5 mm long; sepals pale yellow, glabrous, carinate, margins smooth, ovate-triangular, acute, slightly

acuminate, the dorsal sepal 6-7 mm long, 4-5 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1.5-2

mm, the lateral sepals oblique, diverging, 6.5-7 mm long, 3 mm wide, connate 1.5-2.5 mm, 2-veined;

petals yellow with red inner margin, glabrous, transversely bilobed, 1-1.5 mm long, 3.5-4 mm wide,

narrowed between the lobes, the lobes subequal, the upper lobe broadly ovate, the lower lobe narrowly

obliquely ovate, with the ends rounded; lip bilaminate, the blades red-purple, elliptical, 2.25 mm long,

glabrous, the rounded apices ciliate, the connectives shortly cuneate, the body broad, connate to the

base of the column, the sinus obtuse, with a minute, biglandular appendix; column 1.5 mm long, the

anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Cundinamarca: Guatavita, alt. 3000 m, April 2009, collected and flowered in cultivation by L. E.

Alvarez, June 2009, L. Thoerle 133 (MO); Guasca, alt. 3000 m, June 2007, collected and flowered in

cultivation by L. E. Alvarez, June 2009, L. Thoerle 134 (MO).

Narino: La Cocha, 3000 m, 5 Mar. 1989, C. Luer & R. Escobar 14101 (MO); same area, alt. 2500

m, collected by E. Valencia, March 1992, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 3 Jan. 1993, R.

Escobar 5220 (MO).

Also Peru (Cuzco, Holotype, Macbride 4273: F-535355; Huanuco), Ecuador (Carchi, Azuay,

Sucumbios, Zamora-Chinchipe), Bolivia (Cochabamba).

This large, robust species is widely distributed in moist forests at altitudes

around 3000 meters above sea level from southern Colombia into Bolivia. It is

identified by tall, stout ramicauls clad in essentially glabrous, nondilated lepan-

thiform sheaths; elliptical-ovate acuminate leaves; short inflorescences laxly

flowered below, becoming congested above; smooth-margined, broad but acumi¬

nate sepals; glabrous, bilobed petals with a constriction near the middle; and a lip

with elliptical blades ciliate at the apex and a minute, biglandular appendix.

Lepanthes caudatisepala is similar to L. profusa Luer & Hirtz, but they are suf¬

ficiently different to retain as separate species. The pedicels of L. caudatisepala

are about twice the length of the subtending bracts, while those of L. profusa are

approximately the same length as the bracts. The flowers of L. caudatisepala have

smooth-margined sepals and a lip with flat blades, while those of L. profusa have

denticulate sepals and a lip with the blades indented above the middle.

Lepanthes cerambyx Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 18(1): 32-34, 1991.

Ety.: From the Greek kerambyx , “a horned beetle,” referring to the imagined appearance of the

flower on the leaf.

Plant small to medium in size, epiphytic to lithophytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls

slender, erect, 3-10 cm long, enclosed by 6-10 close, glabrous lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coria¬

ceous, narrowly ovate, acute, acuminate, apiculate, 3-5 cm long, 0.5-0.9 cm wide, the base cuneate to

an indistinct petiole 1 mm long, or without a petiole. Inflorescence a very congested, successively

flowered raceme up to 10 mm long, borne on top of the leaf by a filiform peduncle 4-10 mm long;

floral bracts imbricating, 1.5 mm long; pedicels 2-3 mm long; ovary 1.5 mm long; sepals yellow,

lightly veined in purple, glabrous, margins smooth, ovate, obtuse, the dorsal sepal 3.5 mm long, 2.8 mm

wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals oblique, diverging, 3.25 mm

long, 2 mm wide, connate 0.75 mm, 2-veined; petals glabrous, orange, suffused with red medially,

transversely bilobed, 1 mm long, 3.75 mm wide, the upper lobe erect in the natural position, oblong,

obliquely truncate, with the angles lightly acuminate and rounded, the lower lobe narrowly oblong,

obtuse; lip bilaminate, glabrous, at most microscopically pubescent, the blades purple, elliptical with

rounded ends, 1.2 mm long, the connectives cuneate, from the anterior half of the blades, the body

broad, connate to the column at the base, the sinus protruding with a small but broad, pubescent

appendix with a bilobed apical segment; column comparatively large and thick, 2 mm long, the anther

dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Mun. Cocorna, Rio Cocorna, alt. 1600 m, between Medellin and Bogota, 21 Aug.

1984, R. Escobar, C. Head & E. Valencia 3382 (Holotype: JAUM; Isotypes: COL, MO), C. Luer

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

illustr. 10467; Mun. Cocorna, alt. 2000 m, collected by E. Valencia, 1991, flowered in cultivation at

Colomborquideas, 3 Jan. 1993, R. Escobar 5231 (MO).

This little species is recognized by the narrowly ovate leaves bearing on the

dorsal surface a small, colorful flower with prominent, erect, obliquely truncate

upper lobes of the petals, reminiscent of the horns of a beetle. The sepals are broad

and obtuse, and the lobes of the lip are smaller than the column. The similar

Lepanthes dolabrata Luer & R. Escobar is larger both vegetatively and florally,

and the blades of the lip, with ciliate apices, are longer than the column.

Lepanthes cercion Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 17(3): 158-161, 1988.

Ety.: From the Greek kerkion , “a little tail,” referring to the small, external appendix at the base of

the body.

Plant small to medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots filamentous. Ramicauls slender, erect,

2-7 cm long, enclosed by 3-8 slender, dark lepanthiform sheaths with microscopically ciliate margins.

Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical, convex, obtuse to subacute, 2.5-3.5 cm long, 1.2-2.3 cm wide unex¬

panded, the rounded base abruptly contracted into a petiole 2-3 mm long. Inflorescence a very con¬

gested, distichous, successively flowered raceme up to 15 mm long, having borne up to 40 or more

flowers, the peduncle filiform, 8-20 mm long, behind the leaf on the concave side; floral bracts 1 mm

long, scabrous; pedicels 1-2 mm long; ovary 1-1.5 mm long; sepals light yellow, glabrous, ovate-

triangular, acute, subcarinate, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal 3 mm long, 2 mm wide, 3-veined,

connate to the lateral sepals for 1 mm, the lateral sepals oblique, diverging, 3 mm long, 1.5 mm wide,

2-veined, connate 1.2 mm; petals transversely bilobed, 0.8 mm long, 2.5-3.5 mm wide, the upper lobe

orange, oblong, with the end rounded, the lower lobe yellow, smaller, oblong, narrowly obtuse; lip

orange, bilaminate, the blades microscopically pubescent, ovate, weakly developed, barely more than

incurved margins of the connectives surrounding the column, 1 mm long, the apices narrowly obtuse,

curved beneath the column, the connectives narrow, with the body connate to the base of the column,

the appendix small, ciliate, at the base of the body externally; column purple, proportionally large, 1

mm long, the anther and stigma apical.

Antioquia: epiphytic in forest east of Santo Domingo, alt. 1920 m, 12 May 1985, C. Luer, R.

Escobar & E. Valencia 11355 (Holotype: MO, non SEL as in Luer & R. Escobar 1988); epiphytic in

cloud forest above Frontino, alt. 1900 m, 5 May 1983, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar, A. Pridgeon & E.

Valencia 9034 (SEL).

Choco: Mun. Carmen de Atrato, road to Guaduas, alt. 2000 m, collected by E. Valencia, 1991,

flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 3 Jan. 1993, R. Escobar 5242 (MO).

Also Venezuela (Falcon, Aragua, Sucre, Merida, Bolivar).

The very congested raceme of this species is borne on the concave side of a

convex leaf. The small blades of the lip may or may not meet over the proportion¬

ally large column that protrudes from between, and the appendix is a tiny organ on

the external surface of the body.

This species has been found on both the Western and Central cordilleras of

Colombia and it also occurs in Venezuela. Dunsterville’s illustration of this species

in Venezuelan Orchids Illustrated has been identified as the Guatemalan Lepanthes

samacensis Ames.

Lepanthes chelonion Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 54(1): 54-56,

1985.

Ety.: From the Greek chelonion , “a turtle shell,” in allusion to the shape of the sepaline cup.

Plant very small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 10-15 mm long,

enclosed by 3-4 close, microscopically ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous with both

surfaces convex, elliptical, obtuse, 9-12 mm long, 6-8 mm wide, the cuneate base contracted into a peti¬

ole 1 mm long. Inflorescence a loose, lightly flexuous, successively few-flowered raceme 1.5-4 cm

long including the filiform peduncle; floral bracts echinate, 1.5-2 mm long; pedicels 2.5-3.5 mm long;

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

ovary 1.5-2 mm long; sepals diffusely suffused with red-purple, lighter along the margins, carinate,

shortly pubescent within, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal ovate, 17 mm long, concave basally, 10 mm

wide expanded, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 5 mm to form a bowl-shaped sepaline cup,

the apex erect, acute, acuminate, the lateral sepals ovate-triangular, connate 8 mm, concave basally, 16-

18 mm long, 12 mm wide together expanded, apices approximate, each 2-veined; petals red, pubescent,

transversely bilobed, linear-oblong, 0.75 mm long, 6 mm wide, the lobes narrowly triangular, acute, the

lower lobe longer; lip red with yellow-white apices, the blades narrowly oblong-ovate, long-ciliate, 2.5

mm long, acute at the slender apices, round at the bases, the connectives short, cuneate, the body

narrow, connate to the column above the base, the appendix narrowly ligulate, ciliate externally at the

base; column 1.25 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Norte de Santander: Cerro Pelado, epiphytic in subparamo cloud forest, alt. 2600 m, 10 May

1984, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 10215 (Holotype: MO); same collection, flowered in

cultivation by L. & J. Posada at Colomborquideas, El Retiro, 26 Aug. 1984, R. Escobar 3401 (COL,

JAUM); epiphytic in cloud forest below Paramo de Jurisdicciones, between Ocana and Pamplona, alt.

2600 m, 10 Nov. 1981, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & D. Portillo 6626 (SEL).

Santander: Yirolin, collected with Lepanthes nautilus Luer & R. Escobar by E. Valencia, June

1994, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 23 May 1995,C. Luer 17598 (MO).

One plant of this unusual tiny but large-flowered species was discovered in a

remote cloud forest of the Eastern Cordillera in 1981. The flower was preserved in

fixative solution, but the little plant failed to survive in cultivation. In 1982,

another plant was sought, but in vain. In 1984, Luer and his companions

discovered a second plant, and again no other plant could be found. That plant

thrived and flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, and found its way into

many collections. In the last decade, there have been numerous collections of this

species from the area of Paramo de Jurisdicciones. The bowl-shaped sepaline cup

is reminiscent of that of Lepanthes nautilus Luer & R. Escobar, but the much

smaller size of the plant, and the slender, ciliate petals and lip readily distinguish

this species.

Lepanthes chimaera Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 16(2): 130, 1984.

Ety.: Named for the chimaera, the mythological, fire-breathing monster.

Plant large, robust, epiphytic, caespitose, often prolific; roots coarse. Ramicauls erect, stout,

occasionally proliferating other ramicauls, 20-58 cm long, enclosed by 8-15 close, microscopically

scabrous lepanthiform sheaths with oblique apices. Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical, acute, acuminate,

11-14 cm long, 3.5-6 cm wide, the base broadly cuneate into a petiole ca. 1 cm long. Inflorescence a

subcongested, successively many-flowered raceme to 5 cm long, borne by a slender peduncle 3-6 cm

long, 2-3 flowers open simultaneously; floral bracts 5 mm long; pedicels 2 mm long; ovary 4 mm long,

narrowly winged; sepals yellow or rose, tall-carinate, long-caudate, margins ciliate-denticulate, the

dorsal sepal glabrous, triangular, concave, acute, 20 mm long, 5 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the

lateral sepals for 2 mm to form a concave cup, the lateral sepals pubescent within, ovate, oblique,

deeply concave basally, acute, 19 mm long, 5 mm wide, connate 5 mm, 2-veined; petals orange with

red margin, minutely pubescent, transversely elliptical, bilobed, 1.5 mm long, 2.25 mm wide, the lobes

broadly ovate, rounded on the ends, upper lobe much larger than lower; lip orange with or without red

margin, bilaminate, the blades elliptical-ovate, 2 mm long, minutely ciliate, the ends rounded, the con¬

nectives broadly cuneate, the body broad, connate to the base of the column, the sinus obtuse with a

minute, capitate appendix; column 2 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Narino: epiphytic in cloud forest near La Victoria, alt. 3200 m, 4 Nov. 1979, C. Luer, J. Luer & A.

Hirtz 4633 (Holotype: SEL).

Putumayo: Santiago, San Antonio de Bellavista, Paramo del Bordoncillo, alt. 3240 m, 16 Apr.

1999, S. M. Pasmino & M. R. Posso 50 (MO).

Also Ecuador (Carchi).

This large, grotesque species is found at high altitudes on both sides of the bor¬

der between Colombia and Ecuador. The large, long-tailed flowers are produced in

a raceme borne behind the leaf and do not expand fully. The sepals are tall-carinate

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

and inflated toward their bases. The petals are proportionally very small, and the

oblong blades of the lip are not remarkable.

Lepanthes chocoensis Luer & Thoerle, Harvard Pap. Bot. 16(2): 326, 2011.

Ety.: Named for the department of Choco in the Western Cordillera of Colombia where the species

was collected.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose, roots filamentous. Ramicauls very slender, erect, 4-4.5 cm long,

enclosed by 6-7 glabrous lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, thinly coriaceous, suffused with purple,

acute, acuminate to a mucronate tip, 25-30 mm long, 8 mm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole 1 mm

long. Inflorescence a congested, successively flowered raceme up to 5 mm long, borne by a slender

peduncle ca. 8 mm long in front of the leaf; floral bracts 1 mm long, minutely muricate; pedicels 1.5

mm long; ovary 1 mm long; sepals reddish (“rojizo oscuro”), glabrous, margins shortly ciliate, the

dorsal sepal 3.5 mm long, 3 mm wide, 3-veined, ovate, obtuse, shortly acuminate into a cauda ca. 0.5

mm long, the lateral sepals diverging widely, 4 mm long, 2 mm wide, 2-veined, ovate, acute, oblique,

acuminate into caudae ca. 1 mm long, connate ca. 0.5 mm; petals transversely bilobed, minutely

pubescent, 0.75 mm long, 2.5 mm wide, the upper lobe oblong, truncate with rounded corners, 1.25 mm

long, 0.75 mm wide, the lower lobe smaller, oblong-triangular with rounded apex, 0.75 mm long; lip

bilaminate, microscopically ciliate-pubescent, the blades elliptical, with the bases rounded and with the

apices narrowly incurved, 1.5 mm long, the connectives cuneate, the body connate to the column above

the base, the sinus retuse with a recurved, oblong appendix; column terete, 1.5 mm long, the anther

apical, the stigma ventral.

Choco: Munic. San Jose del Palmar, Cerro del Torra, above the heliport, cloud forest, alt. ca. 1920

m, 8 Jan. 1984, P. Silverstone-Sopkin, N. Paz, A. Duque & H. Bayona 1636 (Holotype: MO; Isotype:

CUVC), C. Luer illustr. 21520.

This species from the Western Cordillera of Colombia is characterized by a

small, weak plant with very thin ramicauls; an ovate leaf acuminate to a mucronate

tip; a short, congested raceme bearing flowers with sepals with ciliate margins and

caudate apices; a lip with elliptical blades; and a reflexed appendix. The small

plant with small flowers with widely spreading, denticulate sepals superficially

resembles Lepanthes hirsutula Luer & Hirtz, but the latter is distinguished by

narrowly oblong, long-ciliate petals; and a lip with pubescent blades and a large,

pubescent protuberance in place of a sinus.

Lepanthes cincinnata Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 19(1): 35-36, 1993.

Ety.: From the Latin cincinnatus, “with a curled ringlet,” referring to the tips of all three sepals.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 9-12 cm long,

enclosed by 14-15 lepanthiform sheaths with dilated, ciliated ostia. Leaf suffused with purple, glabrous

or minutely pubescent, sulcate, spreading, coriaceous, ovate, acute, 4.5-5 cm long, 1.8-2 cm wide, the

base rounded, contracted into a petiole 2 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, secund, successively

many-flowered raceme, up to 20 or more mm long, borne on top of the leaf by a slender peduncle 10-12

mm long; floral bracts 1 mm long; pedicels 1 mm long; ovary 2.5 mm long; sepals purple-brown,

glabrous, flat, margins denticulate, the dorsal sepal ovate, 8 mm long including the cauda 2 mm long, 5

mm wide, 3-veined, the apex subacute to obtuse, acuminate into a slender, incurved cauda, connate to

the lateral sepals for 1.5 mm, the lateral sepals ovate, oblique, acute, 7 mm long, 2-veined, connate 2

mm into an ovate synsepal 5.5 mm wide, with the acute, acuminate apices in apposition with the caudae

crossing; petals light yellow-green, minutely pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1.5 mm long, 5.5 mm

wide, the lobes similar, subfalcate, with the obtuse apices medial, the upper lobe broader than the lower

lobe; lip light yellow-green, bilaminate, 2.5 mm long, the blades narrowly oblong, microscopically

pubescent, with the apices rounded and long-ciliate, the connectives short, cuneate, the body narrow,

connate to the base of the column, the appendix short, tridentate; column 1.5 mm long, with the anther

dorsal and the stigma ventral.

Valle del Cauca: Balkanes, collected by E. Valencia, July 1989, flowered in cultivation at Colom-

borquideas, 27 Dec. 1992, R. Escobar 5081 (Holotype: JAUM; Isotype: MO), C. Luer illustr. 16571.

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

Risaralda: Pueblo Rico, road to Ciatocitom, alt. 2200 m, collected by E. Valencia, June 1991,

flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 21 Dec. 1992, R. Escobar 5063 (JAUM, MO).

This species is similar to the relatively frequent and widely distributed

Lepanthes manabina Dodson, both bearing dull colored, greenish flowers in the

deep sulcus of dark green leaves. The sepals of L. cincinnata are flat rather than

concave. The blades of the lip are round at the apex and long-ciliate, and the

appendix is tridentate rather than a small triangle. Lepanthes cincinnata is known

from two widely separated collections in Colombia, which differ vegetatively. The

leaves of the collection from Valle del Cauca are essentially flat and glabrous,

while the leaves of the collection from Risaralda are concave and sulcate, and

shortly pubescent. The flowers are identical except that the tridentate appendix of

the latter is shorter than that of the former.

Lepanthes cingens Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 19(2): 87-88, 1994.

Ety.: From the Latin cingens , “surrounding,” referring to the convex blades of the lip that envelop

the column and appendix.

Plant large, epiphytic, caespitose; roots numerous, filiform. Ramicauls slender, erect, 9-21 cm

long, enclosed by 13-16 minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, ovate, acute,

acuminate, 7-10 cm long, 2.5-3.5 cm wide, the rounded base contracted into a petiole 3-4 mm long.

Inflorescence a congested, distichous, successively many-flowered raceme, up to 20 mm long, borne

behind the leaf by a filiform peduncle 20-30 mm long; floral bracts 1 mm long; pedicels 1 mm long;

ovary 1.5 mm long; sepals light green, glabrous, low-carinate, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal tri¬

angular, acute, 6 mm long, 3 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.75 mm, the lateral

sepals ovate, oblique, diverging, subacute, 6 mm long, 2 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 2 mm; petals

orange with the edge red, microscopically pubescent, transversely bilobed, the upper lobe oblong-ovate,

obtuse, 3 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, the lower lobe 1.5 mm wide at the junction with the upper lobe,

abruptly contracted into a narrowly oblong lobe 1.5 mm long, 0.5 mm wide; lip bright purple,

bilaminate, the blades glabrous, ovoid, deeply convex, subacute at the apex, round at the base, 1.5 mm

long, enclosing the column, the connectives broadly cuneate, the body broad, connate to the base of the

column, the sinus obtuse, filled with a cymbiform, incurved appendix; column 1.5 mm long, with the

anther dorsal and the stigma ventral.

Risaralda: above Pueblo Rico, epiphytic in cloud forest, Alto de Linea, alt. 2100 m, 11 May 1993,

C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & J. Gomez 16783 (Holotype: MO); La Linea, alt. 2100 m, collected May

1993, R. Escobar 5490, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 3 June 1995, C. Luer 17720 (MO);

road to TV tower south of Pueblo Rico, alt. 2400 m, collected May, 1993, R. Escobar s.n., flowered in

cultivation at Colomborquideas, 3 June 1995, C. Luer 17724 (MO).

Antioquia: Frontino, alt. 1950 m, 6 March 1994, R. Escobar et al. 5487 (JAUM).

Choco: El Carmen, Carmen del Atrato, alt. 2400 m, 3 June 1995, flowered in cultivation at Colom¬

borquideas, 3 June 1995, R. Escobar 5347, C. Luer 17722 (MO).

This large species, known from several areas in the Western Cordillera, is

superficially similar to Lepanthes elata Rchb. f. and its many relatives. The sepals

and petals are not particularly distinctive, but the lip is unusual with the ovoid

blades deeply convex and enclosing the column as the shell of a bivalved mollusk.

The boat-shaped appendix beneath the stigma is included within the confines of

the blades of the lip.

Lepanthes clausa Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 54(6): 728, 1985.

Ety.: From the Latin clausus , “closed,” referring to the flowers that seldom open.

Plant very small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicaul slender, erect, 10-25 mm long,

enclosed by 3-4 minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical, obtuse, 12-18

mm long, 4-7 mm wide, cuneate at the base into an indistinct petiole 1 mm long. Inflorescence a loose,

few-flowered raceme up to 35 mm long including the filiform peduncle 15-20 mm long; floral bracts 2

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

mm long; pedicels 1.5 mm long; ovary 1 mm long but soon enlarging to 4 mm; the flowers red, often

producing a capsule, sepals usually closed, occasionally partially or mostly parting, glabrous, ovate,

acute, lightly acuminate, margins essentially smooth, the dorsal sepal 4 mm long, 2.5 mm wide, 3-

veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.75 mm, the lateral sepals oblique, diverging, 4.5 mm long,

connate 2.5 mm, 3 mm wide together, each 2-veined; petals orange, suffused with red medially,

glabrous, transversely bilobed, 0.5 mm long, 3 mm wide, the upper lobe oblong with the end rounded,

the lower lobe smaller, narrowly triangular, acute; lip yellow, glabrous, the blades narrowly ovate with

rounded ends, 1.5 mm long, the connectives short, from the blades near the base, the body concave,

connate to the column above the middle, the appendix oblong, thick, ciliate externally, with a sessile,

orbicular apical segment; column 1.5 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Norte de Santander: Villacaro, near Alto de San Francisco above Villacaro, alt. 2850 m, 11 May

1984, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 10274 (Holotype: MO; Isotype: JAUM); same collec¬

tion, flowered in cultivation by L. & J. Posada at Colomborquideas, El Retiro, 9 July 1984, R. Escobar

3288 (COL, JAUM).

Cundinamarca: above Chia, alt. 2650 m, 15 May 2007, flowered in cultivation, June 2009, by

Arturo Carrillo 147-B, L. Thoerle 101 (MO).

Numerous plants of this little species have been observed in the wild, but

nearly all bore buds and capsules in various stages of maturation. Open flowers are

rarely seen. Most unusual is the lip with very short connectives supporting the

blades at the base, but with the body connate to the column above the middle. The

round lobule of the apex of the appendix lies in contact with the stigma with the

tips of the pollinia immediately above. The smaller plant of the cleistogamous

Lepanthes cucullata Luer & R. Escobar bears flowers with sepals about half the

length, with the dorsal sepal deeply concave.

Lepanthes climax Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 17(3): 162, 1988.

Ety.: From the Greek klimax , “a staircase,” referring to the climbing, superposed habit.

Plant large, epiphytic, climbing, prolific; roots slender. Ramicauls slender to stout, often

superposed, 8-20 cm long, enclosed by 7-9 minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect,

coriaceous, elliptical, acute, acuminate, 5.5-10 cm long, 2-3.8 cm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole

5-10 mm long. Inflorescence a loose, flexuous, successively flowered raceme up to 5 cm long, borne

by a slender peduncle 4-5 cm long; floral bracts 3 mm long; pedicels 2 mm long; ovary ribbed, 2 mm

long; sepals rose, glabrous, triangular-ovate, acute, acuminate, carinate, margins minutely ciliate, the

dorsal sepal 12 mm long, 5.5 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for nearly 2 mm, the

lateral sepals oblique, diverging, 12.5 mm long, connate 6 mm, 7.5 mm wide together, each 2-veined;

petals rose, minutely pubescent, transversely bilobed, 2 mm long, 5 mm wide, with a minute apiculum

on the outer margin between the lobes, the upper lobe oblong with the end rounded, the lower lobe

much smaller, triangular, obtuse; lip rose, bilaminate, the blades pubescent, narrowly oblong, with the

ends acute, the bases recurved, 2 mm long, the connectives narrowly oblong, connate to the base of the

column, the sinus acute with a minute, pedunculate, ciliate appendix; column 2 mm long, the anther

dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Santander: epiphytic in cloud forest between Santa Barbara and Guaca, alt. 2850 m, 14 May 1982,

C. Luer & R. Escobar 7870 (Holotype: SEL).

Lepanthes climax is a robust, climbing species. It is easily distinguished from

the other superposed species of the genus by the stout ramicauls, large flowers

with very small lower lobes of the petals, and a lip with pointed blades and a

pedunculated appendix. It is most similar to L. superposita Schltr., sharing a robust

plant with a prolific habit and relatively large, flat flowers, but the petals of L.

superposita have oblong lobes subequal in size and shape.

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

Lepanthes cocculifera Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 16(2): 133, 1984.

Ety.: From the Latin coccus, “a spherical bacterium,” hence cocculifer , “bearing minute cocci,”

referring to the tiny lobules at the apex of the appendix.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots coarse. Ramicauls stout, erect, 4-9 cm long,

enclosed by 5-10 coarsely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, ovate, acute, acuminate,

apiculate, 4-6.5 cm long including the 3 mm long petiole, 1.5-2.2 cm wide, the rounded base contracted

into the petiole. Inflorescence a congested, distichous, successively flowered raceme up to 20 mm

long, borne behind the leaf by a filiform peduncle up to 20 mm long; floral bracts 1.5 mm long;

pedicels 1 mm long; ovary 1.5 mm long; sepals light yellow, glabrous, ovate, acute, margins smooth,

the dorsal sepal 5 mm long, 3.25 mm wide, 3-veined, connate 1 mm to the lateral sepals, the lateral

sepals diverging, connate 2 mm, 5.5 mm long, 4.5 mm wide together, each 2-veined; petals yellow,

suffused with purple toward the base, microscopically pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1 mm long, 3

mm wide, the upper lobe obliquely falcate, acuminate, the lower lobe much smaller, 0.5 mm long,

broadly triangular, obtuse; lip deep orange-brown, microscopically pubescent, the blades narrowly

ovate with obtuse ends, 2 mm long, the apices ciliate, the connectives cuneate, connate to the base of

the column, the appendix small, transverse, with a pair of minute apical lobules; column 1.5 mm long,

the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Santander: epiphytic in cloud forest between Santa Barbara and Guaca, alt. 2850 m, 14 May 1982,

C. Luer & R. Escobar 7866 (Holotype: SEL).

This species is known only from its original collection in the Eastern Cordillera

of Colombia. Lepanthes cocculifera is distinguished by the relatively robust rami¬

cauls with coarsely ciliate sheaths, bearing an ovate, apiculate leaf. A short,

congested raceme produces successive flowers with ovate sepals; petals with a

greatly reduced lower lobe and a much longer, incurved, falcate upper lobe; and a

lip with an appendix with a minute pair of terminal lobules.

Lepanthes cogolloi Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 18(1): 34-36, 1991.

Ety.: Named in honor of Dr. Alvaro Cogollo, curator of the herbarium JAUM in Medellin,

Colombia, who discovered this species.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots fine. Ramicauls erect, slender, 2-4 cm long, enclosed by 7-

8 microscopically ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical-ovate, acute, lightly

acuminate, 2-3.5 cm long, 1.5 cm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole 3 mm long. Inflorescence a con¬

gested, successively several-flowered raceme up to at least 5 mm long, borne along the back surface of

the leaf by a slender peduncle 18-20 mm long; floral bracts echinate, 1.5 mm long; pedicels 1 mm long;

ovary 2 mm long; sepals yellow, glabrous, carinate, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal broadly ovate,

subacute or obtuse, 2.75 mm long, 2.25 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm,

the lateral sepals ovate, oblique, diverging, acute, 5 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, connate 1 mm, 2-veined;

petals proportionally large, yellow, minutely pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1.25 mm long, 3.25 mm

wide, 1-veined, the upper lobe elliptical-oblong with the apex rounded, the lower lobe shorter, narrowly

triangular; lip purple, minutely pubescent, bilaminate, the blades narrowly elliptical, concave, with the

apices and bases narrowly obtuse, 1.2 mm long, the connectives cuneate, the body broad, connate to the

base of the column, the sinus thickened with an oblong, pubescent appendix; column stout, 1 mm long,

the anther apical, the stigma subapical.

Antioquia: Parque Nacional Natural “Las Orquideas,” Sector Venados, Rio Venados, alt. 1090-

1215 m, 28 July 1988, A. Cogollo, J. Ramirez & O. Alvarez 3539 (Holotype: JAUM; Isotype: MO), C.

Luer illustr. 14408; collection data unknown, collected by M. Zapata, August 1988, flowered in cultiva¬

tion at Colomborquideas, 5-9 May 1993, C. Luer 167'27 (MO).

This species is characterized by elliptical, shortly acuminate leaves and a

congested raceme borne along the back of the leaf; small, broadly ovate sepals;

proportionally large, bilobed petals, the two upper lobes obscuring the dorsal

sepal; and the lip with narrow, concave blades and a short, thick, pubescent

appendix. Superficially, Lepanthes cogolloi resembles L. perdita Luer & Hirtz,

both having proportionally large petals with rounded, overlapping upper lobes that

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

nearly hide the dorsal sepal, but the flower of the former is nearly twice as large

while the plant is but half the height.

Lepanthes conchyliata Luer, Selbyana, 30(1): 6, 2009.

Ety.: From the Latin conchiliatus , “of a purple color,” referring to the color of the flower.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 4 cm long, enclosed by

6-7 glabrous, long-acuminate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, narrowly elliptical, acute, 4

cm long, 0.9 cm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole 1-2 mm long. Inflorescence a lax, successively

several-flowered raceme, 2-3 cm long including the peduncle ca. 0.8 cm long, borne in the sulcus of the

leaf; floral bracts oblique, acute, 1-1.5 mm long; pedicels 1-1.5 mm long; ovary 2 mm long; sepals pur¬

ple, glabrous, ovate, shortly acuminate, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal 4.5 mm long, 3 mm wide, 3-

veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals oblique, diverging, 4 mm long, 2.25

mm wide, 2-veined, connate 2 mm; petals purple, transversely bilobed, 1.5 mm long, 4.5 mm wide, 1-

veined, the lobes triangular, slightly oblique, convex, cellular, the tips of the upper lobes overlapping,

the upper lobe 2.5 mm long, the lower lobe 2 mm long; lip purple, bilaminate, the blades cellular or

microscopically pubescent, elliptical, convex, 2 mm long, surrounding the column, with cuneate con¬

nectives and a thick body connate to the base of the column, the sinus narrow with an oblong, long-

ciliate appendix; column semiterete, 2 mm long, with the anther apical and the stigma ventral.

Colombia: without collection data, flowered in cultivation by Ecuagenera, Gualaceo, Ecuador, 5

Mar. 2001, C. Luer 19658 (Holotype: MO).

This species is known only from the original collection made somewhere in

Colombia, most likely in one of the southernmost departments. It is characterized

by a small, narrowly elliptical leaf; and a lax, somewhat shorter raceme of about a

dozen successive, purple flowers. The sepals are shortly acuminate, and the petals

are proportionally large with the round tips of the upper lobes overlapping. The

blades of the lip are convex and surround the column; the appendix is oblong and

long-ciliate.

Lepanthes confusa Ames & C. Schweinf., Sched. Orch. 10: 40-41, 1930.

Ety.: From the Latin confusus , “confused,” no doubt referring to some confusing aspect.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect, slender, 7-25 mm long, enclosed

by 2-6 ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect to spreading, coriaceous, suffused with purple beneath,

elliptical, subacute to obtuse, lightly convex, 9-15 mm long, 4-11 mm wide, the rounded base con¬

tracted into a petiole 1 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, distichous, successively several-flowered

raceme up to 3 mm long, borne beneath the leaf by a filiform peduncle 3-5 mm long; floral bracts 1 mm

long, echinate; pedicels 1.5 mm long; ovary 0.75 mm long; sepals pale dull purple, glabrous, ovate,

acute, margins denticulate, the dorsal sepal 3-3.75 mm long, 2 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the

lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals oblique, diverging, 3-3.5 mm long, 1.5-1.75 mm wide, 2-

veined, connate 1-1.5 mm; petals transversely bilobed, 1 mm long, 3 mm wide, the lobes obliquely

triangular with apices everted, acute, the upper lobe dark red-purple, conspicuously pubescent, the

lower lobe orange, microscopically pubescent; lip red-purple with yellow margins, bilaminate, the

blades ovate, with rounded ends, pubescent, 1 mm long, the connectives broadly cuneate, thick, the

body broad, connate to the base of the column, the sinus obtuse with the appendix thick, oblong, obtuse,

incurved, long-ciliate beneath; column stout, 1 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Dabeiba, collected by H. Angarita, 1989, flowered in cultivation by F. J. Salozar in

Medellin, 27 Dec. 1992, R. Escobar 5084 (MO).

Valle del Cauca: Bajo Calima, Concesion Pulpapel/Buenaventura, alt. 100 m, 19 Oct. 1987, M.

Monsalve B. 2001 (MO).

Also Costa Rica (Limon, Holotype, Standley 48709: AMES; Alajuela; San Jose; Cartago), Ecuador

(Esmeraldas), Panama (Chiriqui).

This little species is widely distributed in relatively low altitude forests from

Costa Rica, the source of the type specimen, through Panama and Colombia into

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

northwestern Ecuador. It is one of the very few species that range from Central

America well into the Andes. The very small, elliptical, lightly convex leaves bear

a proportionally large, colorful flower on the purple underside of the blade. The

sepals are usually denticulate. The lobes of the petals are obliquely triangular and

pubescent. The blades of the lip are long-pubescent, and the appendix is thick and

incurved with either an entire or minutely bifid tip.

Lepanthes confusa is similar to L. sericinitens , also known from Antioquia,

with a larger plant and a smaller flower. Lepanthes sericinitens is also distin¬

guished from the former by flowers with nearly glabrous petals, and a lip with an

external appendix originating from the surface of the body below the sinus.

Lepanthes contingens Luer, Phytologia 54(5): 335, 1983.

Ety.: From the Latin contingens , “in contact with,” in reference to the process from the stigma in

contact with the apical gland of the appendix.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect to suberect, 5-

11 cm long, enclosed by 9-11 ciliate lepanthiform sheaths with broadly dilated ostia. Leaf erect to sub¬

erect, coriaceous, variable in size and shape, from broadly ovate to narrowly elliptical, from 3.5 cm

long, 2 cm wide, to 5.5 cm long, 1 cm wide, the apex obtuse to acute, the base cuneate or rounded, con¬

tracted into a petiole 2-3 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, successively flowered raceme up to 12

mm long, borne by a filiform peduncle up to 10 mm long in the sulcus of the leaf, which usually twists

so that the inflorescence is beneath; floral bracts 2 mm long; pedicels 1.25 mm long; ovary 2 mm long;

sepals yellow with purple stripes along the veins, glabrous, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal triangular,

5 mm long, 3.75 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1 mm, the subacute apex shortly

acuminate, the lateral sepals connate 2 mm into an ovate, acute synsepal, 5 mm long, 4 mm wide, the

acuminate apices approximate, each 2-veined; petals yellow, suffused with red-brown, transversely

oblong, 1.1 mm long, 4 mm wide, with a small, obtuse angle on the margin at the midvein, the upper

lobe oblong, truncate, the lower lobe smaller, triangular, acute; lip red-brown, the blades narrowly

oblong, thin, membranous, transparent, 2.2 mm long, acutely angled on the inner margin near the nar¬

rowly obtuse apex, the connectives oblong, erect, lifting the blades above the column, the body with a

slender, basal claw connate to the base of the column, the appendix oblong, pubescent, terminated by a

small gland which is in contact with a strap-shaped process from the cavity of the stigma; column

slender, clavate, 2 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Narino: epiphytic in cloud forest east of La Victoria, alt. 3200 m, 4 Nov. 1979, C. Luer, J. Luer &

A. Hirtz 4637 (SEL).

Also Ecuador (Loja, Holotype, Luer et al. 7152 : SEL; Carchi; Sucumbios; Pichincha; Napo;

Tungurahua; Zamora-Chinchipe).

This species is frequent and widely distributed in forests on both sides of the

Andes in Colombia and Ecuador. The leaves of immature plants are broadly

elliptical and obtuse, but all shapes are seen between these and the narrowly ovate,

acuminate forms of most mature plants. The lip of the delicate flowers is most

distinctive. The narrow, translucent blades, angled on the inner margins below the

apex, are held over the column by short connectives. The body is attached to the

base of the long, slender column by a long, slender claw. The pubescent apical seg¬

ment of the appendix is in contact with a tongue-like process that descends from

the stigma. Lepanthes contingens is closely resembles L. transparens Luer, but the

latter is distinguished by a lip with broader, entire, lunate blades.

Lepanthes cordata Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 17(3): 165-168, 1988.

Ety.: From the Latin cordatus , “cordate,” referring to the heart-shaped leaves.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 15-35 mm long,

enclosed by 4-5 shortly ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, purple beneath, broadly

cordate, obtuse, shortly acuminate, 8-12 mm long, 8-12 mm wide, the base cordate to subcordate with a

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

petiole 1.5-2 mm long. Inflorescence a congested raceme, 2-3 mm long, borne behind the leaf in a fas¬

cicle by filiform peduncles 6-9 mm long; floral bracts 1 mm long, minutely spiculate; pedicels 1.5 mm

long; ovary 2 mm long; sepals white, glabrous, ovate, acute, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal 2.5 mm

long, 2 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals oblique,

diverging, 2.5 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 1 mm; petals white with a broad, purple

border, the margins irregularly serrate, transversely bilobed, 1 mm long, 3.2 mm wide, the upper lobe

ovate, acute, the lower lobe narrowly ovate, acute; lip purple, bilaminate, 1.75 mm long, the blades

ovate, with minutely irregular margins, acute apically, subtruncate basally, the connectives short, the

body connate to the column above the base, the sinus acute with an oblong, pubescent appendix;

column slender, the anther dorsal, the stigma apical.

Antioquia: epiphytic in forest above the Miraflores Dam northeast of Santa Rosa, alt. 2050 m, 15

May 1985, C. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 11371 (Holotype: MO); Pabon, epiphytic in forest rem¬

nant along the road to Santa Ana, alt. 2050 m, 31 May 1995, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar, L. Moreno

de Posada, G. Arteaga, B. & F. Lopez 17670 (MO).

Also Ecuador (Pichincha).

This pretty little species may be recognized by the dark purple, broadly cordate

leaves with a fascicle of peduncles behind and nearly as long the leaf The white,

purple-bordered, serrate petals are as large as the white sepals. The apices of the

ovate blades of the lip are acute. Lepanthes forceps Luer & R. Escobar also has a

cordate leaf as broad as it is long, and petals that are wider than the length of a

sepal, but it is distinguished by sepals that are proportionally narrower and petals

with an obtuse upper lobe.

Lepanthes cornualis Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 18(1): 36, 1991.

Ety.: From the Latin cornualis , “with horns,” referring to the appearance of the blades of the lip.

Plant medium to large in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender to stout,

erect, 10-35 cm long, enclosed by 8-16 glabrous to microscopically scabrous lepanthiform sheaths.

Leaf erect, coriaceous, suffused with purple beneath, narrowly elliptical, acute, 7-11 cm long, 1-1.7 cm

wide, the base cuneate into a petiole 3-4 mm long. Inflorescence 1-3 loose, successively several-flow¬

ered racemes up to 8 cm long, borne behind the leaf by a slender peduncle ca. 1 cm long; floral bracts

2-3 mm long; pedicels 2-3 mm long; ovary 3 mm long, with 3 fringed wings; sepals rose, glabrous,

carinate-strigose, margins minutely denticulate, the dorsal sepal concave, triangular, subacute, shortly

acuminate, 8 mm long, 5.5 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1 mm, the lateral sepals

convex, ovate, oblique, obtuse, shortly acuminate, diverging, 7.5 mm long, connate 2 mm, 7.25 mm

wide together, each 1-veined; petals dull yellow with purple edges, minutely pubescent, transversely

bilobed, 1.5 mm long, 7.5 mm wide, the lobes narrowly triangular, obtuse, subequal in size; lip rose,

bilaminate, the blades ciliate, narrowly obovate, with obtuse or rounded apices and attenuate, acute

bases, more or less recurved, 4.5 mm long, the connectives obliquely cuneate, from the anterior half of

the blades, the body narrow, connate to the column near the base, the appendix minute with a bilobed

apex; column slender, 2 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Putumayo: epiphytic in scrub forest in the paramo between La Cocha and Sibundoy, alt. 3000 m,

26 Jan. 1987, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar, C. Dodson & O. Benavides 12525 (Holotype: MO); San¬

tiago, San Antonio de Bellavista, Paramo del Bordoncillo, alt. 3240 m, 19 Mar. 1999, S. M. Pasmino &

M. R. Posso 32, 34 (MO).

Valle del Cauca: El Cerrito, between Tenerife and Paramo de Pan de Azucar, dwarf forest below

the paramo, alt. 3450 m, 2 Apr. 1993, P. Silverstone-Sopkin, J. Giraldo & T. Otero 6541 (CUVC, MO).

Also Ecuador (Tungurahua).

This tall, slender species is recognized by the narrowly elliptical leaves, con¬

siderably shorter than the long ramicauls; loose racemes shorter than the leaves;

fringed ovaries; broad, minutely denticulate sepals, the laterals one-veined; and

narrow blades of the lip with attenuate, more or less recurved bases resembling

horns. The blades of the lip of Lepanthes aries are similarly hornlike, but the latter

is distinguished by a concave dorsal sepal; deeply connate, two-veined lateral

sepals; and petals with a protruding upper lobe larger than the lower lobe.

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

Lepanthes corrugata Luer & Dalstrom, Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard.

61(3): 63, 1996.

Ety.: From the Latin corrugatus, “corrugated,” referring to the irregularly puckered leaf surface.

Plant large, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 15-18 cm long, enclosed

by 20-22 microscopically scabrous lepanthiform sheaths with dilated ostia. Leaf suberect, pubescent,

thinly coriaceous, purple reticulate-veined, ovate, acuminate, 8-9 cm long, 3.5-4.5 cm wide, broadly

cuneate below into a petiole 2-3 mm long. Inflorescence an extremely congested raceme of successive

flowers, up to 10 mm long, borne by a filiform peduncle 3-4 cm long along the back of the leaf; floral

bracts acuminate, recurved, 2.5 mm long; pedicels 3-4 mm long; ovary 3 mm long; sepals reddish,

glabrous, carinate, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal ovate, narrowly obtuse, apiculate, 6 mm long, 4.25

mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1.5 mm, the lateral sepals ovate, oblique, shortly

acuminate, subacute, diverging, 6 mm long, 2.75 mm wide, connate 2 mm, 2-veined; petals olive

green, microscopically pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1.5 mm long, 5.5 mm wide, with a marginal

filament 0.6 mm long between the lobes, the lobes triangular, acute, the upper lobe slightly larger; lip

olive green, bilaminate, the blades thin, glabrous, lunate, adherent medially over the column, 2.5 mm

long, the connectives broadly cuneate, the body broad, membranous, slightly concave, protruding,

connate to the column at the base, the appendix ciliate, triangular, acute, on the protruding margin of

the body; column 2 mm long, with the anther dorsal, and the stigma ventral.

Narino: Mun. Ipiales, Las Lajas, alt. ca. 2500 m, flowered in cultivation in Bogota by A. J.

Carrillo, Sep. 2011, P. Ortiz 1414 (HPUJ).

Also Ecuador (Sucumbios, Holotype, Dalstrom. et al. 2153: MO; Esmeraldas).

Until its recent discovery in Narino, Lepanthes corrugata was known only

from two disjunct collections in northern Ecuador. This large species is similar to

L. cotyledon Luer from farther south in Ecuador on the eastern slopes of the

Andes. It is distinguished from the latter by longer, multisheathed ramicauls and

larger, pubescent leaves that are similarly thin, corrugated and purple; sepals that

are smooth rather than ciliate; and a lip with a body that is broad, protruding, and

only slightly concave, connected to the base of the column. Both species share a

congested, long-pedicellate raceme shorter than the leaf; petals with a thin, lateral

process; and a lip with thin, transparent blades adherent over the column.

Lepanthes cuatrecasasii Luer, Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 112: 109,

2007.

Ety.: Named in honor of the late Dr. Jose Cuatrecasas, distinguished Spanish botanist, who col¬

lected this species.

Plant medium in size; roots slender. Ramicauls stout, erect, 6-11 cm long, enclosed by 6-9 dark

lepanthiform sheaths with microscopically echinate margins. Leaf erect, coriaceous, ovate, subacute, 2-

3.5 cm long, 2-2.5 cm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole 5 mm long. Inflorescence a subcongested,

successively several-flowered raceme up to 20 mm or more long, borne along the back of the leaf by a

filiform peduncle up to 15 mm long; floral bracts 1 mm long; pedicels 1 mm long; ovary 2 mm long;

sepals appear to have been either white or yellow, glabrous, carinate, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal

broadly ovate, obtuse, 4.5 mm long, 3.5 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1 mm, the

lateral sepals ovate, oblique, acute, diverging, 5 mm long, 2.5 mm wide, 1-veined, connate 1.5 mm;

petals glabrous, transversely bilobed, 0.5 long, 4 mm wide, with a small marginal angle between the

lobes, the lobes oblong with rounded ends; lip glabrous, bilaminate, the blades oblong, 2.25 mm long,

with rounded ends, the apex embracing the apex of the column, the connectives broadly cuneate, the

body broad, connate to the column above the base, the sinus acute with a small, triangular appendix;

column terete, 2 mm long, the anther apical, the stigma ventral.

Valle del Cauca: western slopes of the Central Cordillera, branch of the Rio Bugalagrande,

Cuchilla de Barragan, alt. 3250 m, 12 Apr. 1946, J. Cuatrecasas 20601 (Holotype: AMES), C. Luer

illustr. 19287.

This species is apparently endemic in the Central Cordillera of southern

Colombia, where it was collected by Cuatrecasas. Lepanthes cuatrecasasii is

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

characterized by stout ramicauls with dark sheaths, and an ovate leaf with a

shorter, subcongested raceme of successive flowers. No color notes are present.

The floral parts are glabrous. The dorsal sepal is obtuse, while the laterals are

acute, diverging, and one-veined. The lobes of the petals are oblong with a

marginal angle between. The blades of the lip are oblong with the apices

embracing the column. The appendix is minute and triangular.

Lepanthes cucullata Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 19(2): 89-90, 1994.

Ety.: From the Latin cucullatus , “cucullate,” referring to the shape of the dorsal sepal.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect, slender, 5-12 mm long, enclosed

by 5-6 minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf thickly coriaceous, broadly elliptical to subcircular,

obtuse, 7-9 mm long, 6-8 mm wide, contracted below into a petiole 0.5 mm long. Inflorescence a

loose, distichous, successively several-flowered raceme 15-22 mm long of purple, cleistogamous flow¬

ers, borne by a peduncle ca. 10 mm long; floral bracts echinate, 1 mm long; pedicels 1 mm long; ovary

0.5 mm long; sepals glabrous, carinate, margins minutely subdenticulate, the dorsal sepal broadly

ovate, deeply concave, obtuse, very shortly acuminate, 1.8 mm long, 1.5 mm wide expanded, 3-veined,

the lateral sepals concave, ovate-triangular, oblique, acute, free, apices approximate, 1.6 mm long, 0.8

mm wide, 1-veined; petals pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1.6 mm long, 0.4 mm wide, the lobes

equal, oblong, with the ends rounded, the upper lobes folded over the column and lip in the natural

position; lip bilaminate, the blades elliptical-ovate, pubescent, 1.2 mm long, with the bases rounded and

the apices incurved under the column, the connectives and body broadly oblong, connate to the base of

the column, the sinus obtuse with a bilobed appendix; column semiterete, 1 mm long, with the anther

and the stigma apical.

Norte de Santander: epiphytic in cloud forest near Alto de San Francisco, alt. 2850 m, 11 May

1984, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 10282 (Holotype: MO).

This little species, found only once at the locality of Masdevallia mastodon

Rchb. f. in the Eastern Cordillera, is one of the “ugly ducklings” of the genus.

Vegetatively, it is similar to any little species of Lepanthes or Trichosalpinx Luer.

It is distinguished by loose racemes that exceed the thick, subcircular leaves in

length, bearing tiny, purple, cleistogamous flowers. The obtuse dorsal sepal is

deeply concave, especially toward the apex. The lateral sepals are triangular, one-

veined, acute, and free but not spreading. The upper lobes of the transversely

oblong petals fold over the column and lip. The apices of the blades of the lip

curve under the apex of the column. The body is broad, with a bilobed appendix in

the obtuse sinus. The flowers of the similar L. clausa are also seldom seen open

before they form capsules, but the sepals are twice as long.

Lepanthes culex Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 53(7): 716, 1984.

Ety.: From the Latin culex, “a mosquito,” referring to the minute, spindly flower.

Plant small to medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Secondary stems slender, erect,

4-5.5 cm long, enclosed by 5-6 microscopically scabrous lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous,

suffused with purple beneath, elliptical, 4-5.5 cm long, 1-1.5 cm wide, the apex lightly acuminate,

acute, the base cuneate into a petiole 2-3 mm long. Inflorescence a very congested, distichous, succes¬

sively flowered raceme up to 4 mm long, borne behind the leaf by a filiform peduncle ca 8 mm long;

floral bracts minutely ciliate, 1.5 mm long; pedicels 1.5 mm long; ovary 1.75 mm long; sepals yellow,

glabrous, ovate, acute, carinate, reflexed, the sides more or less revolute, margins smooth, the dorsal

sepal 4.5 mm long, 2 mm wide, 3-veined, the lateral sepals diverging, 4.75 mm long, 2 mm wide, con¬

nate 1 mm, 2-veined; petals bright yellow, microscopically pubescent, transversely bilobed, 0.5 mm

long, 7.5 mm wide, the lobes subequal, spreading, narrowly linear, acute, gently curved, the lower lobe

with a minute lobule on the inner margin; lip white, suffused with red-purple, microscopically pubes¬

cent, cordate or V-shaped, 2.5 mm long, the rounded apex shortly incised, the margins thickened, the

rounded basal lobes erect and surrounding the column, the base originating from the middle of the

column; column slender, 2 mm long, the anther apical, the stigma subapical.

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

Antioquia: Mun. Yarumal, Raton Pelado, alt. 2700 m, R Escobar & E. Valencia 2676 (SEL), C.

Luer illustr. 9113; same collection, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, El Retiro, 5 Dec. 1983,

R. Escobar 3189 (Holotype: MO; Isotypes: JAUM, SEL), C. Luer illustr. 9494; Alto de Yentanas, alt.

2000 m, 14 Feb. 1984, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 3233 (JAUM); Briceno, above Quebrada El Oro, alt.

1820 m, 14 Feb. 1984, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 3230 (COL, JAUM, MO); epiphytic in cloud forest,

Raton Pelado, above Yarumal, alt. 2650 m, 1 May 1984, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia

10056 (MO); Mun. Yarumal, epiphytic in forest remnant along the road to El Cedro, alt. 1850 m, 15

March 1989, C. Luer, J. Luer, S. Dalstrom & W. Teague 14176 (MO); epiphytic in forest remnant along

the road to Briceno, Quebrada El Oro, alt. 1850 m, C. Luer, J. Luer, S. Dalstrom. & W. Teague 14190

(MO).

Valle del Cauca: without locality, alt. 1900 m, flowered in cultivation by Orquideas del Valle, 12

March 1997, C. Luer 18420 (MO).

Colombia: without collection data, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 5-9 May 1993, C.

Luer 16726 (MO).

This species is one of a group characterized by a cordate lip with a round, cleft

apex. It is similar to Lepanthes alcicornis , with which it grows sympatrically.

Vegetatively, L. culex is larger than L. alcicornis. The petals of L. culex are two¬

pronged, while those of L. alcicornis are four-pronged.

Lepanthes cuneiformis Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 16(2): 135, 1984.

Ety.: From the Latin cuneiformis , “wedge-shaped,” referring to the upper lobes of the petals.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 1.5-3.5 cm long,

enclosed by 6-8 ciliate lepanthiform sheaths with widely dilated ostia. Leaf erect, coriaceous, suffused

with purple beneath, ovate, abruptly acute, 13-23 mm long including the 2 mm long petiole, 10-14 mm

wide, the rounded base contracted into the petiole. Inflorescence a congested, successive, several-flow¬

ered raceme up to 5 mm long, borne behind the leaf by a filiform peduncle up to 7 mm long; floral bract

and pedicel each 1.5 mm long; ovary 1 mm long; sepals translucent yellow, glabrous, margins smooth,

the dorsal sepal ovate, subacute, suffused with purple at the apex, 4 mm long, 2.75 mm wide, 3-veined,

connate to the lateral sepals for less than 1 mm, the lateral sepals connate 2.3 mm into a broadly ovate

to subcircular synsepal, 3.5 mm long, 3.75 mm wide, the apex shortly bifid, the apices obtuse, each

lateral sepal 1-veined; petals yellow with a purple inner margin, pubescent, transversely bilobed-

oblong, 1.3 mm long, 3 mm wide, the upper lobe broadly cuneate, truncate, the lower lobe much

smaller, oblong, truncate; lip purple, shortly pubescent, the blades narrowly elliptical, 2 mm long, acute

at the apex, rounded at the base, the connectives broadly cuneate, the body connected to the column

above the base, the sinus cleft, the appendix ligulate, pubescent, protruding from the under surface of

the body; column 2.5 mm long, the anther and stigma apical.

Norte de Santander: Alto de Santa Inez, alt. 2150 m, May 1982, C. Luer, R. Escobar & D. Por¬

tillo 7943 (Holotype: SEL).

This pretty little species from Colombia’s Eastern Cordillera is distinguished

by the deeply connate, single-veined lateral sepals and the broadly cuneate,

minutely pubescent petals overlapping above the lip. The sinus of the lip is deeply

cleft; the appendix originates on the under surface of the body and protrudes

forward, but still a long distance from the stigma.

Among the Colombian representatives of Lepanthes subsect. Breves , it is most

similar to Lepanthes hemirhoda Garay. The plant of L. hemirhoda dwarfs that of L.

cuneiformis , but the flower of the latter is larger. The lateral sepals of L. cune¬

iformis are deeply connate into a shortly bifid synsepal; the lateral sepals of L.

hemirhoda are less deeply connate. The similarly obtuse upper lobe of the petals of

L. hemirhoda is about three times as long as the lower lobe and about four times as

broad, nearly obscuring the dorsal sepal, while the upper lobe of L. cuneiformis is

only about 50 percent longer than the lower lobe.

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Lepanthes cunicularis Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 20(3): 289-291, 1997.

Ety.: From the Latin cunicularis , “of rabbits,” referring to the large upper lobes of the petals.

Plant medium to large in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, bending

with the weight of the leaf, 7-15 cm long, enclosed by 13-16 light green, long-pubescent lepanthiform

sheaths with markedly dilated ostia. Leaf pendent when mature, coriaceous, broadly elliptical, obtuse,

abruptly short-acuminate at the apex, 5-6 cm long, 3-4 cm wide, the base broadly cuneate, contracted

into a petiole 3-4 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, distichous, successively many-flowered raceme

up to 15 mm long, borne on top of the leaf by a filiform peduncle 18-27 mm long; floral bracts spicu-

late, 1.5 mm long; pedicels 1 mm long; ovary 3-3.5 mm long; sepals yellow, glabrous, membranous,

spiculate-carinate, widely spread, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal broadly ovate, obtuse, concave

below the middle, 5.5 mm long, 5 mm wide, 5-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1.5 mm, the

lateral sepals broadly ovate, oblique, obtuse, diverging, 5 mm long, 3 mm wide, connate 2 mm, 2-

veined; petals bright dark yellow, glabrous or cellular-pubescent, transversely bilobed, 0.75 mm long

between lobes, the upper lobe obovate, rounded at the apex, 4 mm long, 2 mm wide, the lower lobe fal¬

cate, 1.75 mm long, 1 mm wide; lip yellow with purple margins, bilaminate, the blades microscopically

pubescent, narrowly oblong, 1.5 mm long, with rounded ends, the connectives cuneate, the body

connate to the base of the column, the sinus acute with the appendix minute, narrowly oblong; column

1.5 mm long, the anther and stigma apical.

Risaralda: San Antonio de Chami, alt. ca. 1800 m, collected by E. Valencia, July 1994, flowered

in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 3 June 1995, R. Escobar s.n. (JJolotype: MO), C. Luer illustr.

17709.

This species, known only from several plants from the department of Risaralda,

is characterized by a comparatively heavy leaf, causing the ramicaul to bend. The

sheaths of the ramicaul are long-ciliate with markedly dilated ostia. The leaf is

broadly ovate with a shortly acuminate apex. The flowers are borne on top of the

leaf in a congested raceme. The sepals are obtuse, with the dorsal five-veined. The

large, obovate upper lobes of the petals, like a pair of rabbit ears, obscure much of

the dorsal sepal; the falcate lower lobes are much smaller. The lip is unremarkable,

with a small appendix in an acute sinus between cuneate connectives bearing nar¬

row, obtuse blades. The much smaller Lepanthes reticulata Luer & R. Escobar

shares the broadly ovate sepals and petals with large, rounded upper lobes, but

with a narrowly triangular rather than falcate lower lobe.

Lepanthes cyclochila Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 19(2): 90-91, 1994.

Ety.: From the Greek cyclocheilos , “a circular lip,” referring to the labellum.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect, slender, 12-20 mm long,

enclosed by 4-5 microscopically ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical, acute,

15-19 mm long, 8-10 mm wide, with the base cuneate into a petiole 1 mm long. Inflorescence a dense,

successively several-flowered raceme up to 7 mm long, borne behind the leaf by a peduncle 5-6 mm

long; floral bracts 0.5 mm long; pedicels 1-1.25 mm long; ovary 0.4 mm long; sepals glabrous,

carinate, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal oblong, obtuse, 2.2 mm long, 1.4 mm wide, 3-veined,

connate to the lateral sepals for 0.3 mm, the lateral sepals elliptical, oblique, obtuse, diverging widely,

2.2 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 0.5 mm; petals microscopically pubescent, transversely

bilobed, 0.5 mm long, 2.5 mm wide, the upper lobe oblong, obliquely truncate, the lower lobe oblong,

shallowly bifurcate into 2 oblong, narrowly rounded lobes; lip microscopically pubescent, without

blades, subcircular with basal lobes embracing the column, 1.5 mm long, 1.6 mm wide, the apex

rounded, retuse with an apiculum in the sinus, the base connate to the base of the column; column

semiterete, 1 mm long, with the anther dorsal and the stigma apical.

Antioquia: Mun. Yarumal, “El Manicomio,” alt. 2500 m, collected by S. Vieira, May 1989,

flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 3 Jan. 1993, R. Escobar 5241 (JJolotype: JAUM; Isotype:

MO).

Colombia: without collection data, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, R. Escobar s.n.

(MO), C. Luer illustr. 15267.

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

This little species is similar to Lepanthes petalopteryx Luer & R. Escobar,

sharing a small stature; proportionally large, angular petals; and a lip lacking

blades. The smaller flowers of Lepanthes cyclochila are distinguished by smooth

rather than denticulate sepals; petals with the lower lobe bifurcate rather than sub¬

quadrate; and a subcircular lip, deflexed so that the apex hangs below the column.

Lepanthes cymbium Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 19(2): 91, 1994.

Ety.: From the Latin cymbium , “a little bowl,” referring to the cup-shaped flower.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect, slender, 15-18 mm long,

enclosed by 4-5 long-ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, thickly coriaceous, elliptical, lens-shaped,

acute, 11-13 mm long, 5-6 mm wide, cuneate below into a petiole 2 mm long. Inflorescence a

subdense, distichous, successively many-flowered raceme up to 10 mm long, borne well beyond the

leaf by a slender peduncle 15-25 mm long; floral bracts echinate, 1 mm long; pedicels 1.5 mm long;

ovary 0.5 mm long; sepals yellow, carinate, concave, glabrous, margins minutely erose, the dorsal sepal

transversely triangular, 9.5 mm long, 10 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 5 mm to

form a cup-shaped flower, the apex obtuse, contracted into a narrowly triangular apiculum, the lateral

sepals connate 5 mm into a transversely triangular, bifid synsepal, 9.5 mm long, 12 mm wide, each 2-

veined, the apices subacute, free for 3 mm, approximate; petals red medially, orange laterally, minutely

pubescent, transversely bilobed, 0.75 mm long, 4.5 mm wide, the lobes nearly equally long, the upper

lobe narrowly oblong, obtuse, the lower lobe narrowly triangular, the apex acute, long-ciliate; lip

bilaminate, with the blades red toward the base, yellow-white toward the apex, glabrous, long-ciliate at

the apices, narrowly oblong, 2 mm long, the connectives very short, cuneate, the body connate to the

base of the column, the sinus broad with the appendix oblong, long-pubescent; column 1.25 mm long,

the anther apical and the stigma ventral.

Quindio: below Alto La Linea, alt. 3200 m, 17 May 1989, flowered in cultivation at Colombor-

quideas, Nov. 1990, R. Escobar, E. Valencia, W. & H. Koniger 4016 (Holotype: MO), C. Luer illustr.

14924.

Narino: without exact location, collected by J. L. Aguirre, Aug. 2008, flowered in cultivation at

Colomborquideas, June 2009, L. Thoerle 142 (MO), C. Luer illustr. 21467.

Also Ecuador (Pichincha).

This species is distinguished by the distichous raceme of relatively large, cup¬

shaped flowers borne above the little, lens-shaped leaves by a slender peduncle

longer than the leaves. The central apparatus is held out from the back of the sepal-

ine cup. The petals are slender and erect. The blades of the lip are also slender and

long-ciliate at the apices. The appendix is oblong and pubescent. The shape of the

broad sepaline bowl resembles that of Lepanthes escobariana Garay, but L. esco-

bariana is readily distinguished by its larger flowers; the subtriangular, obtuse

petals; and the lip with glabrous, elliptical blades.

Lepanthes darioi Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 20(3): 291-292, 1997.

Ety.: Named in honor of Dario Arbelaez, caretaker of the collection of Lepanthes at

Colomborquideas, El Retiro, Colombia.

Plant medium to large in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 7-17

cm long, enclosed by 10-14 microscopically ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, thinly coriaceous,

elliptical, obtuse, abruptly contracted into a subulate apical portion 2-2.5 cm long, 5-9 cm long includ¬

ing the apical segment, 2.5-4 cm wide, the base rounded, contracted into a petiole 5-6 mm long. Inflo¬

rescence a congested, distichous, successively flowered raceme, up to 15 mm long, borne by a filiform

peduncle 22-30 mm long; floral bracts oblique, 1.5 mm long; pedicels 1.5 mm long; ovary 3 mm long;

sepals light yellow, carinate, glabrous, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal reflexed, ovate, acute, lightly

acuminate, 6.5 mm long, 3-4 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1.5 mm, the lateral

sepals ovate, oblique, diverging, acute, lightly acuminate, connate 1.5 mm into a bifid synsepal, 6 mm

long, 2.75 mm wide, each 2-veined; petals yellow with purple margins, white toward the base, micro¬

scopically cellular-pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1.5 mm long, 5.5 mm wide, the upper lobe oblong,

obtuse, 4 mm long, 2 mm wide, the lower lobe triangular, 1.5 mm long; lip light rose, bilaminate,

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

microscopically pubescent, the blades 1.5 mm long, narrowly ovate at the anterior margins of erect,

oblique, oblong connectives, each 1.5 mm long, the body broad, connate to the base of the column, with

the anterior margin a broadly triangular appendix held directly below the stigma; column stout, 1.5 mm

long, the anther dorsal and the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: cloud forest at the pass between Urrao and Carmen de Atrato, alt. 2700 m, 30 May

1995, C. Luer, J. Luer, R Escobar, L. Posada, et al. 17638 (Holotype: MO; Istoype: JAUM); same

area, alt. 2400 m, collected by J. F. Posada, F. Lopez & D. Arbelaez, Aug. 1993, flowered in cultivation

at Colomborquideas, Feb. 1994, R. Escobar 5471 (MO), C. Luer illustr. 17157.

This species occurs at a cold, wet pass between the departments of Antioquia

and Choco. It is distinguished by the thin, more or less wrinkled leaf, with a long-

acuminate apex from an obtuse blade. The medium-sized flowers are borne singly

in a congested raceme beneath the leaf. The sepals are lightly acuminate, with the

dorsal reflexed; the petals are transverse with the triangular lower lobe much

smaller than the oblong upper lobe. From a host of other large Colombian species

with mostly yellow flowers, it is most easily distinguished by the lip with narrow,

blade-like margins of erect, oblique, oblong connectives.

Lepanthes dasyura Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 18(1): 40-42, 1991.

Ety.: From the Greek dasyura , “a hairy tail,” referring to the appearance of the appendix.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots fine. Ramicauls erect, relatively stout, 2-4 cm long,

enclosed by 6-7 dark brown, ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, broadly elliptical-

ovate, obtuse, lightly acuminate, 20-33 mm long, 14-23 mm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole 3 mm

long. Inflorescence a congested, successively several-flowered raceme up to at least 5 mm long, borne

along the back surface of the leaf by a slender peduncle 12-15 mm long; floral bracts echinate, 1.5 mm

long; pedicels 2 mm long; ovary 1.2 mm long; sepals yellow, glabrous, carinate, ovate, obtuse, margins

smooth, the dorsal sepal 3 mm long, 2 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the

lateral sepals oblique, diverging, 2.75 mm long, 1.75 mm wide, connate 1.5 mm, 2-veined; petals

green, glabrous to cellular-glandular, transversely bilobed, 1 mm long, 4.5 mm wide, 1-veined, the

upper lobe suboblong with the apex oblique, truncate, acute, obtusely angled on the inner margin, the

lower lobe diverging, obliquely ovate, subacute; lip purple, minutely pubescent, bilaminate, the blades

narrowly ovate, lightly concave, with the apices narrow and incurved, the bases narrowly rounded, 1.2

mm long, the connectives cuneate, the body broad, connate to the base of the column, the sinus obtuse

with a hinged, oblong, long-pubescent appendix; column stout, 1 mm long, the anther apical, the

stigma apical.

Antioquia: Parque Nacional Natural “Las Orquideas,” Sector Venados, alt. 900 m, 7 June 1988, A.

Cogollo, J. Ramirez & O. Alvarez 3365 (Holotype: JAUM; Isotype: MO), C. Luer illustr. 14412.

This species is characterized by the broadly elliptical, shortly acuminate leaves

and a congested, long-pedicellate raceme borne along the back of the leaf. The

successive flowers have small, broadly ovate sepals; petals with diverging lower

lobes; and a lip with narrow blades with long, incurved apices and an oblong, long-

pubescent appendix hanging downward.

Lepanthes debedoutii P. Ortiz, Orquideologia 24(1): 116, 2006.

Ety.: Named in honor of Ramon de Bedout of Bogota, Colombia, collector of this species.

Plant minute, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, estimated 2-3 mm

long, enclosed by 2-3 glabrous lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, obovate, 12 mm long, 4.5

mm wide, rounded at the apex, acuminate below into a narrowly cuneate base. Inflorescence a succes¬

sively, distantly few-flowered raceme of proportionally huge flowers, borne by an erect, capillary

peduncle, 20-25 mm long; floral bract 1.5 mm long; pedicel 5 mm long; ovary 1 mm long, with low

crests; sepals translucent yellow, glabrous, concave, low-carinate, margins microscopically, sparsely

denticulate, the dorsal sepal ovate, acute, acuminate, 6 mm long, 2 mm wide, 3-veined, free from the

lateral sepals, the lateral sepals ovate, oblique, acute, shortly acuminate, diverging, 6 mm long, 3 mm

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

wide, 2-veined, connate 2 mm; petals cream, suffused with red toward the base, microscopically

pubescent, transversely bifurcate, 0.75 mm long at the bifurcation, the 2 lobes similar, linear-attenuate,

4 mm long, diverging from each other ca. 45°; lip bilobed, microscopically pubescent, cream, suffused

with rose toward the body, the lobes subtriangular with ill-defined marginal blades, each 1.5 mm long,

1.25 mm wide, the anterior angle obtusely acuminate, the posterior angle rounded with the base of the

blade, the body broad, cleft with rounded angles, connate to near the base of the column, the appendix a

minute, external, subacute angle from the midvein, between the attachment to the column and the cleft;

column 1.5 mm long, with the anther dorsal and the stigma ventral.

Cundinamarca: San Francisco, in cloud forest, alt. 2600 m, Aug. 2005, collected by R. de Bedout,

flowered in cultivation in Bogota, P. Ortiz 1248 (Holotype: HPUJ); same collection, flowered in

cultivation by R. de Bedout, 12 June 2009, L. Thoerle 131 (MO), C. Luer illustr. 21478.

This minute species, known only from one area in the Eastern Cordillera of

Colombia, is distinguished by a proportionally immense flower, borne succes¬

sively by a capillary peduncle barely above the tiny, obovate leaf. The sepals are

acuminate with the laterals shallowly connate, and the petals are bifurcated into

filiform lobes. The lip is bilobed with obliquely triangular lobes surrounding the

column. The remnant of the midlobe, the appendix, is merely an external angle

along the midvein beneath the body of the lip.

Lepanthes debilis Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 17(3): 169-172, 1988.

Ety.: From the Latin debilis , “weak,” referring to the habit of the plant.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender but thicker than the ramicauls. Ramicauls very

slender, weak, suberect, 3-6 cm long, enclosed by 7-9 thin, tightly fitting lepanthiform sheaths with

minimally dilated ostia with microscopically scabrous margins. Leaf thinly coriaceous, more or less

spreading, ovate, 25-32 mm long, 11-16 mm wide, the apex acute, long-acuminate, prominently

tridenticulate, the base cuneate into the 0.5 mm long petiole. Inflorescence a congested, distichous,

successively many-flowered raceme up to 6 mm long, borne on top of the leaf by a filiform peduncle

ca. 5 mm long; floral bracts 0.75 mm long, lightly muriculate; pedicels 1-1.25 mm long; ovary 1 mm

long; sepals translucent yellow, glabrous, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal broadly ovate, obtuse, 2.5

mm long, 2.25 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals ovate,

oblique, connate 1.5 mm into a broadly ovate synsepal 2.5 mm long, 2.5 mm wide, with the apex shal¬

lowly bifid, each 2-veined; petals orange, bilobed, 1 mm long, 3.2 mm wide, long-ciliate and long-

pubescent medially, short-pubescent toward the apices, the upper lobe obliquely subquadrate, the inner

angle of the obliquely truncate apex obtuse, the outer angle acute, the lower lobe longer, narrowly tri¬

angular, acute, lightly incurved; lip orange, bilaminate, the blades oblong with rounded ends, 1.6 mm

long, membranous, minutely ciliate, the connectives narrow, oblong, from below the middle of the

blade, the body transverse, connate to the base of the column, the appendix narrowly scaphoid with

involute margins, pubescent, lying beneath and between the lobes of the stigma; column 1 mm long,

the anther dorsal with an elongated rostellum overlying the appendix, the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Mun. El Carmen, Alto de San Lorenzo, alt. 2600 m, 17 Sep. 1984, R. Escobar, C.

Dodson & P. Dodson 3465 (Holotype: JAUM; Isotype: MO), C. Luer illustr. 11531; Guatupe, Vereda

Santa Rita, Finca Montepinar, alt. 1850 m, 3 Oct. 1986, Restrepo 52 (MO).

Vegetatively, this species seems to be weak, with the very thin ramicauls

barely able to support the leaves. This habit, however, is seen in other species as

well. The little, congested racemes lie upon the thin, long-acuminate leaves. The

flowers with thin, membranous blades of the lip are reminiscent of those of

Lepanthes mucronata and its relatives, but the petals lack a medial lobule. The

long, narrow appendix lies below and between the lobes of the stigma and extends

forward beneath the elongated rostellum.

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Lepanthes declivis Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 21(2): 142-145, 1999.

Ety.: From the Latin declivis , “steeply sloped,” referring to the labellum.

Syn.: Lepanthes caetanoae O. Perez, E. Parra & Kolan., Orquideologia 27(1): 46-54, 2010.

Ety.: In honor of Dr. Creuci Maria Caetano, of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, an

investigator of the native biodiversity.

Plant medium to large in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots very slender. Ramicauls stout, erect, 5-

11 cm long, enclosed by 10-11 brown, microscopically ciliate-scabrous lepanthiform sheaths with

oblique ostia. Leaf erect, coriaceous, ovate, acute, lightly convex, 5-6 cm long, 3-3.2 cm wide, the base

cuneate, contracted into a petiole 3-4 mm long. Inflorescence a distichous, congested, successively

many-flowered raceme, borne behind the leaf by a filiform peduncle 15-20 mm long; floral bracts

muricate, 1.5 mm long; pedicels 2-2.5 mm long; ovary 4 mm long; sepals light yellow-green, glabrous,

membranous, carinate, widely spread, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal ovate, acute, 4 mm long, 2.5

mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals ovate, oblique, 4 mm

long, 2 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 1 mm, the apices acute, acuminate, diverging; petals yellow-

orange with purple on margins, microscopically pubescent, transversely bilobed, 0.75 mm long, the

upper lobes broadly obovate, rounded at the apex, overlapping, 2.5 mm long, 1.75 mm wide, the lower

lobe triangular, 1.25 mm long, 0.75 mm wide; lip yellow-green, light brown at the base, bilaminate, the

blades microscopically ciliate, elliptical, with the bases acute and reflexed, may be abruptly so, with the

apices narrowed and recurved beneath the column, 2 mm long expanded, the connectives narrow, from

above the middle, the body connate to the base of the column, the sinus bifid, with the appendix small,

oblong, ciliate; column 1.5 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma apical.

Valle del Cauca: road between Cali and Buenaventura, collected by E. Valencia, July 1994, flow¬

ered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 3 June 1995, C. Luer 17713 (Holotype: MO); Yotoco, Alto de

Minas, Farm “Hato Viejo,” alt. 1860 m, 18 Feb. 2010, O. Perez, E. Sanchez & A. Canizales 512 (holo¬

type of L. caetanoae'. VALLE).

This species, apparently endemic in the Western Cordillera of Colombia, is

similar to the other medium to large species characterized by a congested, dis¬

tichous raceme of yellow or yellow-green flowers borne along the backside of the

leaf. From them, Lepanthes declivis is distinguished by long pedicels and ovaries,

together exceeding six millimeters in length; the large, overlapping upper lobes of

the petals; and the sloping blades of the lip with acute, reflexed bases.

Lepanthes caetanoae was described based on differences that seem to be

inconsistent with the drawing and photograph accompanying the description. The

excellent photograph shows the unusually very long pedicel and ovary combina¬

tion characteristic of L. declivis , but this is missing from both the drawing and the

description of L. caetanoae. The drawing shows a lip with the characteristic

sloping blades with decurved bases, although somewhat less decurved than in

some other specimens.

Lepanthes deficiens Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 17(3): 174-178, 1988.

Ety.: From the Latin deficiens , “wanting,” because the fragile appendix was absent from some

specimens.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 4-10 cm long,

enclosed by 8-12 long attenuate, minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, thinly coriaceous,

more or less purple-reticulate beneath, ovate, subacute, with narrowly attenuate apices, 3-4.5 cm long,

1.5-1.8 cm wide, the base broadly cuneate to rounded with a petiole 1.5 mm long. Inflorescence a con¬

gested, distichous, successively many-flowered raceme up to 10 mm long, borne on the dorsum of the

leaf by a filiform peduncle 5-15 mm long; floral bracts 1 mm long; pedicels 1.5 mm long; ovary 1.5

mm long; sepals yellow, glabrous, carinate, margins minutely denticulate, the dorsal sepal broadly

ovate-triangular, subacute, 4-5 mm long, 3.5-4.5 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1

mm, the lateral sepals ovate, oblique, acute, apices approximate, 4-5 mm long, connate 3 mm, 4-5 mm

wide together, each 2-veined; petals orange, minutely pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1 mm long, 4-

4.5 mm wide, the upper lobe suboblong-triangular, acute, more or less obtusely angled on the medial

margin, the lower lobe narrowly triangular, acute, smaller than the upper lobe; lip red-orange,

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

bilaminate, the blades minutely pubescent, ovate, with rounded apices and bases, 1.5 mm long, the

connectives cuneate, from the center of the blades, the body broad, connate to the column at the base,

convex and long-ciliate anteriorly, the appendix pedunculate, varying in size from microscopic to an

oblong, longitudinally sulcate structure, minutely ciliate; column stout, 1.5 mm long, the anther dorsal,

the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Mun. Yarumal, Alto de Yentanas, alt. 2400 m., collected by R. Escobar & E. Valencia,

14 Feb. 1984, flowered in cultivation by L. & J. Posada at Colomborquideas, 19 June 1984, R. Escobar

3270 (Holotype: MO), C. Luer illustr. 11526; epiphytic in forest remnant ca. 10 km north of Santa Rosa

de Osa, alt. 2580 m, 14 Mar. 1989, C. Luer, J. Luer, S. Dalstrom & W. Teague 14143 (MO).

Boyaca: El Taladro, collected by E. Valencia, April 1992, flowered in cultivation at Colombor¬

quideas, 5-9 May 1993, C. Luer 16729 (MO).

The flowers of Lepanthes deficiens are usually borne on the dorsum of the

ovate leaf, but occasionally the raceme is directed beneath. The sepals are broadly

ovate and minutely denticulate; the petals are pubescent and transversely bilobed;

the blades of the lip are ovate; and the appendix protrudes from a convex, pubes¬

cent body. In three of the four flowers preserved in liquid, the appendix was either

vestigial or had been detached. In one flower, an oblong, channeled appendix was

attached to the body by what appeared to be a single capillary cell.

The floral and vegetative characteristics of this species are similar to those of

Lepanthes oscillifera Luer & R. Escobar. Lepanthes oscillifera is distinguished by

a lip with an elaborate, hinged appendix, with a glabrous basal segment and a

concave, ciliate terminal segment with a bilobulate apex, while the appendix of L.

deficiens is a small, simple, channeled oblong.

Lepanthes deformis Luer & Hirtz, Orchidee (Hamburg) 38(1): 38, 1987.

Ety.: From the Latin deformis , “misshapen,” in allusion to the appearance of the lip.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, suberect, 2-6.5 cm

long, enclosed by 6-7 blackish, tightly fitting, shortly pubescent lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect in

relation to the ramicaul, brown, thickly coriaceous, broadly elliptical to subcircular, 2.5-4 cm long, 1.2-

3 cm wide, the obtuse apex shortly acuminate, the rounded base contracted into a petiole 1.5-3 mm

long. Inflorescence a very dense, distichous, successively flowered raceme up to 6 mm long, borne

beneath the leaf by a filiform peduncle 9-11 mm long; floral bracts echinate, 1 mm long; pedicels 2 mm

long; ovary 1 mm long; sepals dull yellow, glabrous, ovate, obtuse, the dorsal sepal 3.5 mm long, 2.25

mm wide, margins smooth, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals oblique,

diverging, margins minutely denticulate, 3.25 mm long, 2 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 1.5 mm; petals

yellow-orange with a red border, microscopically pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1.25 mm long, 4 mm

wide, the lobes oblong with rounded ends, the lower lobes ciliate, longer than the upper lobes; lip rosy

orange, bilaminate, the blades connate into a membranous, irregularly veined veil 1.25 mm long over

the column, the apical margin erose, the bases rounded, thickened, ciliate, the connectives oblong, con¬

nate to the base of the column, the body and sinus pubescent, protuberant with a minute, ovoid, ciliate

appendix; column 1.5 mm long, twisted to one side, the anther dorsal, the stigma apical.

Valle del Cauca: locality unknown, alt. 1900 m, flowered in cultivation by Orquideas del Valle,

12 March 1997, C. Luer 18421 (MO).

Also Ecuador (Pichincha, Holotype, C. Luer 9857 : MO; Esmeraldas), Costa Rica (Alajuela).

Several distant populations of this peculiar species have been found in relative

lowland western Ecuador, with a single representative collection known from

Colombia and a further disjunct collection from Costa Rica. Endres illustrated this

species in Costa Rica circa 1867, the only collection known from Central America.

Plants in all the populations are found to exhibit the same unusual development of

the lip. The blades are united into a thin, irregularly veined veil overlying the col¬

umn, which is twisted about 45 degrees and bent to the left.

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Lepanthes deliciasensis Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 19(2): 95-96, 1994.

Ety.: Named for Paramo de las Delicias in the department of Cauca where this species occurs.

Plant large, epiphytic, caespitose; roots coarse. Ramicauls erect, stout, 8-20 cm long, enclosed by

7-11 microscopically ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical, acute, acuminate,

7-12 cm long including the petiole 0.5-1 cm long, the blade 2-3 cm wide, cuneate below into the peti¬

ole. Inflorescence racemose, up to 6 loose, strict, secund, many-flowered racemes, several flowers

open simultaneously, up to 30 cm long including the 3-4 cm long peduncle; floral bracts oblique, 3 mm

long; pedicels 2 mm long; ovary 2.5 mm long, the ribs verrucose; sepals dark red, carinate, glabrous,

margins smooth, the dorsal sepal ovate, concave, acute, acuminate, 7 mm long, 3.25 mm wide, 3-

veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1 mm, the lateral sepals connate into a concave, ovate-triangular

synsepal with the acute apex minutely bifid, 8 mm long, 3.75 mm wide, each 2-veined; petals dark red,

minutely pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1 mm long, 3 mm wide, the lobes subtriangular, the lower

lobe smaller; lip dark red, bilaminate, the blades minutely pubescent, oblong with rounded ends, 2.5

mm long, the connectives cuneate, the body broad, connate to the column above the base, the sinus

broad, with an ovoid appendix minutely bilobulate at the apex; column 2.5 mm long, the anther dorsal,

the stigma ventral.

Cauca: Mun. Totoro, epiphytic in Paramo de las Delicias east of Popayan, alt. 3380 m, 17 Nov.

1982, C. Luer & R. Escobar 8473 (Holotype: SEL); epiphytic in cloud forest between Totoro and Inza,

Paramo de Guanacas, alt. 3150 m, 15 Nov. 1982, C. Luer & R. Escobar 8424 (SEL).

This large species is apparently endemic in the cool, moist, scrubby forests of

the Paramo de las Delicias in southern Colombia. A few long racemes produce a

profusion of dark red flowers. Several flowers are open simultaneously in each

raceme that far surpasses the leaf. The dorsal sepal and synsepal are acuminate and

concave; the petals are small and pubescent. The oblong blades of the lip are also

pubescent. The tip of the minute appendix is bifid. Both vegetatively and florally,

Lepanthes deliciasensis superficially resembles L. rhombipetala Schltr., but the

former is distinguished by the petals, with both lobes subtriangular rather than

broadly oblong; and the attachment of the lip to the column well above the base,

rather than at the base.

Lepanthes deutera Luer & Thoerle, Selbyana, 30(1): 7, 2009.

Ety.: From the Greek deuteros , “a second, of lesser quality,” implying a lip of less appeal.

Plant large, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 25-27 cm long, enclosed

by 18-19 minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, oblong-ovate, subacute, acumi¬

nate into an acute tip, 9.5-11 cm long, 3-3.8 cm wide, the rounded base contracted into a petiole 3-6

mm long. Inflorescence a congested, distichous, successively many-flowered raceme, up to 25 mm

long, borne behind the leaf by a filiform peduncle 35-50 mm long; floral bracts 1 mm long; pedicels 1

mm long; ovary 2 mm long; sepals yellow, glabrous, low-carinate, narrowly triangular, acute, slightly

acuminate, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal 8 mm long, 3 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral

sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals oblique, diverging, 7.5 mm long, 2.6 mm wide, 2-veined, connate

2.5 mm; petals transversely bilobed, 1.5 mm long, 4.5 mm wide, microscopically pubescent, the upper

lobe orange, suffused with orange-brown on the margins, oblong, obtuse, 3 mm long, 1 mm wide, the

lower lobe yellow, oblong, 1 mm wide at the junction with the upper lobe, contracted below into a

narrowly oblong lobe, 0.5 mm wide; lip orange, suffused with orange-brown, bilaminate, micro¬

scopically pubescent, the blades ovoid, convex, rounded at the ends, 2 mm long, flanking the column,

the connectives broadly cuneate, the body broad, connate to the base of the column, the sinus obtuse,

filled with a broad, triangular, membranous appendix in apposition with the column; column 1.5 mm

long, with the anther dorsal and the stigma ventral.

Choco: Carmen de Atrato, alt. 2400 m, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 3 June 1995,

R. Escobar 5347 (Holotype: MO), C. Luer illustr. 17722.

This large species, known only from one collection in the Western Cordillera

of Colombia, is vegetatively similar to Lepanthes cingens. It is distinguished from

the latter by narrowly triangular, acute, slightly acuminate sepals. The lateral

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

sepals of L. cingens are ovate and terminate in a broad, subacute tip. The petals are

similar. The blades of the lip of L. cingens are deeply concave from beneath, the

two convex blades resembling a bivalved mollusk surrounding the column and the

appendix, which is well developed, incurved, and boat-shaped. The blades of the

lip of L. deutera are merely ovate and slightly concave centrally, and the appendix

is reduced to a triangular membrane beneath the column.

Lepanthes dewildei Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 20(3): 292-294, 1997.

Ety.: Named in honor of Arend de Wilde of Pereira, Colombia, who discovered this species.

Plant small, weak, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls very slender, erect, 6-8 cm long,

enclosed by 7-8 tightly fitting, essentially glabrous lepanthiform sheaths with minimally dilated ostia.

Leaf purplish, erect, coriaceous, very narrowly ovate, acuminate, 4-5 cm long, 0.5 cm wide, the base

cuneate into a petiole ca. 1 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, distichous, successively several-flow¬

ered raceme, up to 3-4 mm long, borne on the dorsum of the leaf by a filiform peduncle 8-13 mm long;

floral bracts 1 mm long; pedicels 1 mm long; ovary 2.5 mm long; sepals translucent tan, glabrous,

margins smooth, the dorsal sepal broadly elliptical, obtuse, 3.5 mm long, 2.5 mm wide, barely 3-veined,

connate to the lateral sepals for 0.4 mm, the lateral sepals ovate, oblique, obtuse, diverging, 3 mm long,

2 mm wide, barely 2-veined, connate 1 mm; petals bright orange-crimson, ciliate, minutely pubescent,

transversely bilobed, 1 mm long, 8.5 mm wide, 3-veined, the upper lobe more or less oblong with the

apical third acuminate, the lower lobe equally long, narrowly triangular, acuminate; lip bright crimson,

bilaminate, the blades microscopically pubescent, oblong with the bases narrowly obtuse and the apices

truncate, ciliate, 2.75 mm long, the connectives short, narrow, the body narrow, connate to the base of

the column, the sinus obtuse with an oblong, retuse, concave, microscopically ciliate appendix; column

1.5 mm long, with the anther dorsal and the stigma ventral.

Choco: above San Jose del Palmar, Alto de Los Galapagos, epiphytic in cloud forest, alt. 2050 m,

13 May 1993, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar, A. de Wilde & J. Gomez 16848 (Holotype: MO); epiphytic

on thin branch, in humid secondary cloud forest, road to Valle department, alt. 2100 m, 22 Feb. 1992,

flowered in cultivation at “El Jordan,” 25 June 1992, A. de Wilde 3899 (MO).

This rare species occurs as a twig epiphyte in a wet, windy pass between the

departments of Choco and Valle del Cauca. It is distinguished by the very slender

ramicaul with tightly fitting, nondilated sheaths. In common with many similar

species, plants usually consist of only one or two ramicauls with leaves. The very

narrow, acuminate, purple leaf is more or less erect in relation to the ramicaul, and

the short, congested raceme is borne on top of the leaf. The brightly colored flower

is distinguished by proportionally large petals, considerably wider than the com¬

bined length of the sepals, with acuminate apices. The oblique lobes of the lip

obscure the lateral view of the small, oblong appendix.

Lepanthes diabolica Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 18(1): 42, 1991.

Ety.: From the Latin diabolica , “resembling a devil,” referring to the red, minutely pubescent

flowers with pointed sepals and petals.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 3-10 cm long,

enclosed by 7-13 microscopically ciliate-scabrous lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, thinly coriaceous,

elliptical, acute, with narrowly attenuate apices, 4-6.5 cm long, 1-2 cm wide, the base broadly cuneate

to rounded with a petiole 2 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, distichous, successively many-flow¬

ered raceme up to 20 mm long, borne on the dorsum of the leaf by a filiform peduncle 30-40 mm long;

floral bracts 1.5 mm long; pedicels 2.5 mm long; ovary 3.5 mm long; sepals red, minutely pubescent,

carinate, margins minutely denticulate, the dorsal sepal narrowly ovate-triangular, acute, 10.5 mm long,

3 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1 mm, the lateral sepals narrowly ovate, oblique,

diverging, acute, 10 mm long, connate 3 mm, 4.5 mm wide together, each 2-veined; petals orange,

minutely pubescent, transversely bilobed, 0.75 mm long, 4.25 mm wide, with a minute, slender, lateral

process, the upper lobe suboblong, acute, obtusely angled on the medial margin, the lower lobe nar¬

rowly triangular, acute, subequal in length; lip bilaminate, the blades yellow with a purple border,

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

minutely pubescent, elliptical with rounded apices and obtuse bases, 2 mm long, the connectives

cuneate, from the basal half of the blades, the body broad, concave centrally, convex below, connate to

the column at the base, the appendix suboblong, convex below the middle, the apex subacute, minutely

ciliate; column stout, 2 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Santander: epiphytic in cloud forest between Bucaramanga and Berlin, alt. 2700 m, 7 May 1984,

C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 10158 (Holotype: MO).

This species is easily recognized by the thin, elliptical leaves with long-atten¬

uate apices; and a very congested raceme of red flowers that are borne on the dor¬

sum of the leaf, but soon hang over the margin as the raceme lengthens. The sepals

and petals are narrowly acute and minutely pubescent, the petals with a small lat¬

eral process. The ligulate appendix protrudes from a cavity on the floor of the body

of the lip.

Lepanthes dicyrtopetala Luer & Hirtz, Selbyana, 30(1): 8, 2009.

Ety.: From the Greek dikyr tope talus, “with double-bent petals,” referring to the upper lobes.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 11-17 cm

long, enclosed by 15-17 nearly glabrous lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, thinly coriaceous, elliptical,

concave beneath, longitudinally ribbed, carinate beneath, 5-6.5 cm long, 1.5-1.8 mm wide, the apex

obtuse, acute, shortly acuminate, the base cuneate into a petiole 3 mm long. Inflorescence a congested,

successively many-flowered raceme to 12 mm long excluding the peduncle 1-3 cm long; floral bracts

1.5 mm long; pedicels 1.5 mm long; ovary 3 mm long; sepals light yellow, glabrous, the dorsal sepal

ovate, acute, margins smooth, 7 mm long, 3 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1 mm,

the lateral sepals with microscopically cellular-denticulate margins, completely connate into a sub-

circular, concave synsepal with a small, central convexity, contracted into a shortly acuminate apex, 6

mm long including the tip 1 mm long, 4.5 mm wide, each 2-veined; petals orange, red at the base,

glabrous, transversely bilobed, 1.5 mm long, 7 mm wide, 3-veined, the upper lobe erect, narrowly

oblong, acute, 5 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, bent doubly in the distal third, with a 0.2-mm long marginal

apiculum between the upper and lower lobes, the lower lobe triangular, 2 mm long, 1 mm wide at the

base, acute; lip orange, glabrous, bilaminate, the blades ovate with rounded ends, convex, 2.5 mm long,

the connectives oblong, from the middle of the blade, forming an equally broad body, connate to the

base of the column, the sinus obtuse with a membranous, oblong, pubescent appendix 1 mm long;

column stout, 2 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Colombia: without collection data, flowered in cultivation by Ecuagenera, Gualaceo, Ecuador, 11

Jan. 2004, A. Hirtz 8670 (Holotype: MO), C. Luer illustr. 21312.

This Colombian species was found in cultivation at Ecuagenera without collec¬

tion data more specific than its country of origin. The leaf is thinly coriaceous and

longer than the congested raceme borne by a longer peduncle. The dorsal sepal is

ovate and acute, while the round synsepal is acuminate into an acute tip. The elon¬

gated upper lobe of the petals is doubly bent, which at first appeared to be an arti¬

fact (and it may be), and a small marginal apiculum appears between the two

lobes. The lobes of the lip are obtuse and the appendix is membranous, oblong,

and pubescent. The apices of the upper lobes of the petals of Lepanthes urotepala

Rchb. f. are similarly crimped, but the lateral sepals are connate less than halfway.

Lepanthes didactyla Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 16(2): 137, 1984.

Ety.: From the Greek di-, “two-,” and dactylos, “a finger,” referring to the two fingerlike lobes of

the petals.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 10-25 mm long, en¬

closed by 3-5 ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical, subacute, 10-16 mm long

including the 1.5-2 mm long petiole, 5-6 mm wide, the base cuneate into the petiole. Inflorescence a

successive, distantly 2 flowered raceme ca. 2 cm long including the filiform peduncle; floral bracts 1

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

mm long; pedicels 1.25 mm long; ovary 1.25 mm long; sepals translucent tan, glabrous, ovate, acute,

carinate, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal 4 mm long, 2.75 mm wide, 3-veined, connate less than 1 mm

to the lateral sepals, the lateral sepals diverging, connate 1.5 mm, 4 mm long, 3.5 mm wide together,

each 2-veined; petals dull yellow, pubescent, bilobed-bifurcate, the lobes oblong, obtuse, 1.5 mm long,

0.3 mm wide, diverging ca. 90° from each other; lip red-purple, the blades elliptical with rounded ends,

lightly concave, pubescent, 1.2 mm long, the connectives long and narrow, the narrow body connate to

the column above the base, the sinus with a minute, triangular appendix; column 1.5 mm long, the

anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Norte de Santander: Ocana, near Agua de la Yirgen, alt. 1650 m, 4 May 1982, C. Luer, J. Luer,

R. Escobar & D. Portillo 7715 (Holotype: SEL).

This small species from the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia is recognized by

the slender, distantly two-flowered raceme slightly longer than the elliptical leaf;

pubescent, obtuse, forked petals with the upper and lower lobes separated by about

90 degrees; and the lip with pubescent blades with narrow connectives and a

minute, triangular appendix.

Lepanthes discolor Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 17(3): 183-187, 1988.

Ety.: From the Latin discolor , “of different colors,” referring to the often different colors of the

dorsal and lateral sepals.

Plant small to medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 4.5-

5.5 cm long, enclosed by 9-10 minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical,

subacute, 22-26 mm long, 10-12 mm wide, the base cuneate into the 1 mm long petiole. Inflorescence

a subdense, distichous, flexuous, successively several-flowered raceme up to 15 mm long, borne

beyond the apex of the leaf by a filiform peduncle 22-28 mm long; floral bracts 1.5 mm long; pedicels

3-4 mm long, with marginal spicules at the junction with the ovary; ovary 1 mm long, with erose wings;

sepals light yellow or orange to purple with light yellow edges, glabrous, carinate, margins smooth to

microscopically cellular-denticulate, ovate, acute, acuminate into short caudae, the dorsal sepal light

yellow to purple with light yellow edges, 6-8.5 mm long, 4-4.5 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lat¬

eral sepals for 1 mm, the lateral sepals oblique, diverging, 7-8 mm long, 2.5-3 mm wide, connate 2-2.5

mm, 2-veined; petals orange to yellow with the inner margin red, microscopically pubescent,

transversely bilobed, 1 mm long, 3 mm wide, the upper lobe oblong with the apex rounded, the lower

lobe slightly smaller, triangular, narrowly obtuse; lip yellow suffused with red, bilaminate, the blades

flat, microscopically pubescent, elliptical-oblong, with the apices narrowly obtuse and the bases

rounded, 1.2 mm long, the connectives from below the middle, short, cuneate, oblong, the body narrow,

connate to the base of the column, the appendix a tonguelike flap, ciliate, concave, biglandular at the

apex; column 1.5 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Mun. Urrao, Pabon, Las Cruces, alt. 2400 m, collected by E. Valencia, 23 May 1984,

flowered in cultivation by L. & J. Posada at Colomborquideas, 6 Aug. 1984, R. Escobar 3359

(Holotype: JAUM; Isotypes: COL, MO), C. Luer illustr. 11527; Jardin, Pueblo Rico, R. Escobar 5385

(MO), C. Luer illustr. 17158; epiphytic in cloud forest north of the pass between Urrao and Carmen de

Atrato, alt. 2500 m, 30 May 1995, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar, L. Moreno de Posada, G. Arteaga, B.

&F. Lopez 17662 (MO).

Narino: Vereda San Miguel, Rio Negrito, alt 2490 m, 13 July 1989, S. Hoyos, M. & M. Avendano

1272 (HUA).

Also Panama (Chiriqui).

Lepanthes discolor is known from widely separated localities in Colombia,

with an additional disjunct collection from Panama. The dense, flexuous raceme

extends beyond the elliptical leaf, and is distinguished by long pedicels with con¬

spicuously spiculate margins at the junction with the ovaries. The flowers are

colorful, with acute and acuminate sepals, the dorsal often a different color than

the lateral sepals; the bilobed petals are small and obtuse; the blades of the lip are

oblong with short connectives; and the moderately large appendix is hinged, con¬

cave, ciliate, and terminates in a biglandular segment.

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Lepanthes dodsonii Luer, Phytologia 54(5): 340, 1983.

Ety.: Named in honor of Calaway H. Dodson, investigator of the flora of Ecuador, who discovered

this species.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 15-30 mm long,

enclosed by 8-12 ciliate lepanthiform sheaths, widely dilated at the ostia. Leaf erect, coriaceous,

pubescent-ciliate, reticulate-rugose, the elevated veins red on green, ovate-cordate, obtuse, 15-18 mm

long, 13-17 mm wide, the base broadly cordate, abruptly contracted into a petiole 1 mm long. Inflores¬

cence a congested, successively flowered raceme up to 5 mm long, borne by a filiform peduncle 6 mm

long, on the dorsum of the leaf; floral bracts 1 mm long; pedicels 1.5 mm long; ovary 1 mm long,

ciliate on the ribs; sepals green or yellow with green, often suffused with red centrally, glabrous,

carinate-ciliate along the veins externally, margins denticulate, the dorsal sepal broadly ovate, obtuse,

shortly acuminate, 5 mm long, 3.25 mm wide, 3-veined, connate 1 mm to the lateral sepals, the lateral

sepals ovate, oblique, connate 2 mm, 6 mm long, 4 mm wide together, each 2-veined, acuminate into

abruptly everted caudae; petals green, pubescent, transversely bilobed, 0.8 mm long, 4.5 mm wide, the

upper lobe oblong, acute, the lower lobe smaller, narrowly triangular, acute; lip red, bilaminate, the

blades narrowly oblong, 1.75 mm long, obtusely angled on the inner margin below the apex, minutely

ciliate, the connectives short, cuneate, from the posterior portion of the blade, the body narrow, connate

to the base of the column, the appendix small, flat, oblong, obtuse, ciliate; column 1.5 mm long, the

anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Parque Nacional Natural “Las Orquideas,” Sector Calles, margen izquierda del rio

Calles, 1 km arriba de la confluencia de los rios Polo y Calles, alt. 1460 m, 11 Feb. 1989, A. Cogollo,

D. Cardenas & O. Alvarez 3870 (MO).

Risaralda: Alto de La Linea above Pueblo Rico, alt. 2100 m, R. Escobar 5311, flowered in

cultivation at Colomborquideas, 5-9 May 1993, C. Luer 16641 (MO).

Also Ecuador (El Oro, Holotype, C. H. Dodson et al. 8475 : SEL; Esmeraldas; Imbabura).

This species is uncommon but widely distributed in Ecuador and Colombia. It

is easily distinguished by the bluntly cordate, rugose-pubescent leaves, often with

red veins. Borne on top of the leaf, the flower is green or yellow with green, with

denticulate sepals with diverging, acuminate apices; narrow, pubescent petals; and

a lip with narrow, angled blades and a ciliate, oblong appendix.

Lepanthes dolabrata Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 20(3): 294-295, 1997.

Ety.: From the Latin dolabratus , “shaped like an axe,” referring to the petals.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls very slender, weak, erect, 2.5-5.5 cm

long, enclosed by 8-9 microscopically scabrous, tightly fitting lepanthiform sheaths with acuminate

apices. Leaf spreading, thinly coriaceous, narrowly ovate, acute, long-acuminate, 30-40 mm long, 8-13

mm wide, the base cuneate, contracted into a petiole less than 1 mm long. Inflorescence a congested,

secund, successively many-flowered raceme up to 7 mm long, borne on top of the leaf by a filiform

peduncle 7-18 mm long; floral bracts 1 mm long; pedicels 2-2.5 mm long; ovary 1.5 mm long; sepals

translucent light tan, glabrous, membranous, carinate, widely spread, margins microscopically den¬

ticulate, the dorsal sepal broadly ovate, obtuse, 4.5-5 mm long, 3.5-4 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the

lateral sepals for 1.5 mm, the lateral sepals broadly ovate, oblique, diverging, obtuse, 4-4.5 mm long,

connate 1.5 mm into a bifid synsepal 4.5-5 mm wide, each 2-veined; petals brown, microscopically

cellular, transversely bilobed, 0.5 mm long, 5 mm wide, the upper lobe oblong, obliquely truncate, 3

mm long, 1.5 mm wide, the lower lobe narrowly oblong, with the end rounded, 2.5 mm long, 0.5 mm

wide; lip brown, bilaminate, the blades microscopically pubescent, elliptical-ovate, with rounded ends,

2 mm long, the apex ciliate, the connectives cuneate, the body connate to the base of the column, the

sinus obtuse, with a minute, ovate, membranous appendix; column 1.5 mm long, the anther dorsal and

the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: in cloud forest near the Urrao-Carmen de Atrato pass, alt. 2700 m, 30 May 1995, C.

Luer, J. Luer. R. Escobar, et al. 17642 (Holotype: MO); same area, R. Escobar, W. Teague, et al., 12

December 1994, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 23 May 1995, C. Luer 17533 (MO).

This species, known only from one mountain pass in the Western Cordillera of

Colombia, is similar to Lepanthes cerambyx , a species known from the Central

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

Cordillera. Vegetatively, the plants of the two species are indistinguishable,

sharing weak, very slender ramicauls and leaves with long-acuminate apices. The

flowers of both species have ovate, obtuse sepals, although those of L. cerambyx

are smaller and smooth-margined. The similar upper lobes of the petals are

obliquely truncate. The blades of the lips of these species are also similar, but the

appendix of L. dolabrata is merely a minute, pubescent lobule, while that of L.

cerambyx is a concave, pedunculate structure.

Lepanthes dryades Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 53(9): 918-920,

1984.

Ety.: Named for the Dryads, tree nymphs of Greek mythology.

Plant small, weak, caespitose; roots filiform. Ramicauls slender, erect to horizontal, 2-6 cm

long, enclosed by 7-9 close, minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect or horizontal in

relation to the ramicaul, coriaceous, purplish beneath, ovate, acute, lightly acuminate, 20-40 mm

long, 8-14 mm wide, the base cuneate into a 1 mm long petiole. Inflorescence a congested, suc¬

cessively flowered raceme up to 5 mm long, borne on top of the leaf by a filiform peduncle 8-12

mm long; floral bracts 1 mm long; pedicels 1.5-2 mm long; ovary 1.5 mm long; sepals yellow-

orange or brown, glabrous, margins minutely denticulate, the dorsal sepal ovate-triangular, acute,

5 mm long, 4 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1.25 mm, the lateral sepals

connate 2.5 mm into an ovate synsepal with the acute apex bifid, apices diverging slightly, 5 mm

long, 4.5 mm wide, each 2-veined; petals yellow, orange, brown to red-brown, minutely pubes¬

cent, transversely 3-lobed, 1 mm long, 4-5 mm wide, the middle lobe a slender process of

varying lengths, from the outer margin near the middle, the upper lobe oblong-oblique to

triangular-oblique, broadly to narrowly obtuse or truncate, the lower lobe narrowly triangular; lip

orange-brown or purple-brown, the blades thin, oblong-lunate, 1.6 mm long, with the ends

rounded, minutely ciliate, lightly adherent medially over the column, the connectives broadly

cuneate forming a broad, thick body connate to the base of the column, the body with a central

cavity and a protuberant, pubescent sinus with a deflexed, ligulate appendix; column stout, 1.5

mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Santander: Mun. Velez, epiphytic in cloud forest, Quebrada Segundo Santamaria

between Velez and Landazuri, alt. 2150 m, 4-5 May 1984, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E.

Valencia 10137 (Holotype: MO; Isotype: SEL); same collection, flowered in cultivation at

Colomborquideas, El Retiro, R. Escobar 3250 (COL, JAUM); same area, alt. 2000 m, 4-5 May

1984 C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 100119, 10137, 10139, 10143, 10148, 10149

(MO).

This little species is locally abundant, and varies in flower color and the

shape and length of the lobes of the petals. It is distinguished by the thick

body of the lip with a central cavity and a comparatively large, deflexed,

pubescent appendix. The shorter sepals of the similar Lepanthes foveata Luer

6 R. Escobar are smooth-margined; the lobes of the petals are subequal in

length; and the blades of the lip are pubescent, supported by narrow

connectives forming a narrow body with an equally well developed cavity.

Lepanthes dumbo Luer, Selbyana, 30(1): 9, 2009.

Ety.: Named for Dumbo, for the elephant-eared blades of the lip.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 5.5 cm long,

enclosed by ca. 8 microscopically ciliate, close lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, ovate, acute,

rounded at the base, 3.5 cm long, 1.5 cm wide. Inflorescence 1-2 congested, successively few-

flowered racemes, to 8 mm long, borne on the dorsum of the leaf by capillary peduncles 8-18

mm long; floral bracts oblique, acute, 1.5 mm long; pedicels 1.5 mm long; ovary 1 mm long;

sepals white, glabrous, broadly ovate, obtuse, shortly acuminate, subcarinate along the veins,

margins minutely ciliate, the dorsal sepal 4.25 mm long, 3.5 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the

lateral sepals for 1.5 mm, the lateral sepals oblique, diverging, 4 mm long, each 2.5 mm wide, 2-

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

veined, connate 2.5 mm into a bifid synsepal 5 mm wide; petals bright purple, transversely

bilobed, 1 mm long, 4.5 mm wide, 3-veined, the upper lobe oblong, obliquely incurved at the

apex, 2 mm long, 1 mm wide, the lower lobe narrowly triangular, acute, 2.5 mm long, 1 mm

wide at the base; lip bright purple, microscopically pubescent, bilaminate, the blades 2 mm long,

broadly elliptical below the middle, 1.5 mm wide, contracted above the middle and oblong, 0.5

mm wide, overlying the column, with connectives 1.5 mm broad, forming an equally broad

body, connate to the column at the base, the appendix minute, in contact with the stigma;

column semiterete, slender, 2 mm long, with the anther dorsal and the stigma ventral.

Narino: collected by J. L. Aguirre, flowered in cultivation by J & L Orchids, Easton,

Connecticut, May 2001, J & L s.n. (Holotype: MO), C. Luer illustr. 19918.

This small species from southernmost Colombia is best distinguished by

the shape of the blades of the lip. The flowers are produced successively by

two simultaneous peduncles of unequal length on the dorsum of the leaf. The

broad sepals are white and the petals and lip are bright purple. The blades of

the lip overlying the column are transversely elliptical below the middle and

contracted into narrow apical portions about a quarter the size above the

middle. Viewed laterally, the shape is not obvious. The connectives and body

are unusually broad, with a minute appendix in contact with the stigma.

Lepanthes dunstervilleorum Foldats, Acta. Bot. Venez. 3: 333, 1968.

Ety.: Named in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Dunsterville, indefatigable collectors of Venezuelan orchids.

Syn.: Lepanthes hispida Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 16: 146, 1984.

Ety.: From the Latin hispidus , “hispid,” referring to the particularly coarsely pubescent sheaths of

the ramicauls of the clone described.

Plant medium to large in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect, stout, 5-18 cm

long, enclosed by 10-16 ciliate (sometimes coarsely) lepanthiform sheaths with dilated ostia. Leaf

erect, often suffused with purple beneath, coriaceous, elliptical-ovate, subacute, acuminate, 3-8 cm

long, 1.5-4 cm wide, the base broadly cuneate or rounded, contracted into a petiole 3-5 mm long. Inflo¬

rescence a congested, distichous, successively many-flowered raceme up to 20 mm long, borne behind

the leaf by a filiform peduncle 10-20 mm long, up to 3 flowers open simultaneously; floral bracts 1.5-2

mm long; pedicels 1-1.5 mm long; ovary 2 mm long; sepals light yellow to greenish white, sometimes

suffused with light purple, carinate, glabrous, margins minutely denticulate, the dorsal sepal ovate,

subacute, acuminate, 6-8 mm long, 3-4.5 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5-1

mm, the lateral sepals oblique, ovate, subacute to obtuse, acuminate, diverging, 6-8 mm long, 2.5-3.5

mm wide, connate 2-3 mm, 2-veined; petals yellow, suffused with red, brown or purple, minutely

pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1-1.5 mm long, 3.5-4.5 mm wide, the upper lobe oblong with the apex

variable from rounded to contracted on the medial half, the lower lobe obtusely triangular, shorter than

the upper lobe, often with a small, subacute to obtuse marginal angle between the lobes; lip rose to red-

brown, bilaminate, the blades pubescent, oblong with rounded ends, 1.7-2 mm long, the connectives

broadly cuneate, the body broad, connate to the base of the column, the sinus obtuse with the appendix

more or less oblong with modifications, long-pubescent; column stout, 1.5 mm long, the anther apical

and the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Mun. Jardin, Alto de Ventanas, alt. 2800 m, 26 May 1983, flowered in cultivation at

Colomborquideas, 13 Jan. 1984, R. Escobar 3193 (SEL), C. Luer illustr. 9493.

Norte de Santander: epiphytic in cloud forest, Alto de Mefue, north of Toledo, alt. 2600 m, 12

May 1984, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 10293 (MO).

Santander: epiphytic in cloud forest between Santa Barbara and Guaca, alt. 2850 m, 14 May 1982,

C. Luer & R. Escobar 7862 (SEL).

Cundinamarca: epiphytic in cloud forest above Gutierrez, south of Bogota, alt. 2700 m, 19 May

1984, C. Luer et al. 10373 (MO).

Tolima: epiphytic in cloud forest of the southern slopes of Nevado de Tolima, alt. 2930 m, 21 Apr.

1982, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & D. Portillo 7503 (holotype ofL. hispida : SEL).

Quindio: Alto La Linea, alt. 2800 m, collected by E. Valencia, 1990, flowered in cultivation at

Colomborquideas, 2 Jan. 1993, R. Escobar 5189 (MO)

Cauca: Paramo de Barbillas, alt. 3070 m, 27 July 1978, C. Luer & R. Escobar 3018 (SEL).

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

Also Venezuela (Tachira, Holotype, J. A. Steyermark et al. 98525 : VEN), Ecuador (Morona-

Santiago).

Lepanthes dunstervilleorum is relatively frequent and widely distributed from

Venezuela into Ecuador. It is variable in size, but most variable in the shape of the

petals. The illustration published by Foldats with his description accurately reflects

some of the forms encountered. The petals are relatively small with an oblong

upper lobe that varies from obtuse to contracted medially into a short lobule; the

lower lobe is obliquely triangular; and often a marginal angle exists between the

lobes. Otherwise, the sepals are minutely denticulate and subacute-acuminate, and

the blades of the lip are oblong and pubescent. The pubescent, ovoid appendix is

modified in various ways throughout the range.

Lepanthes echidion Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 16(2): 139, 1984.

Ety.: From the Greek echidion , “a little snake,” in allusion to the fancied appearance of the flower.

Plant very small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots coarse for the plant. Ramicauls slender, erect, 5-15

mm long, enclosed by 3-5 ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical, margined, 5-

10 mm long, 4-7 mm wide, the apex obtuse to rounded, apiculate, the base rounded, contracted into a

petiole 1 mm long. Inflorescence a loose, successively few-flowered raceme up to 30 mm long

including the filiform peduncle up to 13 mm long; floral bracts 1 mm long, echinate; pedicels 1 mm

long; ovary 0.5 mm long, echinate; sepals glabrous, acute, acuminate, caudate, carinate, margins

denticulate, the dorsal sepal ovate, concave, 6.5 mm long, 3 mm wide expanded, 3-veined, connate to

the lateral sepals for 0.75 mm, the lateral sepals narrowly triangular, the outer halves yellow, the inner

halves white, diverging, 7 mm long, 1 mm wide, lightly 2-veined, connate 1 mm; petals red-brown,

microscopically pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1 mm long, 3 mm wide, both lobes oblong with

rounded ends, the upper lobe broader; lip red-brown, microscopically pubescent, the blades narrowly

oblong with narrowly rounded ends, ciliate medially, 2.5 mm long, the connectives short, cuneate, the

appendix oblong, 1 mm long, incurved, concave, densely ciliate externally; column 1.5 mm long, the

anther dorsal with a large, peltate cap, the stigma ventral.

Norte de Santander: Mun. Toledo, Alto de Santa Inez, epiphytic in cloud forest, alt. 1880 m, 23-

24 May 1982, C. Luer, R. Escobar & D. Portillo 7953 (Holotype: SEL); same area, alt. 2100 m, 13

May 1984, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 10307 (MO, JAUM); same collection, flowered

in cultivation by L. & J. Posada at Colomborquideas, El Retiro, 5 July 1984, R Escobar 3278 (COL,

JAUM).

This minute species has been found in two different but nearby areas on two

trips to Alto de Santa Inez, the flowers varying little. Lepanthes echidion is charac¬

terized by the few-flowered raceme twice as long as the little leaves. The caudate

sepals are serrulate and echinate along the carinate veins; the petals are trans¬

versely bilobed and obtuse; the blades of the lip surpass the short column; and the

appendix curves up to associate with the stigma. It is superficially similar to the

larger Lepanthes schizix Luer from northern Ecuador, but the lateral sepals of the

latter are much longer, reaching a length of ten millimeters including the three-

millimeter long tails, and the blades of the lip are subequal to the column in length.

Lepanthes ectopa Luer, Selbyana, 30(1): 9, 2009.

Ety.: From the Greek ectopos , “strange,” referring to the unusual floral parts.

Plant small, weak, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls very slender, erect, 3-4.5 cm

long, enclosed by 9-10 minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths with oblique ostia. Leaf erect, thinly

coriaceous, suffused with purple beneath, elliptical, acute, long acuminate, 27-32 mm long, 7-8 mm

wide dry, the base cuneate into a petiole 1-1.5 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, distichous, succes¬

sively flowered raceme, borne behind the leaf by a filiform peduncle 9 mm long; floral bracts 2 mm

long; pedicels 2 mm long; ovary curved, 2 mm long; sepals membranous, glabrous, the dorsal sepal

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

translucent, suborbicular, inflated, deeply concave, 6 mm long, 5 mm wide unexpanded, 5-veined,

margins minutely ciliate, connate to the lateral sepals for ca. 1 mm, the lateral sepals connate to near the

middle into a bifid synsepal with acute apices, 6 mm long, 3.5 mm wide, each 2-veined, margins

smooth; petals red-violet, transversely bilobed, 1 mm long, 5 mm wide, the upper lobe narrowly

oblong, 1.5 mm long, 0.3 mm wide, minutely pubescent, with a short-acuminate marginal process

opposite the midvein, the lower lobe acute, long-attenuate, 3.5 mm long; lip red-violet, pubescent,

bilaminate, the blades narrowly oblong, acute, carinate, 2.5 mm long, the connectives broadly oblique,

the body thick, triangular, protruding downward, connate to the column about the middle, the appendix

a few hairs at the tip of the protruding body; column terete, 1.5 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma

ventral.

Valle del Cauca: El Cairo, Cerro del Ingles, Serrania Paraguas, alt. 2200 m, 8 Nov. 1997, P. A.

Silverstone-Sopkin et al. 7967 (Holotype: CUVC; Isotype: MO), C. Luer illustr. 21258.

This little species, apparently endemic in the Western Cordillera of southern

Colombia, is characterized by very slender ramicauls bearing long-acuminate

leaves. A proportionally large flower is borne in a raceme shorter than the leaf.

The dorsal sepal is deeply inflated while the smaller lateral sepals are semiconnate.

The petals with long-attenuated lower lobes and the lip with a large, protruding tri¬

angular body are similar to those of Lepanthes skeleton Luer & R. Escobar.

Lepanthes skeleton is differentiated by the long-pedicellate raceme, borne by an

elongated peduncle; denticulate lateral sepals connate nearly to the tips; and petals

with three narrowly linear lobes.

Lepanthes edwardsii Ames, Bot. Mus. Leafl., 1(4): 4, 1933.

Ety.: Named in honor of J. B. Edwards who discovered this species.

Plant very small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender, but comparatively coarse. Ramicauls

slender, erect, 8-10 mm long, enclosed by 3-4 closely fitting, minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths.

Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical, obtuse, 8-10 mm long, 4-5 mm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole 1

mm long. Inflorescence a loose, successively few-flowered raceme up to 5 mm long, borne beyond the

leaf by a filiform peduncle 10-15 mm long; floral bract muricate, 1 mm long; pedicel 0.5 mm long;

ovary 0.5 mm long; sepals yellow, lightly suffused with brown, rarely “purplish,” glabrous, widely

spread, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal ovate, concave, 5 mm long, 2.5 mm wide expanded, the apex

subacute, contracted into a cauda 1 mm long, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the

lateral sepals narrowly ovate, oblique, 5 mm long, 1.6 mm wide, 2-veined, the apices acute,

approximate, lightly recurved to incurved and overlapping, contracted into a cauda 1 mm long, connate

1 mm; petals microscopically pubescent, convex, transversely bilobed, 1 mm long, 2 mm wide, the

upper lobe obliquely oblong-ovate with apex rounded, the lower lobe much shorter, yellow-white,

semicircular; lip yellow-white, bilaminate, the blades microscopically pubescent, narrowly falcate, with

the acute apices incurved, 2.5 mm long, the connectives narrow, from below the middle of the blade,

the body narrow, connate to the base of the column, the appendix minute, triangular, inflexed; column

0.75 mm long, the anther apical, the stigma ventral.

Choco: Planta epifita muy escasa solo se han encontrado 2 ejemplares en bosque secondario en

‘totumo y ciruelo’ a nivel del mar, July 1988, G. Misas Urreta 74 (HPUJ).

Also Honduras (Comayagua, Holotype, J. B. Edwards 96: AMES), Guatemala (Alta Verapaz),

Nicaragua (Jinotega), Costa Rica (Heredia).

Endres sent this species to Reichenbach with detailed illustrations and descrip¬

tions with the proposed names Lepanthes elegans and L. hookeriana , but

inexplicably, it remained unpublished until it was described much later by Ames

from a collection from Honduras. It is found locally but widely distributed from

Guatemala into Costa Rica with a disjunct collection in Choco, Colombia, where

the collector noted that it is very rare. It is distinguished by the very small size of

the plant with elliptical leaves; a loose raceme of comparatively large flowers,

surpassing the leaf by about twice its length; flowers with ovate sepals with one-

millimeter-long tails; oblique, transversely ovate, obtuse petals, with a much

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

smaller lower lobe; and a lip with narrowly falcate blades and a short, triangular,

incurved appendix.

Lepanthes edwardsii is similar to the exclusively Central American L.

johnsonii Ames, with petals and lip close in both size and shape. The sepals of L.

johnsonii are twice the length of those of L. edwardsii and usually purple in color.

Ames notes a single specimen of L. edwardsii as having sepals “which, except for

a yellowish tinge at base, are purplish rather than yellow.”

Lepanthes effusa Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 14: 126, 1915.

Ety.: From the Latin effusus , “spread out,” referring to the loose inflorescence.

Syn.: Lepanthes millei Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 14: 127, 1915.

Ety.: Named in honor of Father Louis Mille of Quito, Ecuador, who collected this species.

Plant small to medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect, slender, 2-8

cm long, enclosed by 5-8 minutely ciliate-scabrous lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, often

suffused with purple beneath, elliptical, obtuse, 1.5-3.5 cm long, 0.5-1.7 cm wide, the base cuneate into

a petiole 3-4 mm long. Inflorescence a loose, flexuous, successively several- to many-flowered raceme

up to 22 cm long including the slender peduncle 1-5 cm long; floral bracts 0.75-1.75 mm long; pedicels

1-2 mm long; ovary 1-1.5 mm long; sepals yellow, orange, orange-brown, red-brown, or brown, gla¬

brous, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal triangular, concave below the middle, acute, 5-10 mm long, 3-

5.5 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1-1.5 mm, the lateral sepals connate to near the

apices into an ovate, acute, bifid synsepal, 4.75-11 mm long, 3-6 mm wide, each 2-veined; petals

yellow with purple on margins or base, minutely pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1-1.5 mm long, 3.75-

4.75 mm wide, the lobes oblong, obtuse, oblique, the lower lobe smaller; lip yellow, suffused with

purple, bilaminate, the blades oblong with the ends rounded, more or less concave, minutely ciliate,

1.3-2 mm long, the connectives narrow, obliquely backward from the base of the blade to the base of

the column, the body narrow, the appendix minute, triangular; column terete, 1 mm long, the anther

apical, the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Urrao, Paramo de Frontino, El Rio, alt. 3120 m, 7 Apr. 1989, R. Callejas, J. Betancur,

O. Escobar &J. Quintero 7795, 7817 (HUA).

Cundinamarca: above Chia, northeast of Bogota, alt. 2780 m, 15 May 2007, flowered in cultiva¬

tion, June 2009, by Arturo Carrillo 086-B, L. Thoerle 103 (MO).

Also Ecuador (Pichincha, Holotype of L. effusa , L. Sodiro 25 destroyed at B, Neotype designated

by C. Luer [1996b: 74] A. Hirtz 2057 : MO; holotype of L. millei , L. Mille 8 destroyed at B, Neotype

designated by C. Luer [2010: 154], L. A. Mille 8: QPLS; Carchi; Imbabura; Bolivar; Tungurahua;

Chimborazo; Morona-Santiago; Azuay).

This species occurs locally and frequently on both sides of the Andes of Ecua¬

dor, continuing into southern and central Colombia. It is characterized by elliptical

leaves and relatively large flowers borne in a loose, flexuous raceme. The size of

the plant, the length of the inflorescence, and the size of the flowers vary consider¬

ably. Sometimes the tip of an entire raceme with small flowers barely surpasses the

leaf, but usually the raceme does not begin to bear flowers until it has lengthened

beyond the leaf. Simultaneously, Schlechter described a small-flowered form as

Lepanthes millei following a description of a larger-flowered form as L. effusa. His

illustrations show what appear to be two very different species, but there are many

intermediates between these extremes, creating a continuum, and we believe they

are conspecific. The illustrations of L. millei in Dunsterville and Garay’s

Venezuelan Orchids Illustrated and Foldats’s Orchidaceae in Flora de Venezuela

show L. glochidea Fuer.

The flowers of Lepanthes effusa are distinguished by an acute dorsal sepal and

a similar but shortly bifid synsepal. The lobes of the petals are narrowly oblong

and opposite. The blades of the lip are oblong and borne by narrow, obliquely

backward connectives from their bases. Similar species are known from Colombia:

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

L. marthae Luer & R. Escobar is most easily distinguished by the dilated base of

the column, with the lip and the petals connate above the base; and L. tamaensis

Foldats by its lip with thick, cuneate connectives.

Lepanthes elata Rchb. f., Beitr. Orchid.-K.C. Amer. 90-91, 1866.

Ety.: From the Latin elatus , “tall,” referring to the habit of the plant.

Syn.: Lepanthes oteroi Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 22(1): 42-45, 2001.

Ety.: Named in honor of Joel Tupac Otero of the University of del Valle, Cali, Colombia, who

discovered this species.

Plant medium to large in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots coarse. Ramicauls stout, erect, 10-30 cm

long, enclosed by 9-17 shortly ciliate lepanthiform sheaths with oblique ostia. Leaf erect, coriaceous,

elliptical to broadly elliptical, 5-13 cm long, 2-5.5 cm wide, the apex obtuse, shortly acuminate, the

base rounded to cuneate, contracted into a petiole 3-4 mm long. Inflorescence a dense, distichous, suc¬

cessively many-flowered raceme up to 4 cm long, borne behind the leaf by a filiform peduncle 2-4 cm

long; floral bracts oblique, 2 mm long; pedicels 1-1.5 mm long; ovary 2-3 mm long; sepals yellow,

glabrous, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal ovate-triangular, acute, 9-10 mm long, 3.75-4.5 mm wide, 3-

veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1-1.5 mm, the lateral sepals ovate, subacute, acuminate,

oblique, diverging, 9-10 mm long, 3.75-4.25 mm wide, connate 2.5 mm, 2-veined; petals yellow-

orange with a red border, minutely pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1.25-1.5 mm long, 3-5 mm wide, 3-

veined, the lobes oblong, oblique, with rounded ends, the upper lobes larger and more or less over¬

lapping above the column; lip yellow, suffused with rose, bilaminate, the blades microscopically

pubescent, oblong-ovate with rounded ends, 2 mm long, the connectives cuneate, the body connate to

the base of the column, the sinus obtuse, with a small, pedunculated, pubescent appendix; column

stout, 1.5-2 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Alto de Cuevas, alt. 2000 m, collected April 1982 (C. Luer 8991), flowered in cultiva¬

tion at Colomborquideas, 29 April 1984, C. Luer 10039 (MO); Frontino, in disturbed wet/very wet

montane vegetation, km 15.5 of road Nutibara-Murri, alt. 1830 m, 22 Sep. 1987, J. L. Zarucchi, A. E.

Brant & C. J. Castaho 5636 (MO); San Luis, Vereda Choco, alt. 1600 m, collected by E. Valencia,

1987, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 18 March 1989, JM 109, C. Luer 14219 (MO); Alto

de Cuevas, collected by E. Valencia, December 1990, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 16

May 1993-19 May 1993, C. Luer 16866 (MO).

Norte de Santander: epiphytic in cloud forest, Alto de Santa Inez, alt. 2100 m, 13 May 1984, C.

Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 10318 (MO).

Valle del Cauca: Cali, Finca El Diamante, alt. 1900 m, 28 Mar. 1992, J. T. Otero 129 (MO); same

area, 10 Oct. 1992, J. T. Otero 274 (holotype of L. oteroi'. CUVC; isotype: MO), C. Luer illustr. 18459.

Narino: Ricaurte, trail from La Planada to Pielapialt, alt. 1600-1800 m, 22 July 1988, A. Gentry,

O. de Benavides, C. Samper, P. Velasquez & B. Ramirez 63634 (MO).

Also Costa Rica (s. loc., Holotype, H. Wendland 844\ W; Alajuela; Heredia; Limon; Cartago; San

Jose; Puntarenas) and Panama (Chiriqui).

This large species occurs relatively frequently throughout Costa Rica, Panama

and Colombia. It was first found by Wendland at Desengano, a source of several

other collections described by Reichenbach. Endres made numerous collections,

but little data about these collections survive. Large leaves, more or less suberect

and convex, are borne by tall, robust ramicauls. Relatively large, yellow flowers

are produced in a dense raceme along the concave back surface of the leaf. The

sepals are glabrous and acute with smooth margins; the oblong upper lobes of the

petals overlap above the column and lip; the blades of the lip are ovate; and the

appendix is minute and pedunculate. Lepanthes elata closely resembles some of

the larger plants of L. monitor , with which it grows sympatrically in parts of

Colombia, but the upper lobe of the petals of the latter is distinguished by

narrowed, everted apices.

A very robust form with lateral sepals more abruptly contracted into short tails

was described as Lepanthes oteroi.

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

Lepanthes elephantina Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 16(2): 141, 1984.

Ety.: From the Latin elephant inns, “of ivory or an elephant,” referring to the tusklike blades of the

lip.

Plant medium to large, epiphytic, caespitose; roots coarse. Ramicauls stout, erect, 5-19 cm long,

enclosed by 7-12 minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, suffused with purple

beneath, elliptical, 3.5-6 cm long, 1.7-2.6 cm wide, the apex obtuse, contracted into a narrow, apical

segment 1-1.5 cm long, mucronate, the base rounded, contracted into a petiole 3-4 mm long. Inflores¬

cence a congested, distichous, successively many-flowered raceme up to 3.5 cm long, borne behind the

leaf by a slender peduncle 1-1.5 cm long; floral bracts 1.5 mm long; pedicels 1 mm long; ovary 2 mm

long; sepals purple, edged in yellow, glabrous, margins denticulate, the dorsal sepal concave, ovate-tri¬

angular, acute, acuminate, 7.5 mm long, 4.5 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1.5

mm, the lateral sepals narrowly triangular, oblique, acute, diverging, 8 mm long, 2.25 mm wide,

connate 1 mm, 2-veined; petals bright rose, minutely pubescent, transversely bilobed, 0.8 mm long, 4

mm wide, the upper lobe narrowly oblong, obtuse, angled outward, the lower lobe very short,

subquadrate, truncate; lip bright rose, bilaminate, the blades glabrous, narrowly ovate, acute, narrowly

acuminate, incurved, 3 mm long, obtuse at the base, the connectives narrowly cuneate, from the center

of the blades, the body narrow, connate to the column near the base, the sinus obtuse, traversed by a

broad membrane with a minute, slender, clavate, pubescent appendix; column stout, 2 mm long, the

anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Narino: east slopes of Volcan Galeras, alt. 3200 m, 21 Jan, 1979, C. Luer & J. Luer 3470 (Holo-

type: SEL).

Putumayo: epiphytic in scrub forest in the paramo between La Cocha and Sibundoy, alt. 3000 m,

26 Jan. 1987, C. Luer, J. Luer, C. H. Dodson, O. de Benavides, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 12524 (MO).

Also Ecuador (Imbabura, Bolivar, Tungurahua).

All known collections of Lepanthes elephantina have come from high altitudes

in southern Colombia and neighboring Ecuador, the lowest being 3000 meters.

This species is characterized by a sturdy plant bearing congested racemes shorter

than the purple, elliptical leaves that are abruptly contracted into a narrow apical

segment. The sepals are acute and denticulate. The upper lobes of the petals are

erect, narrowly oblong, and protruding, while the much smaller lower lobes are

very short and broad. The blades of the lip are narrowly ovate with attenuated

apices that more or less curve up, resembling minute elephant tusks.

Lepanthes elongata Luer & Hirtz, Lindleyana 2(2): 99, 1987.

Ety.: From the Latin elongatus , “elongated,” referring to the length of the ramicauls, inflorescence

and upper lobes of the petals.

Plant medium to large in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender to stout,

erect, 8-23 cm long, enclosed by 8-13 closely fitting, microscopically ciliate-scabrous lepanthiform

sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, narrowly ovate, acute, 4-9 cm long, 1-1.7 cm wide, the base cuneate

into a petiole 5-10 mm long. Inflorescence a loose, flexible, strict, successively many-flowered raceme

up to 30 cm long including the slender peduncle 8-15 cm long, distantly flowered below, subdensely

flowered above; floral bracts oblique, 2-3 mm long; pedicels 1.5-2 mm long; ovary costate, 1 mm long;

sepals red-purple, glabrous, ovate, acute, acuminate, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal 5-7 mm long, 3-

4 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1 mm, the lateral sepals oblique, diverging, 5-7.5

mm long, 2-2.5 mm wide, connate 1.5-2.5 mm, 2-veined; petals red-purple, glandular-cellular, trans¬

versely bilobed, 0.75-1 mm long, 3-4 mm wide, the lobes triangular, oblique, long-acuminate, the upper

lobe longer; lip red-purple, bilaminate, the blades shortly pubescent, ovate, convex, obtuse, 1.5 mm

long, the connectives broad, short, the body broad, connate to the column above the base, the sinus

obtuse with a pubescent, triangular appendix; column 1.5 mm long, the anther apical, the stigma

ventral.

Narino: La Cocha, alt. 2950 m, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas MF 111, 18 March

1989, C. Luer 14225 (MO).

Putumayo: epiphytic in scrub forest in the paramo between La Cocha and Sibundoy, alt. 3000 m,

26 Jan. 1987, C. Luer, J. Luer, C. H. Dodson, O. de Benavides, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 12526 (MO).

Also Ecuador (Napo, Holotype, A. Hirtz 1811 : MO; Pichincha).

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

This species of the high eastern slopes of the Andes of northcentral Ecuador

and southern Colombia is distinguished by long ramicauls; narrowly ovate leaves;

and a long, straight, many-flowered inflorescence, borne by a peduncle as long as

or much longer than the leaf Low in the raceme the flowers are distant, but high in

the raceme the flowers are spaced much more closely, and sometimes two or three

flowers open simultaneously. The upper lobes of the petals are long-acuminate.

The lip is very similar to that of Lepanthes biloba , which also has long inflo¬

rescences, but flexuous rather than strict and borne by peduncles much shorter than

the leaf.

Lepanthes equicalceolata Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 19(1): 24, 1993.

Ety.: From the Latin equi calceolatus , “with a little horseshoe,” referring to the lip.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect, slender, 3-5 cm long, enclosed

by 7-8 microscopically ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical, subacute, 17-23

mm long, 10-11 mm wide, cuneate below into a petiole less than 1 mm long. Inflorescence a subdense,

secund, successively several-flowered raceme up to 15 mm long, borne beyond the leaf by a slender

peduncle 12-15 mm long; floral bracts lightly muricate, 1.5 mm long; pedicels 5-6 mm long; ovary

echinate, 3 mm long; sepals yellow with large, irregular, brown spots below the middle, glabrous, con¬

cave, carinate, margins minutely ciliate, the dorsal sepal transversely ovate, 8 mm long, 11 mm wide

expanded, 5-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 5 mm to form a sepaline cup, the apex obtuse,

abruptly contracted into a slender cauda 3 mm long, the lateral sepals broadly ovate, oblique, diverging,

6 mm long, 5 mm wide, 2-veined, the apices obtuse, contracted into slender caudae 2.5 mm long; petals

dull yellow-brown, erect, single-lobed, oblong, longitudinally carinate, glabrous, 3 mm long, 1.25 mm

wide, the apex rounded; lip dull yellow-brown, horseshoe-shaped, surrounding the column, each half

1.25 mm long, glabrous, the apices truncate, minutely apiculate at the base, connate to the base of the

column, column 1.5 mm long, the anther dorsal and the stigma apical.

Choco: Mun. San Jose del Palmar, Alto Galapagos, alt. 2000 m, collected by E. Valencia, Sep.

1990, R. Escobar 4059 (Holotype: JAUM; Isotype: MO), C. Luer illustr. 14920; same area, alt. 2050 m,

13 May 1993, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar, A. de Wilde & J. Gomez 16800 (MO).

This species, known only from one locality in the Western Cordillera, is similar

to Lepanthes felis Luer & R. Escobar, which is also found nearby. Lepanthes equi¬

calceolata is easily distinguished by the long-pedicellate raceme, spiculate ovary,

shortly caudate sepals, and horseshoe-shaped lip. The sepaline cup, formed by the

deep connation of the dorsal and lateral sepals, is shallower than that of L. felis ,

and the erect, carinate, oblong petals are only half as long as those of L. felis.

Lepanthes eros Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 53(2): 160, 1984.

Ety.: Named for Eros, the mythological Greek god of love.

Plant very small, floriferous, epiphytic, caespitose; roots filiform. Ramicauls slender, erect, 1-2.5

cm long, enclosed by 3-4 ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, suffused with purple

beneath, elliptical, obtuse, 12-15 mm long, 7-9 mm wide, cuneate below into a petiole 3 mm long.

Inflorescence a subdense, distichous, flexuous, successively flowered raceme up to 15 mm long, borne

behind the leaf by a filiform peduncle 4-9 mm long; floral bracts 0.5 mm long, echinate; pedicels 1.5

mm long; ovary 1 mm long; sepals similar, rose to orange, glabrous, narrowly triangular, acute, mar¬

gins smooth, 1.75 mm long, 0.8-1 mm wide, 1-veined, the dorsal sepal connate basally to the lateral

sepals for less than 0.5 mm, the laterals connate less than 0.5 mm, diverging widely; petals large, yel¬

low, suffused with red, microscopically cellular-pubescent, transversely elliptical, 0.6 mm long, 2.5 mm

wide, the lobes similar, narrowly triangular obtuse; lip minute, rose, microscopically cellular-

pubescent, the blades ovate, 0.5 mm long, embracing the column below the middle, the apices narrowly

obtuse, the bases rounded, the connectives cuneate, connate to the column above the base, the appendix

a minute, pubescent lobule at the apex of the sinus; column red-purple, cylindrical, 1 mm long, the

anther and the stigma apical.

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

Antioquia: Mun. Rio Negro, Rio Piedras, alt. 2150 m, 29 Apr. 1983, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar,

M. Webb & A. Pridgeon 8869 (Holotype: SEL); Pabon, epiphytic in forest remnant along the road to

Santa Ana, alt. 2050 m, 31 May 1995, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar, L. Moreno de Posada, B. Lopez, P.

Lopez & G. Arteaga 17671 (MO).

Risaralda: Pueblo Rico, alt. 1800-2000 m, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 11 May

1985, C. Luer 11328 (MO); same area, alt. 2000 m, collected by E. Valencia, June 1991, flowered in

cultivation at Colomborquideas, 3 Jan. 1993, R. Escobar 5243 (MO).

This minute, floriferous species has been found on several occasions in the

Central Cordillera. The subdense, flexuous racemes, sometimes longer than the

leaf, bear flowers with three equal, narrowly triangular sepals; petals larger than

the single-veined sepals; and a tiny lip embracing the long, protruding column

above the base.

The Colombian Lepanthes micellilabia Luer & R. Escobar shares a small

flower with the characteristic expanded, triangular sepals and protruding column,

but the petals are tiny rather than longer than each sepal. Two similar Ecuadorian

species can be readily distinguished from the Colombian species: the monstrous

column of L. pelorostele Luer & Hirtz is flanked by tiny, trilobed, filiform petals;

and L. rigidigitata Luer & Hirtz has a prolific habit.

Lepanthes erythrocles Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 18(1): 44, 1991.

Ety.: From the Greek erythrocles , “great red,” referring to the name “Big Red” affectionately

applied to this species by Janet Kuhn.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect, slender, 2-5 cm long,

enclosed by 3-5 minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, ovate, acute, 2-3 cm

long, 1-1.5 cm wide, the rounded base contracted into a petiole ca. 2 mm long. Inflorescence a loose,

successively few-flowered, pendent raceme up to 3 cm long, borne by an arching, filiform peduncle 3-

3.5 cm long; floral bracts 1.5 mm long; pedicels 1.5-2.5 mm long; ovary curved, 2 mm long; sepals

light green, largely suffused with red-brown, glabrous, carinate, the dorsal sepal broadly ovate, con¬

cave, obtusely acuminate-acute, 15 mm long, 10 mm wide incompletely expanded, the free margins

lightly revolute and minutely erose, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 7 mm to form a globose

sepaline cup, the lateral sepals oblique, subovate, 15 mm long, 10 mm wide unexpanded, connate 7

mm, deeply concave below the middle, deflexed and approximate with revolute margins above the

middle, the apices subacute, each 2-veined; petals yellow, transversely bilobed, cellular-glandular, 1

mm long, 4 mm wide, the upper lobe oblong, obtuse, the lower lobe obliquely triangular, acute; lip rose

with the inner margin purple, bilaminate, the blades oblong with rounded ends, glabrous but with long-

ciliate margins, 2 mm long, the connectives broadly cuneate, forming a broad body, connate to the base

of the column, the sinus obtuse, with the appendix scaphoid, pubescent with an apical gland; column 2

mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Cundinamarca: collected by J. Kuhn near Fusagasuga, ca. 1975, flowered in cultivation at J & L

Orchids, Easton, Connecticut, 25 April 1987, C. Luer 12808 (Holotype: MO).

Lepanthes erythrocles has been in cultivation under the name “Big Red” at J &

L Orchids since its discovery by Janet Kuhn in about 1975. It is easily recognized

by the large, red-brown and green, subglobose flower suspended in a loose, suc¬

cessively flowered, pendent raceme. Within the cavity of the flower, the petals, lip,

and column form a compact apparatus on the back wall. The blades of the lip are

long-ciliate, and the appendix is pubescent and boat-shaped.

This species is similar to Lepanthes chelonion and L. nautilus , both also from

the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia, and both with large, showy, concave flowers.

The lateral sepals of L. erythrocles are deflexed at about the middle, with divergent

apices, rather than concave basally with approximate apices.

100

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Lepanthes escifera Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 53(1): 28, 1984.

Ety.: From the Latin esca, “a bait,” and -fir, “bearing,” referring to the presumed function of the

hairy, pedunculated appendix.

Plant small to medium in size, weak, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls suberect to

transverse, very slender, 2.5-11 cm long, enclosed by 6-11 close, microscopically scabrous

lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf spreading to pendent, coriaceous, purple beneath, ovate, acute, long-

acuminate, apiculate, 2-4 cm long, 0.8-1.6 cm wide, the rounded base abruptly contracted into a petiole

1 mm long. Inflorescence a single flower borne successively in a very congested, distichous raceme up

to 10 mm long, borne by a filiform peduncle 5-15 mm long lying upon the leaf; floral bracts 0.75 mm

long; pedicels 1-1.5 mm long; ovary 1 mm long; sepals translucent yellow, glabrous, transversely

ovate, obtuse, margins cellular-ciliate, the dorsal sepal 3 mm long, 3.5 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to

the lateral sepals for 1 mm, the lateral sepals oblique, diverging, connate to above the middle, 3 mm

long, 4 mm wide together, each 2-veined; petals orange, suffused with red at the base, microscopically

cellular-pubescent, transversely oblong, 1 mm long, 3 mm wide, with a minute apiculum on the outer

margin between the lobes, the upper lobe truncate, subquadrate, the lower lobe triangular, acute; lip

red-purple, the blades flat, elliptical, glabrous, with subacute ends, 1.6 mm long, the connectives short,

broadly cuneate, the broad body connate to the base of the column, the sinus obtuse with a

pedunculated, pubescent, more or less ovate-triangular, concave appendix; column 1.5 mm long, the

anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Mun. Frontino, Alto de Cuevas, alt. 2050 m, 4 May 1983, C. Luer, R. Escobar, et al.

8986 (Holotype: SEL; Isotype: COL); same locality, 12 April 1974, R. Escobar et al. 1201 (JAUM);

Cocorna, epiphytic in cloud forest near Rio Cocorna, alt. 1900-2000 m, 2 May 1984, C. Luer, J. Luer,

R. Escobar & E. Valencia 10087 (MO); Guatape, Finca Montepinar, alt. 1850 m, 25 Apr. 1985, L. K.

Albert de Escobar, A. Uribe & J. Vallejo 5088 (MO); location unknown, collected by E. Valencia,

1989, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 1989, R. Escobar 5224 (MO); Frontino, Alto de

Cuevas en la via Nutibara-La Blanquita, alt. 2080 m, 16 Feb. 1991, R. Callejas, F. J. Roldan & M. V

Arbelaez 10051 (HUA).

Risaralda: Altaquer, alt. 1400 m, collected and cultivated by Luis Carlos Vieira in Medellin, 12

April 1988, C. Luer 13177 (MO).

Santander: epiphytic in cloud forest west of Velez, road to Landazuri, alt. 2150 m, 4-5 May 1984,

C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 10124 (MO).

In common with many species similar to Lepanthes mucronata , a single

flowering growth of L. escifera often bears a raceme with a short peduncle accom¬

panied by a second raceme with a twice longer peduncle. The appendix of this spe¬

cies is a pedunculated, pubescent organ originating in the broad sinus of the lip.

The blades of the lip are glabrous, the sepals are very broad, and the petals are

minutely pubescent with a minute apiculum between the lobes.

Lepanthes escobariana Garay, Orquideologia 4: 76, 1969.

Ety.: Named in honor of Gilberto Escobar R., collector of the species.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect, slender, E5-3.5 cm long,

enclosed by 4-6 ribbed, microscopically ciliate lepanthiform sheaths without dilated ostia. Leaf erect,

coriaceous, elliptical, subacute, 2.5-4 cm long, 1-E3 cm wide, cuneate below into a petiole ca. 2 mm

long. Inflorescence a loose, flexuous, arching, successively many-flowered raceme up to 15 cm long, 1

to 2 flowers open simultaneously, borne by a slender peduncle ca. 5 cm long, the flowers large, resupi-

nate in a pendent raceme; floral bracts E5 mm long; pedicels 2-4 mm long; ovary costate, curved, E5

mm long; sepals yellow-orange, suffused with red-brown, glabrous, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal

broadly ovate, acute, 14 mm long, 12 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 6 mm to form

a concave sepaline cup, the lateral sepals oblique, subovate, connate 14 mm into a broadly ovate,

shortly bifid synsepal 15 mm long, 14 mm wide, with subacute apices, each 2-veined; petals purple,

transversely suboblong, bilobed, 1 mm long, 5 mm wide, the lobes subequal, subtriangular, obtuse; lip

light green, glabrous, bilaminate, the blades convex, elliptical with rounded ends, 2 mm long, the con¬

nectives broadly cuneate, forming a broad body, perpendicular to and decurrent on the column to the

base, the sinus obtuse, with a minute, rounded appendix; column slender, curved, 2 mm long, the

anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

101

Antioquia: Abejorral, collected by G. Escobar 531 (Holotype: AMES); without collection data,

flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 21 Apr. 1983, C. Luer 8746 (SEL); without collection

data, flowered in cultivation at J & L Orchids, Easton, Connecticut, 25 April 1987, C. Luer 12835A

(MO); without collection data, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 16-19 May 1993, C. Luer

16872 (MO).

This species is uncommon and endemic in the department of Antioquia. Large,

yellow and orange, concave, bowl-like flowers are produced successively in a

resupinate position in a loose, flexuous, elongating raceme. The base of the body

of the lip, holding the blades perpendicular to the column, is long-decurrent on the

undersurface of the slender column. The shape of the broad sepaline bowl resem¬

bles that of Lepanthes cymbium , but L. cymbium is readily distinguished by its

smaller flowers and a lip with long, narrow blades that greatly exceed the column.

Lepanthes eucerca Luer & Thoerle, Harvard Pap. Bot. 16(2): 328, 2011.

Ety.: From the Greek eu -, “good,” and kerkos , “a tail,” referring to the long-caudate sepals.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect, slender, 3-7 cm long, enclosed

by 6-8 long-ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, thickly coriaceous, narrowly ovate, acute, 3.5 cm

long, 1.2 cm wide, contracted below into a petiole 2 mm long. Inflorescence 2-3 erect, congested,

distichous, successively many-flowered racemes to 25 mm long, including the peduncle 5-10 mm long,

borne behind the leaf; floral bracts echinate, 2 mm long; pedicels 1.5 mm long; ovary costate, 2 mm

long; sepals yellow suffused with red, glabrous, margins prominently denticulate, long-caudate, the

dorsal sepal ovate, acute, long-acuminate, 7.5 mm long, 3.25 wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral

sepals for ca. 1 mm, the lateral sepals ovate, oblique, diverging, acute, long-acuminate, 9 mm long, 2

mm wide, 2-veined, connate 1 mm; petals yellow with red inner margin, minutely pubescent, trans¬

versely bilobed, 0.5 mm long, 2.25-3.5 mm wide, the upper lobe narrowly oblong, obtuse, 2-3 mm

long, the lower lobe triangular, acute, 1-1.5 mm long; lip red, minutely ciliate-pubescent, bilaminate,

the blades incomplete, curved, elliptical-ovate, 1.6 mm long, the apex incurved, acute, free of the blade,

the connectives broadly cuneate, embracing the column, the body broad, connate just above the base of

the column, the appendix microscopic, setiform, at the sinus; column stout, 1.5 mm long, with the

anther and the stigma apical, occupying half the length of the column.

Norte de Santander: Paramo de Jurisdicciones, alt. 3150 m, 10 May 1984, C. Luer, J. Luer, R.

Escobar & E. Valencia 10232 (Holotype: MO).

This species grows in subparamo forest with Lepanthes aquila-borussiae and

hundreds of plants of Masdevallia fragrans Woolward in the Paramo de Juris¬

dicciones in the Eastern Cordillera. Lepanthes eucerca resembles L. aquila-

borussiae, but is distinguished by nearly twice larger flowers with long-acuminate

tails. Both species share a microscopic appendix, but that of L. aquila-borussiae is

pubescent and pedunculate, several times larger than the bristle of L. eucerca.

Lepanthes exaltata Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 53(4): 370,

1984.

Ety.: From the Latin exaltatus, “exalted,” referring to the superior qualities of the plant.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect, slender, 2-4.5 cm long, enclosed

by 2-4 minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical, subacute to obtuse, 15-

25 mm long, 6-12 mm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole 2-3 mm long. Inflorescence a flexible, flex¬

uous, lax, successively several-flowered raceme up to 5 cm long including the 1-2 cm long, filiform

peduncle; floral bracts 1 mm long; pedicels 2 mm long; ovary 2 mm long; the flowers large, flat, sepals

yellow, margins smooth, dorsal sepal glabrous, broadly triangular-ovate, acute, shortly acuminate, 10

mm long, 9 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 4 mm; lateral sepals yellow, suffused

with purple on the inner half, with numerous, red, cellular papillae on the outer half, ovate, oblique,

diverging, connate 6 mm, 11 mm long, 10 mm wide together, each 2-veined, the apices subacute,

diverging; petals rose, cellular-pubescent, transversely bilobed, oblong, 1 mm long, 6 mm wide, the

102

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

upper lobe oblong with the end rounded, the lower lobe narrower, oblong, oblique; lip white, suffused

with purple on the margins, the blades ciliate, ovate, concave, 2 mm long, the apices subacute, the bases

rounded, the connectives cuneate, connate to the column near the middle, the appendix in the sinus,

small, oblong; column arcuate, 2.5 mm long, the anther dorsal, with the anther cap bifurcate, the stigma

ventral.

Norte de Santander: below Paramo de Jurisdicciones, alt. 2670 m, 10 Nov, 1981, C. Luer, J.

Luer, R. Escobar & D. Portillo 6640 (Holotype: SEL).

The arching, flexuous raceme of Lepanthes exaltata , longer than the elliptical

leaf below, bears large, flat, yellow flowers with numerous red, papillose cells on

the lateral sepals. The sepals are each about ten millimeters long. Only one plant of

this showy species was discovered in a remote subparamo cloud forest in

association with numerous other pleurothallids.

Lepanthes felis Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 52(12): 1264, 1983.

Ety.: From the Latin felis , “a cat,” for the fancied illusion of the flower.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect to suberect, slender, 1.5-4.5 cm

long, enclosed by 3-8 minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf suberect to spreading, coriaceous,

suffused with purple beneath, elliptical, subacute, 18-20 mm long, 10-14 mm wide, the base cuneate

into a petiole 2-3 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, successively several-flowered raceme up to 5

mm long, borne by a filiform peduncle 15-18 mm long on top of the leaf; floral bracts 1.5 mm long;

pedicels 2 mm long; ovary muricate-crested, 2-3.5 mm long; sepals yellow, suffused and veined in red-

purple, red, or orange, glabrous, margins minutely ciliate-pubescent, the dorsal sepal broadly ovate,

concave, 13 mm long, 10 mm wide unexpanded, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 5 mm, to

form a deep sepaline cup, the apex obtuse with a short, slender tail-like apiculum 1.5 mm long, the

lateral sepals ovate, oblique, diverging widely, acute, 8.5 mm long, 5 mm wide, connate basally and

concave below a transverse fold between the middle and basal thirds, deflexed above the fold, each 2-

veined; petals emerald green, erect, fleshy, narrowly oblong, obtuse, sulcate, 4 mm long, 1.25 mm

wide, with a minute tooth at the base; lip dull green, glabrous, transversely bilobed, 1 mm long, 2 mm

wide expanded, the lobes ovate, obtuse, embracing the column, the apex transversely rounded, cleft to

minutely apiculate, the base connate to the column above the base; column 1.5 mm long, the anther and

stigma apical.

Antioquia: Frontino, Alto de Cuevas, alt. 2050 m, 14 May 1983, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 2605

(Holotype: SEL); same area, 12 Apr. 1974, R. Escobar et al. 764 (JAUM); same area, 4 May 1983, C.

Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar, A. Pridgeon & E. Valencia 9017 (SEL); Mesopotamia, alt. 2050 m, Dec.

1974, R. Escobar & O. Monsalve s.n. (JAUM); Frontino, Corregimiento Nutibara, Cuenca Alta del Rio

Cuevas, alt. 1720 m, 13 July 1986, D. Sanchez et al. 380 (MEDEL, HU A); Urrao, Parque National

“Las Orquideas,” alt. 2120 m, 25 Feb. 1989, A. Cogollo, D. Cardenas & O. Alvarez 4215 (JAUM,

MO); same collection, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 2 Jan. 1993, R. Escobar 5187

(MO); north of the pass between Urrao and Carmen de Atrato, alt. 2500 m, 30 May 1995, C. Luer, J.

Luer, R. Escobar, et al. 17696 (MO); “Medellin,” G. Schmidtchen s.n. (W); “Medellin,” Patin s.n. (W).

Choco: San Jose del Palmar, Cerro Torra, alt. 1940-2450 m, 30 Aug. 1988, P. Silverstone-Sopkin

et al. 4903 (CUVC, MO); between San Jose del Palmar and Valle, alt. 2100 m, 22 Feb. 1992, A. de

Wilde 3867 (MO).

Valle del Cauca: El Cairo, Cerro del Ingles, Serrania de los Paraguas, alt. 2260 m, 5 Jan. 1987, P.

Silverstone-Sopkin et al. 2949 (CUVC, MO).

The Reichenbach herbarium at W contains a beautiful watercolor painting of

this species attributed to Schmidtchen, who collected in the vicinity of Medellin

around 1880. Also present are two specimens attributed to Patin, who lived in

Medellin and dealt in orchids. It is strange that nothing was done with these collec¬

tions; certainly both Kranzlin and Schlechter saw them.

The species was rediscovered by Rodrigo Escobar and his companions in 1974.

Plants soon were disseminated among enthusiasts of Lepanthes and became affec¬

tionately known as “the cat” because of the two green eyes peering from the inte¬

rior of the flower.

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

103

Lepanthes felis is endemic in the Western Cordillera of Colombia where it is

uncommon but widely distributed. The size of the plants and flowers and the color

of the flowers vary considerably. Vegetatively, L. felis is not remarkably different

from many species of Lepanthes subgen. Marsipanthes . The large flower is borne

near or beyond the tip of the leaf. The concave sepals are connate into a deep

sepaline cup from which the tips of the oblong, green petals are visible.

Lepanthes ferax Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 18(1): 48, 1991.

Ety.: From the Latin ferax , “fertile,” referring to the numerous capsules produced by the flowers.

Plant small to medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls more or less stout,

erect, 2-8 cm long, enclosed by 5-8 close, microscopically scabrous lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect,

coriaceous, suffused with purple beneath, narrowly ovate, acute, 2-4 cm long, 0.5-1 cm wide, cuneate

below into a petiole 2 mm long. Inflorescence a loose, successively few-flowered raceme 10-16 mm

long including the filiform peduncle; floral bracts 0.75-1.25 mm long; pedicels 0.75 mm long; ovary

0.75 mm long, alate, the wings irregularly dentate; sepals light yellow-green, suffused with purple,

glabrous, carinate-spiculate, margins denticulate, the dorsal sepal broadly ovate, concave, obtuse,

shortly acuminate, 2.5 mm long, 1.8 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.3 mm, the

lateral sepals ovate, oblique, diverging, acute, shortly acuminate, 2.5 mm long, 1 mm wide, connate 0.5

mm, 1-veined; petals orange to yellow, microscopically pubescent, transversely bilobed, 0.5 mm long,

l. 3 mm wide, the upper lobe oblong, obtuse, the lower lobe smaller, triangular, oblique, narrowly

obtuse; lip yellow to purple, the blades pubescent, narrowly oblong, 1.25 mm long, the apices acute, the

bases rounded, the connectives broadly cuneate, the broad body connate to the column above the base,

the sinus obtuse, densely pubescent, obscuring the microscopic appendix-lobule; column 1.25 mm

long, the anther dorsal, the stigma apical.

Cundinamarca: epiphytic in cloud forest above Gutierrez south of Bogota, alt. 2700 m, 19 May

1984, C. Luer, J. Luer & R. Escobar 10376 (Holotype: MO).

Antioquia: Mun. Jardin, Alto de Ventanas, alt. 2800 m, 25 May 1983, R. Escobar, L. Posada, J.

Posada, et al. 2697 (JAUM), C. Luer illustr. 9112; same collection, flowered in cultivation at Colom-

borquideas, 22 Jan. 1984, R. Escobar 3208 (JAUM); Mun. Yarumal, epiphytic in cloud forest, Raton

Pelado, alt. 2650 m, 1 May 1984, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 10054 (MO); Urrao,

corregimiento “encarnacion,” sitio “El Rio,” alt. 3120 m, 7 Apr. 1989, R. Callejas et al. 7765 (HUA).

Choco: epiphytic in cloud forest south of the pass between Urrao and Carmen de Atrato, alt. 2680

m, 31 May 1995, C. Lueretal. 17681 (MO).

This species is similar to Lepanthes monoptera LindL, which also produces

short, few-flowered racemes that frequently form capsules. The flowers of L. ferax

are much smaller, and the appendix is reduced to a microscopic lobule buried in

the pubescence at the sinus of the lip. Apparently most of the plants of L. ferax are

cleistogamous. Only very rarely did Rodrigo Escobar succeed in finding a flower

open for photography.

Lepanthes fibulifera Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 53(1): 29,

1984.

Ety.: From the Latin fibula, “a buckle,” and -fir, “bearing,” referring to the appearance of the

appendix.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose, weak; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, suberect to transverse,

2-6 cm long, enclosed by 5-8 close, minutely scabrous lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf more or less

spreading, coriaceous, suffused with purple on one or both sides, ovate, acute, acuminate, 18-48 mm

long, 9-16 mm wide, the base rounded or cuneate into a petiole 1 mm long. Inflorescence an extremely

congested raceme of successive flowers, up to 6 mm long, borne on top of the leaf by a filiform

peduncle 3-17 mm long; floral bracts 1 mm long; pedicels 2-2.5 mm long; ovary 2 mm long; sepals

dull yellow to dull rose, glabrous, ovate, obtuse, margins cellular-ciliate, the dorsal sepal 3.25 mm long,

3 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.6 mm, the lateral sepals oblique, diverging,

connate to above the middle, 2.6 mm long, 3.5 mm wide together, each 2-veined; petals green,

sometimes suffused with rose, minutely pubescent, transversely oblong, 1.5 mm long, 4 mm wide, with

104

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

a minute lobule on the mid-outer margin, the upper lobe truncate, subquadrate, the lower lobe ovate, all

the angles rounded; lip rose, the blades thin, flat, lunate, 1.6 mm long, minutely ciliate, the connectives

narrow, forming a thick body attached to the base of the column, the appendix broadly strap-shaped,

concave, bi-apiculate, hinged from beneath the body; column concealed by the blades of the lip, 1 mm

long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Mun. Frontino, Alto de Cuevas, alt. 2050 m, 14 May 1983, R. Escobar & E. Valencia

2604 (Holotype: SEL), C. Luer illustr. 9098; Alto de Musinga, alt. 1900 m, 11 April 1974, R. Escobar

et al. 1199 (JAUM); Mun. Yarumal, Quebrada El Oro, alt. 1730 m, 21 May 1983, R. Escobar & E.

Valencia 2649 (SEL); Yarumal, epiphytic in forest remnant along the road to Briceno, Quebrada El

Oro, alt. 1850 m, 16 March 1989, C. Luer, J. Luer, S. Dalstrom & W. Teague 14186 (MO).

This species resembles many others similar to Lepanthes mucronata , with a

relatively small, frail habit; ovate, acuminate leaves; obtuse, tailless sepals; pro¬

portionally large petals; and a lip with thin, well-developed blades. It is distin¬

guished by its appendix, a straplike organ hinged beneath the thickened sinus of

the lip. It is shallowly concave with pubescent margins, and the apex is minutely

bidentate. The whole organ looks like a belt-buckle.

Lepanthes fllamentosa Luer & Hirtz, Novon 3: 448, 1993.

Ety.: From the Latin filamentosus , “filamentous,” referring to the long-acuminate sepals and lobes

of the petals.

Plant minute, epiphytic, caespitose; roots comparatively thick. Ramicauls erect, slender, 4-10 mm

long, enclosed by 3-5 microscopically ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical, 3-

7 mm long, 2.5-5 mm wide, the apex obtuse to subacute, prominently apiculate, the margins micro¬

scopically cellular-ciliate, the base cuneate into a petiole up to 1 mm long. Inflorescence a subdense,

distichous, successively several-flowered raceme up to 7 mm long, borne by a filiform peduncle 10-18

mm long; floral bracts 1-1.5 mm long, muriculate; pedicels 1.5-2.5 mm long; ovary 1 mm long, with

the ribs cellular-papular; sepals yellow to white suffused with purple centrally, carinate, glabrous,

ovate, margins smooth, the acute apices extremely long-attenuate, the dorsal sepal 10-17 mm long,

1.25-1.5 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals oblique,

diverging widely, 10-16 mm long, 1-1.25 mm wide, connate 0.5 mm, 1-veined; petals yellow, bifurcate

1 mm above the base, filiform, 3-5.5 mm long; lip yellow, glabrous, bilobed, the lobes auricular, 1.25

mm long, with the half above the column thickened to form an ill-defined lamina, the half below the

middle falcate with broadly rounded, incurved, overlapping apices, without an appendix, the body

connate to the base of the column; column 1 mm long, the anther and the stigma apical.

Valle del Cauca: El Queremal, collected by Cristobal Papiermik in September, 2008, flowered in

cultivation at Colomborquideas, 14-16 June 2009, L. Thoerle 141 (MO).

Also Ecuador (Esmeraldas, Holotype, Luer et al. 12378: MO).

Mature plants of this species are some of the smallest known in the genus. The

flowers are also small, but the lengths of the exceedingly long, filamentous tails of

the sepals and the filamentous lobes of the petals create dimensions comparable to

flowers of species with much larger plants. Until Papiermik’s recent collection in

Valle del Cauca, it was considered to be endemic to Ecuador, where it has been

found relatively frequently in the wet northwestern forests. It is nevertheless diffi¬

cult to find, for it grows buried in thick layers of moss on small branches of trees,

often with only the small, spiderlike flowers visible. By following the peduncle for

two or three centimeters, one can find the hidden plant.

Lepanthes calimae shares a similar tiny size and spindly, pale flowers with

bifurcated petals. Lepanthes calimae is distinguished by its two-veined lateral

sepals and a lip with narrowly ovate, long-attenuate lobes.

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

105

Lepanthes focalis Luer, Phytologia 54(5): 343, 1983.

Ety.: From the Latin focale , “a muffler to keep the neck warm,” referring to the lip.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots coarse. Ramicauls stout, erect, 4-15 cm long,

enclosed by 7-13 ciliated lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf suberect to spreading, thinly coriaceous, veined,

oblong-ovate, 3.5-6.5 cm long, 1.6-3.2 cm wide, the rounded apex abruptly constricted into a narrow

acumen ca. 1 cm long, the rounded base abruptly contracted into a twisted petiole 2-4 mm long. Inflo¬

rescence a successively flowered, markedly congested, distichous raceme up to 12 mm long, borne

beneath the leaf by a slender peduncle up to 20 mm long; floral bracts 1.5 mm long; pedicels 1 mm

long; ovary 1.25 mm long; sepals yellow-white, lightly suffused with rose centrally, glabrous, margins

smooth, the dorsal sepal ovate, acuminate, acute, 7 mm long, 3.5 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the

lateral sepals for 1 mm, the lateral sepals ovate, oblique, obtuse with shortly acuminate, diverging

apices, 7 mm long, 3 mm wide, connate 3 mm, 2-veined; petals light yellow with or without purple

edges, cellular-glandular, narrowly transversely oblong, bilobed, 1.25 mm long, 5 mm wide, the upper

lobe ovate, obtuse, the lower lobe longer, narrowly linear, obtuse; lip purple or yellow, fleshy,

pubescent, transversely cordate, 1.5 mm long, 1.75 mm wide expanded, the broadly rounded apex

lightly retuse with a tiny tuft of hairs, the rounded, concave basal lobes embracing the column, the base

connate to the column near the middle; column cylindrical, 1.75 mm long, the anther apical, the stigma

ventral.

Risaralda: along new road to TV antenna south of Pueblo Rico, alt. 2400 m, 14 May 1993, C.

Luer et al 16830 (MO).

Also Ecuador (Loja, Holotype, Luer et al. 5524 : SEL; Azuay; Morona-Santiago; Zamora-

Chinchipe).

This species occurs locally from central Colombia to southernmost Ecuador. It

is identified by thin, oblong, obtuse leaves with a prominent apical acumen; acu¬

minate sepals with smooth margins and the tips of the laterals diverging; narrowly

oblong petals with the lower lobe much longer than the upper lobe; and a thick,

pubescent, broadly cordate lip without blades, surrounding the column like a

muffler. Lepanthes dunstervilleorum is similarly stout vegetatively with pastel

flowers, but is distinguished by flowers with pubescent petals with the upper lobe

longer than the lower lobe and a lip with convex blades.

Lepanthes fonnegrae Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 19(1): 25, 1993.

Ety.: Named in honor of the late Sra. Ana Fonnegra de Isaza, in whose collection this species was

discovered.

Plant very small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 12-15 mm long,

enclosed by 4 microscopically ciliate-scabrous lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, obovate,

obtuse to rounded at the apex, 10-14 mm long, 7-8 mm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole 1 mm long.

Inflorescence a loose, successively few-flowered raceme, up to 10 or more mm long, borne beyond the

leaf by a slender peduncle ca. 15 mm long, the flowers very large for the plant, all parts orange; floral

bracts 1.5 mm long; pedicels 3.5-4.5 mm long; ovary sulcate, 1 mm long; sepals glabrous, flat, margins

minutely irregular, the dorsal sepal transversely ovate, obtuse, 7 mm long, 7 mm wide, 3-veined, con¬

nate to the lateral sepals for 3 mm, caudate with the apex contracted into a slender cauda 3 mm long,

the lateral sepals ovate, oblique, long-caudate, diverging, connate 7 mm into an ovate, bifid synsepal,

10 mm long, 9.5 mm wide, each 2-veined, the apices subacute, contracted into slender caudae 4.5 mm

long; petals microscopically pubescent, transversely bilobed, 0.75 mm long, 5.5 mm wide, the upper

lobe narrowly oblong, obliquely truncate, the lower lobe equally long, narrowly triangular, acute; lip

bilaminate, the blades ovate, flat, glabrous, 1.75 mm long, with the bases rounded, the apices rounded,

ciliate, the connectives broadly cuneate, the body connate to the base of the column, with the appendix

hinged in the sinus, the appendix obovoid, concave, with a terminal bilobed gland; column 1.5 mm

long, with the anther dorsal and the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Mun. Carolina, alt. 2500 m, collected by E. Valencia, May 1989, flowered in culti¬

vation at Colomborquideas, 2 Jan. 1993, R. Escobar 5181 (Holotype: MO), C. Luer illustr. 16568.

106

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

In 1972, Rodrigo Escobar discovered and photographed this species in the col¬

lection of the late Sra. Ana Fonnegra de Isaza in Tenche, municipality of Carolina.

The plant eventually disappeared, and was not collected again until Valencia’s

rediscovery of the species in 1989.

Lepanthes fonnegrae is remarkable for the great size of the flower, which is

larger than the leaves of the plant. The large, flat, orange flower is held above the

small, obovate leaves with rounded apices. The sepals are irregular along the mar¬

gins, and the apices are contracted into slender tails. The bilobed petals are

narrowly oblong. The ovate blades of the lip are smooth, flat, and erect. The

appendix is intricately sculpted with a bilobed gland at the apex. Another tiny

Colombian species bearing a similar showy flower, L. beatrizae , has three-veined

lateral sepals; much smaller, oblong petals; and a cristate-spiculate ovary.

Lepanthes forceps Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 53(2): 161, 1984.

Ety.: From the Latin forceps , “pi ncers 7 referring to the shape of the lip.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 2-3.5 cm long, enclosed

by 4-6 close, minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, suffused with purple

beneath, broadly ovate to cordate, 10-21 mm long, 10-21 mm wide, the apex obtuse to rounded, the

base broadly cuneate to cordate, abruptly contracted into a petiole 1 mm long. Inflorescence a dense,

distichous, successively flowered raceme up to 5 mm long, borne behind the leaf by a filiform peduncle

4-5 mm long; floral bracts 0.5 mm long; pedicels 1-1.5 mm long; ovary 1 mm long; sepals yellow, suf¬

fused with red centrally, glabrous, ovate, acute, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal 3.75 mm long, 2 mm

wide, 3-veined, connate 0.5 mm to the lateral sepals, the lateral sepals diverging, connate 1.25 mm,

3.25 mm long, 2.5 mm wide together, each 2-veined; petals minutely pubescent, transversely oblong,

0.75 mm long, 4.75 mm wide, the upper lobe purple, oblong, obtuse, the lower lobe yellow, narrowly

triangular-subfalcate, acute; lip red-purple, minutely pubescent, the blades oblong, 1.5 mm long, the

bases rounded, the apices broadly falcate, incurved and overlapped beneath the apex of the column, the

connectives narrowly oblique, the body connate by a short, narrow claw to the column above the base,

the appendix ovoid, pubescent, pedunculate, on the external surface of the body at the base; column

slender, 1.5 mm long, the anther apical, the stigma subapical.

Norte de Santander: epiphytic in forest beside the river between Abrego and Sardinata, alt. 1730

m, 12 Nov. 1981, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & D. Portillo 6680 (Holotype: SEL).

Antioquia: Rio Negro, Rio Piedras, alt. 2150 m, 29 Apr. 1983, C. Luer, J. Luer & R. Escobar

8869 (SEL).

Meta: Llanos Orientalis, alt. 800 m, collected by H. Angarita, December 1992, flowered in cultiva¬

tion at Colomborquideas, 16-19 May 1993, C. Luer 16874 (MO).

This small species is characterized by the broad, obtuse to rounded, purple

leaves with short, distichous racemes. The sepals are acute, and each is shorter

than the width of the transversely oblong petals. The apices of the blades of the lip

are broadly falcate beneath the column, and the pubescent, ovoid appendix is

external at the base of the lip. Lepanthes cordata also has a cordate leaf as broad as

it is long, and flowers with petals that are wider than the length of a sepal, but it is

distinguished by sepals that are proportionally wider and petals with an acute

upper lobe.

Lepanthes foreroi P. Ortiz, O. Perez & E. Sanchez, Orquideologia 26(2): 137,

2009.

Ety.: Named in honor of Luis Eduardo Forero Pinto, botanist, professor, and curator of the Jose

Cuatrecasas Arumi Herbarium (VALLE).

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, pendent, ca. 4 cm long,

enclosed by 5-7 lepanthiform sheaths with ciliate ribs and dilated ostia. Leaf gray-green, pendent,

coriaceous, ovate, acute, apiculate, 4-4.5 cm long, 1.4-1.6 cm wide, diffusely spiculate-pubescent with

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

107

margins densely ciliate, rounded at the base, sessile. Inflorescence 1 or 2 simultaneous, pendent, with

congested, successively several- to many-flowered racemes 1-1.5 cm long, borne by slender peduncles

0.5-2 mm long, floral bracts probably ca. 1.5 mm long; pedicels 1-2 mm long; ovary probably ca. 1 mm

long; sepals greenish, suffused with purple-brown, glabrous, margins coarsely ciliate, the dorsal sepal

broadly ovate-triangular, acute, ca. 4 mm long, 4.5 mm wide, 3-veined, the tip acuminate into an erect

cauda ca. 4 mm long, connate basally to the lateral sepals, the lateral sepals transversely subovate,

oblique, connate ca. 2 mm, ca. 2.5 mm long, 5 mm wide together, each probably 2-veined, the apices in

apposition, obtusely oblique, abruptly contracted into slender, descending, curved caudae ca. 5 mm

long; petals glabrous, transversely bilobed, ca. 0.5 mm long, ca. 5 mm wide, the lobes subequal,

oblong, round at the ends, the lower lobe slightly narrower; lip glabrous, bilaminate, the blades oblong,

round at the ends, ca. 3 mm long, the connectives cuneate, the body connate to the base of the column,

with the appendix short; column terete, ca. 2 mm long.

Valle del Cauca: Yotoco, Alto de Minas, Farm “Hato Viejo,” alt. 1860 m, 17 Oct. 2009, A. Cani-

zales, O. Perez & E. Sanchez 244 (Holotype: VALLE), C. Luer illustr. 21665; same location, Septem¬

ber 2009, P. Ortiz, O. Perez & E. Sanchez 1439 (Paratype: HPUJ).

This small species, known only from relic subandean forest in southwestern

Colombia, is characterized by pendent, ovate leaves that are densely ciliate and

pubescent-spiculate. One or two pendent, congested racemes are borne on the top

surface of the leaf by peduncles of unequal length. The sepals of the greenish pur¬

ple-brown flowers are caudate, with the lateral sepals being longer and more or

less curved with approximate apices. The lobes of the petals are oblong. The

narrowly oblong blades of the lip partially overlie the column, and the sinus is

obtuse with a very small appendix.

Lepanthes tomentosa Luer shares a pubescent leaf with one to several shorter

inflorescences borne on top, bearing a succession of flowers with denticulate

sepals with long-acuminate tails. Lepanthes foreroi is distinguished by the lateral

sepals, the blades connate into a lamina wider than it is long, abruptly contracted

into much longer tails that arch outwards and then curve to the inside, much like

the pincers of the common earwig (Forficula auricularia L.).

The modified description and illustration included here are based on the pub¬

lished description and illustration by P. Ortiz and from the photograph on the cover

of the journal.

Lepanthes foveata Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 53(10): 1044,

1984.

Ety.: From the Latin foveatus, “with a pit,” referring to the cavity of the body of the lip.

Plant small to medium in size, delicate, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender,

weak, erect to horizontal, 3-12 cm long, enclosed by 7-13 close, minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths.

Leaf erect to spreading, coriaceous, ovate, acute, acuminate, 25-44 mm long, 9-12 mm wide, the base

rounded or cuneate into a petiole 2 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, successively flowered raceme

up to 5 mm long, borne behind the leaf by a filiform peduncle 7-18 mm long; floral bracts 1 mm long;

pedicels 1.2-2 mm long; ovary 1.5 mm long; sepals translucent yellow-orange or rose-brown, glabrous,

ovate, acute, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal 3.5 mm long, 2.75 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the

lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals diverging, connate 1.5 mm, 3.5 mm long, 3.25 mm wide

together, each 2-veined; petals yellow-brown or red-orange, minutely pubescent, transversely bilobed,

0.75 mm long, 3.75 mm wide, with a minute lobule on the outer margin near the middle, the upper lobe

oblong-ovate, obtuse, the lower lobe narrowly triangular, acute; lip yellow-brown or red-orange,

pubescent, the blades obovate-oblong with rounded ends, 1.6 mm long, shallowly concave, the con¬

nectives cuneate, narrow, short, from below the middle of the blades, the narrow body connate to the

base of the column, the sinus convex with a well-developed cavity between the column and the margin,

the appendix concave, oblong, pubescent, hinged from below the margin of the sinus; column 1.5 mm

long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Norte de Santander: epiphytic in cloud forest, Alto de Santa Inez, alt. 2100 m, 13 May 1984, C.

Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 10308 (Holotype: MO; Isotype: SEL); same collection,

108

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, El Retiro, 6 June 1984, R Escobar 3257 (JAUM, COL);

same area, alt. 2050 m, 23 May 1982, C. Luer, R. Escobar & D. Portillo 7950 (SEL).

Many species related to Lepanthes mucronata share a weak habit, small

flowers with ovate sepals, and petals with a minute marginal apiculum between the

lobes. From most of them, L. foveata is distinguished by its lip with pubescent

blades and a distinct pit in the sinus below the ligulate appendix. The sepals of

the similar L. dryades are denticulate; the similar narrowly triangular lower

lobes of the petals are longer than the upper lobes; and the blades of the lip

are supported by broadly cuneate connectives forming a broad body with an

equally well developed cavity.

Lepanthes furcata Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 19(1): 27, 1993.

Ety.: From the Latin fiircatiis, “forked,” referring to the bifid stigma.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, weak, erect, 12-15

cm long, enclosed by 16-18 lepanthiform sheaths with microscopically ciliate ostia. Leaf more or less

decurved from a bending of the apex of the ramicaul, suffused with purple, thinly coriaceous, elliptical

with the apex acute, long-acuminate, 6-7.5 cm long, 2.5-3.5 cm wide, the base broadly cuneate into a

petiole 1 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, distichous, successively few-flowered raceme, up to ca.

5 mm long, borne on top of the leaf by a slender peduncle 10-25 mm long; floral bracts acute, 1.5 mm

long; pedicels 2-2.5 mm long; ovary 3 mm long; sepals yellow, suffused with brown, flat, glabrous,

margins smooth, the dorsal sepal triangular-ovate, obtuse, 7 mm long, 6 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to

the lateral sepals for 2 mm, the lateral sepals ovate, oblique, diverging, 7 mm long, 3.5 mm wide, 2-

veined, connate 2 mm, the apices obtuse, shortly acuminate with diverging tips; petals microscopically

pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1.5 mm long, 5.5 mm wide, the upper lobe green, oblong, truncate, the

lower lobe orange-brown, sigmoid, with the apex narrowly obtuse; lip orange, bilaminate, 2 mm long,

the blades oblong, thin, adherent medially over the column, with obtuse apices, and with the margins of

the bases shortly uncinate, the connectives cuneate, the body narrow, connate to the base of the column,

the appendix pubescent, globose, with a minute, uncinate apical gland, column with the shaft less than

1 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral, deeply bifurcate with lobes protruding beyond the

column and blades of the lip.

Choco: Mun. San Jose del Palmar, Galapagos, alt. 2000 m, collected by E. Valencia, Jan. 1992,

flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 21 Dec. 1992, R Escobar 5055 (Holotype: JAUM;

Isotype: MO), C. Luer illustr. 16576.

Valle del Cauca: Alto de Los Galapagos, at the pass between Valle del Cauca and Choco, alt.

2050 m, 13 May 1993, C. Luer et al. 16809 (MO).

This species is distinguished by the purplish leaf with a long-attenuated apex,

more or less held downward by the drooping end of the slender ramicaul. The

short, congested raceme with a relatively large flower lies on top of the leaf. The

glabrous sepals are broadly ovate. The lobes of the petals are markedly dissimilar:

the upper lobe is green, oblong, and truncate; the lower lobe is orange-brown and

sigmoid in shape. The blades of the lip are thin and adherent medially, with a

short, uncinate process curving forward from the margins of both bases. A minute,

recurved, loop-like gland protrudes from a long-pubescent, globose appendix. The

shaft of the column is short with the swollen anther and stigma twice as long. The

distinctive stigma is deeply forked, with the arms protruding well beyond the tips

of the blades of the lip.

Lepanthes gargantua Rchb. fl, Xenia Orch. 1: 150, 1856.

Ety.: Named for the monstrous Gargantua in allusion to the size of the species.

Syn.: Lepanthespachyrhiza Luer & Hirtz, Lindleyana 2: 138, 1987.

Ety.: From the Greek pachyrhiza , “thick root,” referring to the thick, coarse roots of the species.

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

109

Plant large, robust, epiphytic, caespitose; roots thick, coarse. Ramicauls erect, stout, 10-58 cm

long, enclosed by 11-16 microscopically scabrous lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, oblong-

ovate, subacute to obtuse, acuminate, 6-15 cm long, 3.5-8 cm wide, the rounded base contracted into a

petiole 0.5-1 cm long. Inflorescence racemose, 1- to several simultaneous, congested, distichous, suc¬

cessively many-flowered racemes up to 6 cm long, borne behind the leaf by slender peduncles 2-3 cm

long; floral bracts 1.5-2 mm long; pedicels 2-3 mm long; ovary 10-16 mm long; sepals yellow-orange,

glabrous, broadly ovate, obtuse, with short, thick caudae or apiculae, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal

5.5-7 mm long, 5.5-8 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1.5-2 mm, the lateral sepals

oblique, diverging, 5-7 mm long, 3-4.5 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 1.75-2 mm; petals orange with

purple margins, microscopically pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1-2 mm long, 4-6 mm wide, with an

obtuse angle between the lobes on the outer margin, the upper lobe oblong, oblique, obtuse, the lower

lobe smaller, narrowly triangular; lip purple, bilaminate, the blades oblong with the ends rounded, con¬

cave near the middle, minutely ciliate, 1.8-2.2 mm long, the connectives short, cuneate, forming a broad

body, connate to the base of the column, the sinus obtuse with a small, triangular, minutely ciliate

appendix; column 1.5-2 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Medellin, terrestrial in subparamo vegetation along road to Cerro del Padre Amaya, 10

km from Medellin-Santa Fe de Antioquia road, alt. 2970 m, 15 Sep. 1987, J. L. Zarucchi & A. E. Brant

5326 (MO); Sonson, on road to Narino, alt. 2600-2700 m, 13 Nov. 1988, McPherson 13077 (ffUA,

MO); epiphytic in forest remnant about 10 km north of Santa Rosa de Osa, alt. 2650 m, 14 March 1989,

C. Luer, J. Luer, S. Dalstrom & W. Teague 14135 (MO).

Also Ecuador (Pichincha, ffolotype of L. gargantua , W. Jameson 110\ W; Carchi; Imbabura,

holotype of L. pachyrhiza , Hirtz 1916 : MO; Cotopaxi; Napo; Tungurahua; Canar; Azuay; Morona-

Santiago; Loja; Zamora-Chinchipe), Peru (Amazonas).

This robust species is relatively frequent and widely distributed in the Andes

from Colombia to Peru. Lepanthes gargantua can be one of the largest members of

the genus, but many plants attain only half the apparent maximum size. Thick,

coarse roots support stout ramicauls that sometimes reach half a meter in length.

The leaves vary in size with the strength of the ramicaul, but large leaves 15 centi¬

meters long are not rare. Yellow-orange, flat flowers, sometimes in profusion, are

produced on congested racemes behind the leaf. The sepals are obtuse with short

tails. The bilobed petals and bilaminate lip are not remarkably different from many

others. The vegetatively smaller Lepanthes macrantha Garay produces flowers that

are similar but slightly larger, with petals with an obliquely truncate upper lobe

and an apiculum between the lobes.

Lepanthes gelata Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 20(3): 295, 1997.

Ety.: From the Latin gelatus , “congealed,” in reference to the gelatinous appearance of the body of

the lip.

Plant small, weak, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls very slender, suberect to erect,

4-12 cm long, enclosed by 10-18 microscopically ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf suberect to

spreading, thin, ovate, acute to subacute, with the linear acumen about as long as the blade, 30-37 mm

long, 12-18 mm wide, the base rounded or broadly cuneate, contracted into a petiole 1-1.5 mm long.

Inflorescence a very congested, subsecund, successively many-flowered raceme, up to 5 mm long,

borne on top of the leaf by a filiform peduncle 3-9 mm long; floral bracts 0.5 mm long; pedicels over¬

lapping, 0.75-1 mm long; ovary 1.5 mm long; sepals yellow, glabrous, margins minutely denticulate,

the dorsal sepal triangular, acute, 4 mm long, 2.25 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for

0.5 mm, the lateral sepals connate 2 mm into an ovate, bifid synsepal, 4 mm long, 3 mm wide, each 2-

veined, with the apices acute; petals orange, suffused with red, minutely pubescent, transversely

bilobed, 1 mm long, 6 mm wide, 1-veined, the lobes opposite, narrowly triangular, acuminate, the lower

lobe smaller; lip purple with darker purple edges, bilaminate, the blades microscopically pubescent,

flat, elliptical-oblong, with rounded ends, 1.8 mm long, the connectives broadly cuneate, the body

broad with a deep mentum externally, with a flat, membranous surface within covering the interior of

the mentum which is filled with a transparent gelatinous substance, connate to the base of the column,

the sinus transverse with a broadly triangular, ciliate appendix; column 1.5 mm long, with the anther

dorsal and the stigma ventral.

110

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Risaralda: above Pueblo Rico, epiphytic in cloud forest below the TV antenna, alt. 2400 m, 14

May 1993, C. Luer, J. Luer, A. de Wilde & J. Gomez 16837 (Holotype: MO).

This species, known only from one area in the Western Cordillera, is a twig

epiphyte in a wet forest at a moderately high altitude. The largest plants consist of

no more than two or three very thin, weak ramicauls bearing a small, spreading,

ovate leaf with an attenuate apex about as long as the blade. The long-petaled

flower is borne upon the leaf. Most unusual is the conspicuous mentum of the

body of the lip. It seems to be filled with a transparent, gelatinous material, which

is covered by a thin, flat membrane. The triangular, ciliate appendix originates

from the sinus that is contiguous with the anterior margin of the membrane.

Lepanthes gemina Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 54(3): 314-316,

1985.

Ety.: From the Latin geminus, “a twin,” referring to the similarity of the species to L. steyermarkii

Foldats.

Plant medium to large in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 7-28

cm tall, enclosed by 9-15 ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, thinly coriaceous, reticulate-veined

beneath, elliptical-ovate, acute, acuminate, 6-11 cm long, 2.5-4.5 cm wide, the rounded base contracted

into a petiole 3-4 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, distichous, successively many-flowered raceme

up to 25 mm long, borne behind the leaf by a filiform peduncle 18-30 mm long; floral bracts 2 mm

long; pedicels 1.5 mm long; ovary 2 mm long; sepals light yellow, glabrous, lightly carinate, ovate,

acute, margins smooth, 7 mm long, 3.5 mm wide, the dorsal sepal 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals

for 1 mm, the lateral sepals diverging, 2-veined, connate 1 mm; petals yellow, suffused with purple

medially, microscopically pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1.75 mm long, 3.75 mm wide, the upper

lobe obliquely quadrate, truncate, the lower lobe falcate, incurved, acute; lip yellow with red margins,

the blades microscopically pubescent, more or less ovate and concave with rounded ends, 1.8 mm long,

the inner margins erect and in apposition above the column, the connectives broad, obliquely cuneate,

the body connate to the column above the base, the sinus occupied by a broadly triangular, membranous

appendix, appressed to the stigma in the natural position; column rose, 1 mm long with a rostellar

projection 1 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Norte de Santander: Toledo, epiphytic in cloud forest, Alto de Santa Inez, alt. 2150 m, 13 May

1984, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 10340 (Holotype: JAUM; Isotype: MO), 10316

(MO); same collection, flowered in cultivation by L. & J. Posada at Colomborquideas, 5 July 1984, R.

Escobar 3279 (COL, JAUM).

This large species is very similar to Lepanthes steyermarkii , differing with

elevated, reticulated veins on the under surface of the leaves; the falcate rather than

oblong lower lobes of the petals; and the concave blades of the lip, which lack the

conspicuous longitudinal carinae and are borne by short rather than elongated con¬

nectives. The column of both species is short with an elongated rostellar projection

with a membranous appendix appressed to the underlying stigma. Lepanthes

steyermarkii has not been found in the same forest, but it has been found farther

north, very near the Venezuelan border.

Lepanthes georgii Luer, Orquideologia 19(2): 96, 1994.

Ety.: Named in honor of Jorge Lopez, one of the collectors and gardeners at Colomborquideas.

Syn.: [= Lepanthes bifurcata Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 21(2): 140-142, 1999],

Ety.: From the Latin bifurcatus , “bifurcate,” in reference to the long-forked petals.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 2.5-6 cm long, enclosed

by 7-8 tightly fitting, microscopically scabrous lepanthiform sheaths with acuminate apices. Leaf erect,

coriaceous, ovate, acute, 2-3.8 cm long, 1-1.5 cm wide, the rounded base contracted into a petiole 1-1.5

mm long. Inflorescence a congested, distichous, successively several-flowered raceme, up to 7 mm

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

111

long, borne behind the leaf by a filiform peduncle 9-11 mm long; floral bracts muriculate, 1 mm long;

pedicels 1 mm long; ovary 2.5 mm long; sepals acutely reflexed, light yellow-green, glabrous, ellip¬

tical, obtuse, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal 4 mm long, 2 mm wide, 3-veined, free from the lateral

sepals, the lateral sepals oblique, diverging, 3.5 mm long, 2 mm wide, 2-veined, barely connate at the

base; petals light yellow-green, glabrous, deeply bilobed, the lobes similar, oblique, diverging, linear,

acute, each 4 mm long, 0.5 mm wide, 1-veined, with a central vein and a minute lobule between the

lobes; lip yellow-green with the center bright purple, transversely, broadly oblong with apex apiculate,

1.25 mm long, 3 mm wide, with erect, obtuse, basal angles, the base connate to the base of the column;

column bright purple, semiterete, 3 mm long, with the anther apical and the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: El Retiro, Hda. Normandia above Colomborquideas, alt. 2400 m, collected by J.

Lopez, Jan. 1993, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 5 May 1993, C. Luer 16639 (Holotype:

MO; Isotype: JAUM).

Lepanthes georgii is similar to L. culex , which is also found in the Central

Cordillera, but farther north in the municipality of Yarumal. The sepals of both

species are of the same size and acutely reflexed. The petals of both are deeply

bifurcate. The apex of the lip of L. culex is rounded and cleft, while that of L.

georgii is transverse and apiculate.

Lepanthes giraldoi Luer, Orquideologia 22(1): 37, 2001.

Ety.: Named in honor of Jorge Giraldo G. of the Tulua Valle Herbarium who collected this species.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect to suberect, 4-

10 cm long, enclosed by 7-10 glabrous lepanthiform sheaths with acuminate ostia. Leaf suberect, suf¬

fused with purple beneath, thinly coriaceous, broadly elliptical to subcircular, obtuse, contracted

abruptly into an acute apex, 3.5-4.3 cm long, 1-2 cm wide, the rounded base contracted into a petiole 1-

2 mm long. Inflorescence a distichous, very congested, successively many-flowered raceme up to 7

mm long, borne behind the leaf by a filiform peduncle 7-10 mm long; floral bracts muriculate, 1 mm

long; pedicels 1.75-2 mm long; ovary 2.5 mm long; sepals yellow, red toward the base, glabrous, mem¬

branous, carinate, reflexed, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal elliptical, obtuse, 2.5 mm long, 2 mm

wide, barely connate to the lateral sepals, 3-veined, the lateral sepals elliptical, oblique, diverging,

obtuse, 2 mm long, 1.25 mm wide, barely connate basally, 2-veined; petals red, microscopically pubes¬

cent, transversely bilobed, 0.5 mm long, 2.5 mm wide, lobes diverging ca. 135°, the upper lobe erect,

obliquely triangular with an obtuse angle in the inner margin, narrowly rounded at the apex, the lower

lobe triangular, acute, shorter; lip red, microscopically pubescent, subcordate, with the apex broadly

rounded, shortly incised, with the basal lobes embracing the base of the column, 1 mm long, 1 mm

wide, connate to the base of the column; column stout, 1 mm long, footless, the anther and stigma

apical.

Valle del Cauca: Finca Zingara, between Cali and Buenaventura, alt. 1900 m, 12 Feb. 1994, J.

Giraldo-Gensini 169 (Holotype: TULV; Isotype: MO).

The flower of this species is similar to that of Lepanthes viahoensis Luer & R.

Escobar, but the lateral sepals of L. viahoensis are three-veined rather than two-

veined. The greatest differences are vegetative: L. viahoensis is characterized by

small, narrowly ovate leaves borne by short ramicauls, while the leaves of L.

giraldoi are much larger, round, and abruptly contracted into short acute apices. In

addition, the very congested raceme of the latter is characterized by significantly

longer pedicels and ovaries.

Lepanthes golondrina Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 53(7): 718,

1984.

Ety.: From the Spanish golondrina, “a swift,” referring to the resemblance of the lip to a swallow,

or swift, in flight.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 6-8 mm long, enclosed

by 3 microscopically ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, the blade subcircular, up to 9

112

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

mm long, 6.5 mm wide, the apex rounded, the base rounded, contracted into a petiole 1 mm long.

Inflorescence a subdense, distichous, successively flowered raceme up to 15 mm long, borne far

beyond the leaf by a filiform peduncle 20-22 mm long; floral bracts 1.5 mm long; pedicels 2 mm long;

ovary 2 mm long; sepals yellow, suffused with purple above the middle, glabrous, triangular, acute,

margins smooth, the dorsal sepal 8 mm long, 4.25 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for

1.5 mm, the lateral sepals diverging, 7.5 mm long, 3 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 1 mm; petals yellow-

orange, microscopically pubescent, transversely bilobed-oblong, 1 mm long, 2 mm wide, the upper lobe

oblong with the end rounded, the lower lobe reduced to a mere rounded end of the upper lobe at the

attachment to the base of the column; lip purple, deeply 3-lobed, 4 mm long, 5 mm wide expanded, the

middle lobe subulate, acute, 3 mm long, the lateral lobes spreading, narrowly triangular, acute, 2.5 mm

long, the base with a pair of short, rounded lobules flanking the base of the column; column cylindrical,

2.5 mm long, the anther and stigma apical.

Antioquia: Mun. Valdivia, Manzanares, alt. 1700 m, Nov. 1974, collected by J. M. Serna, flow¬

ered in cultivation by M. & O. Robledo at La Ceja, 11 March 1975, R. Escobar 1171 (Holotype:

JAUM; Isotype: SEL), C. Luer illustr. 9152.

This tiny but large-flowered species was collected once by the late J. M. Serna.

Under cultivation by the Robledos, it flowered but did not survive. To our knowl¬

edge, another plant of the species has never been seen. Lepanthes golondrina is

remarkable for its inflorescence longer than the leaf; petals essentially lacking a

lower lobe; and a deeply tridentate lip, with the midlobe much longer than the

lateral lobes.

Lepanthes grildrig Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 18(1): 49, 1991.

Ety.: Named for the singular, diminutive Gulliver, called Grildrig by the giants of Brobdingnag.

Plant very small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots coarse for the size of the plant. Ramicauls slender,

erect, 8-15 mm long, enclosed by 5-6 minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, suf¬

fused with purple beneath, broadly elliptical, obtuse, 8-11 mm long, 5-6.5 mm wide, the broadly

cuneate base contracted into a petiole 1-E5 mm long. Inflorescence a loose, lightly flexuous, succes¬

sively few-flowered raceme up to 20 mm long including the filiform peduncle 12-15 mm long; floral

bracts echinate, 1 mm long; pedicels 1 mm long; ovary lightly cellular-echinate, 1 mm long; sepals gla¬

brous, narrowly triangular, long attenuate, acute, acuminate, carinate, margins minutely denticulate, the

dorsal sepal light yellow, suffused with red-brown medially, concave, 6.5 mm long, 2 mm wide

expanded, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals light yellow, suffused

with light red on the outer half, diverging, 7.5 mm long, E25 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 2 mm; petals

red, microscopically pubescent, bilobed-lunate with apices everted, 0.75 mm long, 2.5 mm wide, the

lobes triangular, oblique, acute, the upper lobe larger; lip bilaminate, the blades yellow, suffused with

red at the base, microscopically pubescent, narrowly ovate, 2 mm long, acute at the apices, round at the

bases, the connectives very short, cuneate from the base of the blades, the body narrow, connate to the

column at the base, the sinus acute with a minute, oblong, ciliate appendix; column 1.5 mm long, the

anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Norte de Santander: epiphytic in cloud forest, Alto de Santa Inez, alt. 2200 m, 13 May 1984, C.

Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 10356 (Holotype: MO); same collection, flowered in cultiva¬

tion at Colomborquideas, R. Escobar 3316 (MO), C. Luer illustr. 11533.

Only one plant of this tiny species was discovered in an area exceedingly rich

in pleurothallids, especially those in the genus Lepanthes. What was left of the

plant, after an herbarium specimen had been made, thrived in cultivation at

Colomborquideas. The loose, few-flowered raceme is about twice longer than the

little, elliptical leaves. It is distinguished from other species with single-veined

lateral sepals and an inflorescence longer than the leaf by narrow, attenuate,

minutely denticulate sepals; narrowly crescent-shaped petals; and the narrowly

ovate blades of the lip.

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

113

Lepanthes guanacasensis Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 19(2): 97, 1994.

Ety.: Named for Paramo de Guanacas in the department of Cauca, where this species occurs.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect, stout, 5-15 cm long,

enclosed by 8-11 ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical, acute, shortly acumi¬

nate, 4.5-6.5 cm long including the petiole 5-6 mm long, the blade 1.7-2.7 cm wide, cuneate below into

the petiole. Inflorescence 1-2 loose, distichous, flexuous, successively several-flowered racemes up to

23 cm long including the 2-3 cm long peduncle; floral bracts oblique, 2.5 mm long; pedicels 3.5 mm

long; ovary 2.5 mm long, the ribs subverrucose; sepals light yellow-green, suffused with orange along

the veins, glabrous, carinate, margins microscopically ciliate, the dorsal sepal ovate, acute, shortly acu¬

minate, 8 mm long, 4.5 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1.5 mm, the lateral sepals

connate into an ovate synsepal with the apex acute and bifid, 7 mm long, 5 mm wide, each 2-veined;

petals glabrous (microscopically cellular-pubescent), transversely bilobed, 1 mm long, 4 mm wide, the

upper lobe red, oblong, rounded on the end, the lower lobe yellow-orange, smaller, triangular, acute; lip

red-orange, bilaminate, the blades essentially glabrous, oblong with rounded ends, 2 mm long, the con¬

nectives cuneate, the body connate to the base of the column, the sinus broad, with an ovoid appendix

minutely bilobulate at the apex; column 1.5 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Cauca: Mun. Silvia, epiphytic in Paramo de Guanacas northeast of Popayan, alt. 3150 m, 15 Nov.

1982, C. Luer & R. Escobar 8419 (Holotype: SEL); epiphytic in cloud forest between Totoro and Inza,

Paramo de Guanacas, alt. 3150 m, 15 Nov. 1982, C. Luer & R. Escobar 8428 (SEL); epiphytic in cloud

forest, Paramo de las Delicias, alt. 3380 m, 17 Nov. 1982, C. Luer & R. Escobar 8472 (SEL).

This species is apparently confined to the cool, moist, scrubby forests of south¬

ern Colombia. Although vegetatively of moderate size, a gradually lengthening,

distantly flowered raceme of relatively large flowers eventually far surpasses the

leaf. The flowers are not remarkably distinct. The shortly bifid synsepal is similar

to the ovate, shortly acuminate dorsal sepal. The petals and lip are not unusual.

The tip of the appendix is bilobulate as often seen in other racemose species. The

similar Lepanthes jardinensis Luer & R. Escobar, from the Central Cordillera of

Colombia, differs with pubescent sepals connate only to the middle; petals with

lobes subequal in size and shape; and a lip with wider, pubescent blades.

Lepanthes gustavoi Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 20(3): 298-299, 1997.

Ety.: Named in honor of Gustavo Arteaga of Medellin, Colombia, co-discoverer of this species.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 10-25 mm long,

enclosed by 3-4 closely fitting, microscopically ciliate lepanthiform sheaths with oblique apices. Leaf

suberect, coriaceous, narrowly elliptical-linear, semiterete, acute, 12-25 mm long, 3-4 mm wide, 1.5

mm deep, the base narrowly cuneate into a petiole ca. 1 mm long. Inflorescence a subcongested, dis¬

tichous, successively several-flowered raceme up to 5 mm long, borne behind the leaf by a filiform

peduncle 4-5 mm long; floral bracts spiculate, 1 mm long; pedicels 0.75 mm long; ovary long-spiculate,

1 mm long; sepals rose, darker rose toward the apices, glabrous, membranous, carinate-spiculate,

widely spread, the dorsal sepal sparsely denticulate, ovate, acute, 4.4 mm long, 2.2 mm wide, 3-veined,

connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals denticulate, connate 1.5 mm with the acute

apices approximate, into an ovate synsepal similar in shape to the dorsal sepal, 4 mm long, 2.75 mm

wide, each 2-veined; petals finely ciliate-pubescent, transversely bilobed, 0.6 mm long, 2.75 mm wide,

the lobes oblong-triangular, acute, the upper lobe orange-brown, longer than the lower lobe, the lower

lobe yellow; lip orange-brown, bilaminate, the blades microscopically ciliate-pubescent, ovate, with the

ends rounded, 1.25 mm long, the connectives broad, oblong, the body connate to the base of the

column, the sinus obtuse, with the appendix in two parts, one above the other, the lower part rounded,

ciliate, the upper part a minute lobule suspended by a membranous web, with a bilobulate terminal

segment; column purple, 1.25 mm long, the anther apical and the stigma subapical.

Choco: epiphytic in cloud forest south of the pass between Urrao and Carmen de Atrato, alt. 2680

m, 31 May 1995, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar, L. Moreno de Posada, B. Lopez, F. Lopez & G. Arteaga

17677 (Holotype: MO).

114

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

This small species, apparently endemic in the Western Cordillera of Colombia,

is characterized by narrowly linear, semiterete leaves borne by equally long rami-

cauls with few sheaths. The distichous raceme is much shorter than the leaf The

tiny ovary is densely spiculate. The dorsal sepal and synsepal are equal in size and

shape, but the synsepal is denticulate with free apices held in apposition. The

transversely oblong petals and the ovate blades of the lip are unremarkable. The

appendix consists of two parts. The inferior part is globular and pubescent. Above

it is a glabrous lobule supported by a membranous web, with a protruding, bilobu-

lar terminal segment. The smaller size and broader leaves readily distinguish it

from another terete-leaved Colombian species, Lepanthes aciculifolia.

Lepanthes guttula-sanguinis Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 17(3): 188-192,

1988, as L. gutula-sanguinis.

Ety.: From the Latin guttula sanguinis , “a little drop of blood,” referring to the color of the flower.

Plant small to medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots filamentous. Ramicauls slender, erect,

4-10 cm long, enclosed by 4-9 close, microscopically scabrous lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf thinly coria¬

ceous, erect to spreading, ovate, 3.5-5 cm long, 1-1.8 cm wide, the apex acute, long-acuminate, the base

rounded, abruptly contracted into a petiole 2 mm long. Inflorescence a very congested, distichous, suc¬

cessively flowered raceme up to 6 mm long, borne by a filiform peduncle 8-10 mm long behind the

leaf; floral bracts 1 mm long; pedicels 1.5 mm long; ovary 2 mm long; sepals translucent light yellow,

the dorsal with a blood red blotch filling the center, glabrous, ovate, acute, low-carinate, margins

smooth, the dorsal sepal 4 mm long, 3 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the

lateral sepals oblique, diverging, 2-veined, connate 1 mm, 4 mm long, 2.5 mm wide; petals dark yellow

with the inner margin red, pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1 mm long, 3 mm wide, the lobes oblong,

obtuse, subequal; lip whitish, suffused with rose, bilamellate, the blades ovate, acute, minutely pubes¬

cent, 1.75 mm long, the connectives broad, the body broad, connate to the base of the column, with an

obtuse sinus with an intricately sculpted, bisegmented, pubescent appendix; column 1.75 mm long, the

anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: El Carmen, San Lorenzo, alt. 2600 m, 17 Sept. 1984, R. Escobar et al. 3460 (Holotype:

JAUM; Isotype: MO), C. Luer illustr. 11392.

This pretty little species had been known to Don Rodrigo Escobar for many

years as the “drop of blood,” but its locality had been lost. While searching to

rediscover species he had photographed years ago, he rediscovered “drop of

blood” in 1984. Although vegetatively similar to many other species of Lepanthes ,

this species is easily identified by the dark red spot in the center of the light yellow

dorsal sepal. The appendix is intricately bi-segmented.

Lepanthes habenifera Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 53(4): 371,

1984.

Ety.: From the Latin habena, “a strap or thong,” and -fer, “bearing,” referring to the strap-shaped

appendix.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Secondary stems weak, slender, suberect, 4-8 cm

long, enclosed by 8-10 close, minutely scabrous lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf suberect to spreading,

thinly coriaceous, ovate, 3.5-4 cm long, 1.4-1.6 cm wide, the apex acuminate, acute, the rounded base

contracted into a petiole 1-2 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, distichous, successively-flowered

raceme up to 5 mm long, borne on top of the leaf by a filiform peduncle up to 1 cm long: floral bracts 1

mm long; pedicels 3.5 mm long; ovary 2.5 mm long: sepals dark red, glabrous, ovate, acute, carinate,

the dorsal sepal with margins smooth, 5 mm long, 3 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals

for 1 mm, the lateral sepals oblique, diverging, margins minutely denticulate, 4.5 mm long, 2 mm wide,

connate 1.5 mm, 2-veined; petals dark red, glabrous or at most cellular-pubescent, transversely bilobed,

1.3 mm long, 4.25 mm wide, with a setiform lobule on the outer margin as a midlobe, the upper lobe

oblong, truncate, the lower lobe subfalcate, narrowly obtuse; lip dark red, cellular-pubescent, the blades

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

115

elliptical, adherent medially over the column, 2.3 mm long, the ends rounded, the connectives broadly

cuneate, the body connate to the column below the middle, the appendix in the sinus, strap-shaped,

pubescent, 1 mm long, with an apical gland; column 1.5 mm long, the anther apical, the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Mun. Frontino, epiphytic in cloud forest, Alto de Cuevas, alt. 2020 m, 3 May 1983, C.

Luer, J. Luer, R Escobar, A. Pridgeon & E. Valencia 8966 (Holotype: SEL); Urrao, alt. 1500 m, col¬

lected by A. Cogollo, 1990, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 2 Jan. 1993, R. Escobar 5190

(MO); epiphytic in cloud forest north of the pass between Urrao and Carmen de Atrato, alt. 2700 m, 30

May 1995, C. Luer et al. 17655 (MO); Yarumal, Entrada del Cedros, alt. 1900 m, flowered in cultiva¬

tion at Colomborquideas, 3 June 1995, C. Luer 17710 (MO).

Choco: San Jose del Palmar, Cerro del Torra, cloud forest above heliport, alt. 1920-1950 m, 11

Aug. 1988, P. Silverstone-Sopkin, J. E. Ramos, L. H. Ramos, N. Paz, R. T. Gonzalez & A. Henao 4325

(CUCY).

Risaralda: Pueblo Rico, alt. 2400 m, 14 May 1993, C. Luer et al. 16841 (MO).

Colombia: without collecting data, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 28 Apr. 1983, C.

Luer 8852 (SEL).

Lepanthes habenifera grows mixed with several other species of Lepanthes

including L. felis. Among the species similar to L. mucronata , it is probably closest

to L. quandi Luer & R. Escobar. The leaves of L. quandi terminate with a linear

acumen rather than a tapering, acute apex; the dorsal sepal is denticulate rather

than smooth-margined; and the appendix of the lip is considerably smaller.

Another similar Colombian species, L. heteroloba Luer, R. Escobar & Thoerle, is

distinguished by flowers with petals with a lower lobe much smaller than the upper

lobe, and a lip with a proportionally larger appendix.

Lepanthes helgae Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 18(1): 52, 1991.

Ety.: Named in honor of Helga Koniger, who with her husband Willibald Koniger of Miinchen,

Germany, discovered this species.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 2.5-5.5 cm long,

enclosed by 6-7 microscopically ciliate-scabrous lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, ellip¬

tical, subacute to obtuse, 1.5-2.7 cm long, 0.8-1.2 cm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole 2-3 mm long.

Inflorescence a loose, successively few-flowered raceme 2-5 cm long including the slender peduncle

1.5 mm long; floral bracts 2 mm long; pedicels 2 mm long; ovary 1.5 mm long; sepals large, translu¬

cent yellow, glabrous, ovate, acute, long-acuminate, long-caudate with slender caudae 6 mm long, mar¬

gins smooth, the dorsal sepal 15 mm long including the cauda, 5 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the

lateral sepals for 1.5 mm, the lateral sepals oblique, diverging, 17 mm long including the caudae,

connate 6 mm, 9 mm wide together, each 2-veined; petals red, microscopically pubescent, transversely

bilobed, 1 mm long, 4.5 mm wide, the upper lobe suboblong, truncate, the lower lobe narrowly sub¬

oblong, obtuse, about as long as the upper lobe; lip red, bilaminate, the blades oblong, 2 mm long, the

apices rounded, microscopically pubescent, the bases truncate and deeply concave from below and

enveloping the connectives, the connectives oblong, mostly concealed within the cucullate base of the

blades, the body thick, connate to the base of the column, the appendix thick, broadly triangular, acute,

pubescent; column slender, 2 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Mun. Abejorral, vereda La Labor, epiphytic in cloud forest, alt. 2250 m, collected in

Aug. 1988 by H. & W. Koniger K-165a, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 18 Mar. 1989, C.

Luer 14261 (Holotype: MO).

This attractive species, apparently endemic in a small area of the Central Cor¬

dillera, is distinguished by large, long-tailed flowers, produced in a loosely flow¬

ered raceme eventually exceeding the leaf. Most distinctive, however, is the pair of

labellar blades. The apices are rounded and flat, but the bases are deeply concave

from beneath, shrouding the connectives.

The most similar Colombian species are Lepanthes beatrizae and L. fonnegrae.

All three are small plants producing large caudate flowers in a loosely flowered

raceme. Lepanthes helgae is the largest of the three vegetatively. Lepanthes

116

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

beatrizae is distinguished by a cristate-spiculate ovary as well as proportionally

minute petals, while the sepals of L. fonnegrae are proportionally wider.

Lepanthes helicocephala Rchb. f., Xenia Orch. 1: 150 (1856).

Ety.: From the Greek helicocephale , “a twisted head,” probably referring to the petiole of the leaf

with the flowers borne along the back side.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 2-6 cm long,

enclosed by 6-9 glabrous to microscopically ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, ellip¬

tical-ovate, obtuse, 2-3 cm long, 1.5-2 cm wide, the base broadly cuneate or rounded, contracted into a

petiole 1-1.5 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, distichous, successively many-flowered raceme up

to 10 mm long, borne behind the leaf by a filiform peduncle 7-12 mm long; floral bracts 1 mm long;

pedicels 1.5 mm long; ovary 2.5 mm long; sepals light yellow-brown, glabrous, carinate, margins

smooth, the dorsal sepal narrowly triangular, acute, 5.5 mm long, 2 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the

lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals ovate, oblique, acute, apices approximate, 4.75 mm long,

2.25 mm wide, 2-veined, connate at the base; petals orange-brown, minutely pubescent, transversely

bilobed, 1.4 mm long, 2.6 mm wide, the upper lobe oblong-ovate, rounded at the apex, the lower lobe

broad at the base but contracted about midway into a narrow apex; lip orange-brown, minutely pubes¬

cent, bilaminate, the blades convex, ovoid, the labellar lobe contracted above the middle to a narrow

apex without forming a blade, 1.5 mm long, the connectives broadly cuneate, the body broad, connate

to the column at the base, the appendix short, ovate, concave, pubescent, incurved, in an association

with a stigmatic process; column 1.5 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Colombia: expected.

Also Surinam (Mariepaston, Holotype, Kegel 1359: herbarium of deposition unknown), Guyana

(Roche Touatou, Bassin du Sinnamary), Venezuela (Bolivar, Amazonas), Ecuador (Sucumbios, Napo,

Morona-Santiago), Brazil (Acre), Peru (Pasco), and Bolivia (Cochabamba).

This species is widely distributed in lowland Amazonian South America from

the Guyanas, through Brazil to Ecuador and Peru. Although it does not seem to

have been reported from Colombia, it certainly must occur there. In spite of its

extensive range, it remains vegetatively and florally stable. The flowers are borne

behind the leaf in a congested raceme. The sepals are acute, with the dorsal sepal

narrow and the laterals broad at the base and held in apposition. Very characteristi¬

cally, the lower lobes of the petals and the apices of the blades of the lip are con¬

tracted above the middle into narrow portions, with the apices of the labellar lobes

not forming blades.

Lepanthes hemirhoda Garay, Canad. J. Bot. 34: 250, 1956.

Ety.: From the Greek hemirhoda , “half red,” referring to the colors of the flower.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 4-12 cm long,

enclosed by 10-12 minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical, acute, acu¬

minate, 3.5-5.5 cm long, 1.2-1.5 cm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole 2-3 mm long. Inflorescence 3-

6, erect, lax, successively few-flowered racemes to 6 cm long including the peduncle E5-2 cm long;

floral bracts 2 mm long; pedicels 2 mm long; ovary 1 mm long; sepals yellow, glabrous, margins

smooth, the dorsal sepal suffused with purple toward the apex, ovate, obtuse, 2.5 mm long, 2 mm wide,

3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for ca. 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals ovate, oblique, diverging, 2.6

mm long, connate E5 mm into a synsepal 2 mm wide, each 1-veined; petals orange with purple mar¬

gins, transversely bilobed, upper lobes overlapping, 0.5 mm long, the upper lobe broadly oblong,

subtruncate with rounded angles, 2 mm long, 1 mm wide, the lower lobe narrowly suboblong, obtuse,

ca. 0.6 mm long, 0.3 mm wide; lip purple, bilaminate, the blades narrowly ovate, acute at the tip,

rounded at the base, E2 mm long, the connectives narrowly cuneate, the body narrow, connate to above

the base of the column, the appendix short, oblong, pubescent; column slender, 1 mm long, the anther

and stigma apical.

Norte de Santander: region del Sarare, between Alto del Oro and Alto de Santa Inez, alt. 1800-

2200 m, 18-21 Oct. 1941, J. Cuatrecasas, R. E. Schultes & E. Smith 12458 (Holotype: US; Isotype:

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

117

COL); Santa Inez, alt. 2050 m, 23 May 1982, C. Luer & R. Escobar 7930 (SEL); same area, alt. 2100

m, 13 May 1984, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 10309 (MO).

This species is endemic in the easternmost part of the Eastern Cordillera, and

was one of the species of Lepanthes illustrated by the eighteenth century Spanish

expedition led by Mutis. It is characterized by a fascicle of several slender, dis¬

tantly few-flowered racemes, not quite as long as the elliptical, acuminate leaf The

flowers are small and colorful, with the large upper lobes of the petals overlapping

and nearly occluding the dorsal sepal. Lepanthes biglomeris , also found in the

Eastern Cordillera, has petals with similarly large, broad upper lobes and much

smaller lower lobes, but the two-veined lateral sepals of L. biglomeris are den¬

ticulate rather than smooth-margined, and the body of the lip is very broad, with

the oblong appendix protruding as far as or slightly farther than the tips of the

blades of the lip.

Lepanthes heptapus Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 52(12): 1266,

1983.

Ety.: From the Greek hepta-, “seven-,” and -pus, “-footed,” in reference to the seven-footed

creature in the center of the flower.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots fine. Ramicauls slender, erect, 1.54 cm long, enclosed by

5-8 close, microscopically scabrous lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf suberect, coriaceous, subconduplicate,

lanceolate, 15-20 mm long, 4-5 mm wide, the truncate apex conspicuously tridentate. Inflorescence a

congested, secund, successively flowered raceme up to 5 mm long, borne by a filiform peduncle 8-10

mm long on top of the leaf; floral bracts 1 mm long; pedicels 3 mm long; ovary 1 mm long, the ribs cel¬

lular-denticulate; sepals yellow, suffused with red-brown, glabrous, subequal, free to near the base,

ovate, carinate, the margins and carinae denticulate, the dorsal sepal concave, subacute, 3.3 mm long,

1.6 mm wide, 3-veined, the lateral sepals oblique, diverging widely, acute, 3.3 mm long, 1.3 mm wide,

2-veined; petals yellow, divided nearly to the base into 3 flexible, filiform, ciliate segments 1-2 mm

long, 0.1 mm wide; lip purple, the blades elliptical, 1 mm long, with rounded ends, long-pubescent, the

connectives cuneate, pubescent, the body narrow, connected to the middle of the column, the appendix

filiform, ciliate, 1.5 mm long; column slender, 2 mm long, the apex ciliate, the anther dorsal, the stigma

ventral.

Antioquia: Mun. Frontino, Alto de Cuevas, alt. 2050 m, 14 May 1983, R. Escobar & E. Valencia

2601 (Holotype: SEL), C. Luer illustr. 9097; same locality, 12 Apr. 1974, R. Escobar et al., flowered in

cultivation by M. & O. Robledo at La Ceja, 22 June 1974, R. Escobar 1261 (JAUM); Entrerrios, Meso¬

potamia, alt. 2050 m, Dec. 1974, R. Escobar s.n. (JAUM); Frontino, Alto de Cuevas, alt. 2050 m, C.

Luer et al. 17601 (MO).

This species is easily recognized by the deeply divided petals with three

slender, flexible, ciliated segments, and the similar long, ciliated appendix of the

lip. Altogether seven hairy, spiderlike legs protrude from behind the pubescent

blades of the lip in the center of the flower.

Two other Colombian species bear flowers with similar filiform segments of

the petals. Lepanthes heptapus is distinguished from L. aguirrei by the latter’s

larger size and stoutly caudate sepals. The similar L. hexapus differs with wider

ovate leaves and a lip with a much shorter, ovoid appendix.

Lepanthes heteroloba Luer, R. Escobar & Thoerle, Harvard Pap. Bot. 16(2): 328,

2011.

Ety.: From the Greek heterolobus , “with different lobes,” referring to the lobes of the petals.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, more or less arching

near the leaf, 5-7 cm long, enclosed by 7-8 microscopically ciliate, close lepanthiform sheaths with

118

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

acuminate tips. Leaf horizontal to pendent, coriaceous, ovate, acute, acuminate at the tip, rounded at the

base, 3-3.5 cm long, 1.2-1.3 cm wide, the base contracted into a petiole less than 1 mm long. Inflores¬

cence a very congested, successively many-flowered raceme up to 9 mm long, borne on top of the leaf

by a filiform peduncle 2-8 mm long; floral bracts 0.75 mm long; pedicels overlapping, 1.5 mm long;

ovary 1.5 mm long; sepals glabrous, translucent light yellow, suffused with light purple at the base, the

dorsal sepal with margins smooth, ovate, subacute, 3.4 mm long, 2.2 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the

lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals ovate, oblique, diverging, subacute to obtuse, margins

minutely denticulate, each 2.75 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 1.5 mm; petals orange,

microscopically cellular, transversely bilobed, 0.5 mm long at the base, 3.5 mm wide, with a capillary

marginal lobule 1 mm long between the lobes, the upper lobe obliquely oblong, subtruncate, 2.5 mm

long, 1.3 mm wide, 2-veined, the lower lobe triangular, acute, 1 mm long, 0.5 mm wide; lip translucent

red, margins shortly ciliate, bilaminate, the blades semi-oblong with rounded ends, adherent medially

over the column, 1.25 mm long, the connectives narrow, oblique, inserted above the middle of the

blade, the body short, connate to the base of the column, the sinus obtuse with an oblong, pubescent

appendix, transversely cleft at the tip, 0.4 mm long; column 2 mm long, with the anther dorsal, the

stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Mesopotamia, alt. 2400 m, 25 May 1984, R. Escobar S421 (Holotype: MO), C. Luer

illustr. 11391.

This delicate little species with drooping leaves and a very congested raceme

atop is superficially similar to Lepanthes quandi , another member of the

“Lepanthes mucronata group,” but the sepals are subacute, not shortly acuminate.

The petals are most distinctive with the upper lobe obliquely oblong and much

larger than a sharply acute, small lower lobe, rather than subequal in size. Both

species share a very slender midlobe emerging from the margin between the two

transverse lobes of the petals, and a lip with translucent blades adherent over the

column. In L. heteroloba , these blades are supported by narrow, oblique con¬

nectives inserted above the middle of the blade, while in L. quandi the connectives

are cuneate and inserted below the middle of the blade. The petals of the similar L.

habenifera have upper and lower lobes nearly equal in length.

Lepanthes hexapus Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 16(2): 144, 1984.

Ety.: From the Greek hexapous , “six-footed,” referring to the six segments of a pair of petals.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 1-2 cm long, enclosed

by 5-6 ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, veined in purple, ovate, acute, 10-17 mm

long, 7 mm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole 1 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, successively

several-flowered raceme up to 4 mm long, borne behind the leaf by a filiform peduncle 5-6 mm long;

floral bracts 1 mm long; pedicels 2 mm long; ovary 1 mm long; sepals glabrous, margins denticulate,

the dorsal sepal red, obovate, obtuse, shortly acuminate, 5 mm long, 2.25 mm wide, 3-veined, free from

the lateral sepals, the lateral sepals yellow, free except at the base, oblong, diverging, acute, 5 mm long,

E5 mm wide, 2-veined; petals bright orange, tripartite, the parts filiform, 2 mm long, the uppermost

ciliate, the others short-ciliate; lip purple, bilaminate, the blades narrowly elliptical-oblong, minutely

ciliate, 2.25 mm long, the connectives short, broadly cuneate, connate to the column near the middle,

the sinus acute with the appendix pubescent, ovoid, bilobulate at the apex; column slender, 2.5 mm

long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Narino: epiphytic in cloud forest above Ricaurte, alt. 1600 m, 3 November 1979, C. Luer, J. Luer,

A. Hirtz & K. Walter 4619 (Holotype: SEL).

Choco: “planta epifita del estrato arborio medio y bajo en el Cerro Mecana,” alt. 1200 m, July

1988, G. Misas Urreta 76a (HPUJ).

Risaralda: Pueblo Rico, alt. 2100 m, April 1993, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 23

May 1995, C. Luer 17601 (MO).

Also Ecuador (Esmeraldas, Carchi, Imbabura, Pichincha).

This tiny species occurs sporadically in the Andes from central Colombia to

central Ecuador. It is characterized by a congested raceme shorter than the ovate

leaf. The sepals are narrow, with the laterals denticulate and essentially free from

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

119

each other. The petals are divided into three slender, diverging, nearly equal fili¬

form segments. The upper segment is ciliate; the other segments are short-ciliate.

The blades of the lip are narrowly oblong and the appendix is ovoid and pubescent.

In the living flower, the six parts of the petals protruding from behind the ciliate

blades of the lip look very much like a struggling insect. This species resembles

Lepanthes heptapus in both epithet and appearance, but L. heptapus is

distinguished by narrowly ovate leaves and a lip with a long, filiform appendix.

Lepanthes hirpex Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 54(5): 584, 1985.

Ety.: From the Latin hirpex , “a rake,” in reference to the appearance of the long-pedicellate rachis.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 5-7 cm long,

enclosed by 5-6 close, microscopically ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, thickly coriaceous,

ovate, subacute, 27-42 mm long, 18-25 mm wide, the rounded base abruptly contracted into a petiole 2-

3 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, distichous, long-pedicellate, successively flowered raceme up to

10 mm long, borne behind the leaf by a filiform peduncle 10-20 mm long; floral bracts 1-1.5 mm long,

echinate; pedicels 3-4 mm long; ovary 1.75 mm long; sepals yellow, suffused with red along the mid¬

vein, glabrous, ovate, obtuse, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal 3 mm long, 2 mm wide, 3-veined,

connate to the lateral sepals for 1 mm, the lateral sepals oblique, diverging, connate 1.5 mm, 3 mm

long, 2.75 mm wide together, each 2-veined; petals yellow, suffused with red medially, micro¬

scopically pubescent, transversely oblong-bilobed, 1 mm long, 3.75 mm wide, the lobes subequal,

oblong with rounded apices; lip orange-brown, the blades elliptical-oblong, lightly concave, 1.2 mm

long, with obtuse ends, glabrous except for ciliate apices, the connectives cuneate, the narrow body

connate to the base of the column, the sinus obtuse with a broadly ovoid, pubescent appendix; column

1.2 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma apical.

Antioquia: Mun. Antioquia, Boqueron, alt. 2200-2500 m, collected April 1983 by E. Acevedo,

flowered in cultivation by L. & J. Posada at Colomborquideas, El Retiro, 29 April 1984, R Escobar

3264 (Holotype: JAUM; Isotypes: COL, MO); Urrao, Pabon, Las Cruces, alt. 2400 m, collected by E.

Valencia, 23 May 1984, flowered in cultivation by L. & J. Posada at Colomborquideas, 9 July 1984, R.

Escobar 3299 (MO); epiphytic in forest near Yarumalito, northeast of Santa Rosa, alt. 2350 m, 15 May

1985, C. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 11380,11378 (MO).

Choco: San Jose del Palmar, Cerro del Torra, alt. 1920-1950 m, 8 Aug. 1988, P. Silvcrstone-

Sopkin, N. Paz, R. T. Gonzalez, J. E. Ramos, L. H. Ramos & A. Hcnao 4152 (MO).

Valle del Cauca: Lago Calima, collected by E. Valencia, July 1991, flowered in cultivation by L.

& J. Posada at Colomborquideas, 5-9 May 1993, C. Luer 16725 (MO).

Also Ecuador (Esmeraldas).

This species is similar to Lepanthes larvina Luer & R. Escobar, but differs in

the deeply connate lateral sepals; broader lobes of the petals; and an appendix in

the sinus of the lip, instead of on the external surface below the sinus. Lepanthes

rutrum Luer & R. Escobar, also known from Valle del Cauca, bears similar flow¬

ers, but they decorate the dorsum of a much broader, heart-shaped leaf borne by

ramicauls up to twelve centimeters long.

Lepanthes hirsutula Luer & Hirtz, Lindleyana 2: 135, 1987.

Ety.: From the Latin hirsutulus , “a little hairy,” referring to the petals, lip and appendix.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect to suberect, slender, 10-27 mm

long, enclosed by 5-6 ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, suffused with purple beneath, coriaceous,

narrowly ovate, acute, 18-25 mm long, 4-7 mm wide, the cuneate base contracted into a petiole ca. 1

mm long. Inflorescence a congested, distichous, successively several-flowered raceme up to 8 mm

long, borne on top of the leaf by a filiform peduncle 10-18 mm long; floral bracts 0.75-1 mm long,

lightly muricate; pedicels 1.5-2 mm long; ovary 1 mm long; sepals yellow, suffused with red medially,

glabrous, carinate, caudate, margins microscopically cellular-denticulate, the dorsal sepal elliptical,

concave, 5 mm long, 3.5 mm wide expanded, the obtuse apex abruptly contracted into a 1 mm long

cauda, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals oblong, oblique, diverging

widely, 5.5 mm long, 2.25 mm wide, connate 1 mm, the acute apices contracted into 1 mm long caudae,

120

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

2-veined; petals orange, long-ciliate, transversely bilobed, 0.5 mm long, 2.75 mm wide, the lobes

narrowly oblong, narrowly obtuse, the lower lobe lightly falcate, smaller; lip red, bilaminate, the blades

narrowly oblong with rounded ends, pubescent, 1.75 mm long, the connectives broadly cuneate, the

thick body connate to the base of the column, with a large, broadly oblong, shallowly grooved, pubes¬

cent protuberance, resembling a very large appendix; column 1.5 mm long, the anther and the stigma

apical.

Putumayo: purchased from a collector, 2008, flowered in cultivation in Bogota, Colombia, 2009,

by Ramon De Bedout, L. Thoerle 130 (MO), C. Luer illus. 21469.

Also Ecuador (Esmeraldas, Holotype, C. Luer et al. 12365 : MO; Imbabura).

This small, delicate species is apparently restricted to the wet forests of south¬

ern Colombia and northwestern Ecuador. It is distinguished by the small size with

very narrowly ovate leaves and a shorter raceme borne along the dorsal surface of

the leaf. The sepals are ovate, acuminate, shortly caudate, and denticulate; the

petals are transversely narrowly oblong and long-pubescent; and the blades of the

lip are elliptical and also pubescent. The connectives are exceptionally broad, with

a broad, rounded, protuberant, pubescent body without an appendix.

Lepanthes hirtzii Luer, Phytologia 54(1): 345, 1983.

Ety.: Named in honor of Alexander C. Hirtz of Quito, Ecuador, who has discovered innumerable

species of orchids new to science.

Plant large, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect, slender to stout, 7-38 cm long,

enclosed by 8-15 close, glabrous to microscopically scabrous lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, thinly

coriaceous, elliptical, 8-13 cm long, 2-5.5 cm wide, the apex long-acuminate, the base broadly cuneate

into a petiole 5-7 mm long. Inflorescence a subdensely flowered raceme 8-15 cm long, including the

peduncle 5-8 cm long, 2-3 flowers open simultaneously; floral bracts 2 mm long; pedicels 3 mm long;

ovary 1.5 mm long, narrowly winged; sepals orange with brown or purple veins, glabrous, carinate,

ovate, acute, acuminate, margins minutely ciliate or glabrous, the dorsal sepal 11 mm long, 9 mm wide,

3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 4 mm to form a broad, shallow cup, the margins of all 3

sepals more or less erose and dilated above the angles of connation, the lateral sepals oblique, 11 mm

long, 6 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 3 mm; petals yellow, more or less suffused with brown or purple,

transversely elliptical, bilobed, 1.25 mm long, 2.75 mm wide, minutely pubescent, the lobes about

equal, subtriangular, obtuse; lip orange to brown, bilaminate, the blades elliptical-ovate, lightly

concave, 2 mm long, minutely ciliate, the ends rounded, the connectives broadly cuneate, the body

broad, connate to the column above the base, the appendix very small, suborbicular, bearing a pair of

even smaller terminal rounded lobules, glabrous; column 2 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma

ventral.

Putumayo: cloud forest between La Cocha and Sibundoy, alt. 2700 m, 30 July 1978,C. Luer et al.

3118 (SEL).

Also Ecuador (Pichincha, Holotype, C. Luer, J. Luer & A. Hirtz 4394\ SEL; Loja; Morona-

Santiago; Zamora-Chinchipe).

This large, handsome species is known from collections in southern Colombia,

but is found more frequently on both sides of the Andes in northern Ecuador and

on the eastern slopes in southern Ecuador. It is recognized by its large size, with a

subdense raceme of large, red, orange to purple flowers that equals or surpasses

the leaf in length. The sepals are deeply connate into a bowl, dilated and more or

less erose above their connation; the petals are very small; and the lip is unremark¬

able except for the tiny, two-eared appendix. The flowers of the other Colombian

species with similarly bowl-shaped flowers, e.g., Lepanthes chelonion , L.

cymbium , are borne in a more distantly-flowered raceme.

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

121

Lepanthes hortensis Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 17(3): 194, 1988.

Ety.: From the Latin hortus , “a garden,” referring to the village of Jardin near where this species

was discovered.

Plant medium to large in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 12-21

cm long, enclosed by 10-17 minutely scabrous lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf suberect to spreading, thinly

coriaceous, suffused with purple beneath, elliptical-ovate, 5-7 cm long, 1.9-2.4 cm mm wide, the apex

acute, long-acuminate, the cuneate to rounded base contracted into a petiole ca. 1 mm long. Inflores¬

cence a congested, successively many-flowered raceme up to 10 mm long, borne on top of the leaf by a

filiform peduncle 3-4 cm long; floral bracts 1.5 mm long; pedicels 3 mm long; ovary 4 mm long, lightly

winged; sepals translucent orange, lightly suffused with brown, glabrous, carinate, margins micro¬

scopically denticulate, the dorsal sepal broadly ovate, obtuse, shortly acuminate, 6.5 mm long, 5.5 mm

wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 2 mm, the lateral sepals ovate, oblique, diverging,

acute, 6.25 mm long, 3 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 3 mm; petals yellow, suffused with red-purple at

the base, microscopically pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1.25 mm long, 5 mm wide, with a slender,

horizontal marginal process at the middle, the upper lobe oblong, truncate, the lower lobe slightly

smaller, triangular, acute; lip white with brown margins, bilaminate, the blades thin, flat, micro¬

scopically pubescent, oblong-lunate, adherent medially over the column, with the apices rounded, 2.3

mm long, the connectives short, cuneate, from near the middle, the body narrow, connate to the base of

the column, the appendix large, ca. 1 mm long, pubescent, tonguelike, with a minute apical gland;

column 1.5 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Mun. Jardin, Alto de Yentanas, between Jardin and Riosucio, alt. 2800 m, 26 May

1983, R Escobar, J. & L. Posada, et al. 2727 (Holotype: MO), C. Luer illustr. 9116; same collection,

flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 3 Nov. 1983, R. Escobar 3161 (JAUM); collection data

unknown, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 5-9 May 1983, C. Luer 16722 (MO).

This relatively large species resembles the common and widespread Lepanthes

mucronata. Thin labellar blades adherent over the column are seen in several

similar species with a medial apiculum or lobe on the petals. However, the large,

pubescent, tonguelike appendix of L. hortensis is distinctive. Lepanthes hortensis

is most similar to L. quandi , but the former is distinguished by the larger plant;

larger orange flowers; and petals with a longer, slender medial apiculum.

Lepanthes hubeinii Luer, Orchidee (Hamburg) 38(2): 58, 1987.

Ety.: Named in honor of Herr Hubein of Berlin, who collected this species.

Plant small to medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 4-7

cm long, enclosed by 6-7 essentially glabrous lepanthiform sheaths with the margins of the ostia micro¬

scopically scabrous. Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical, 25-30 mm long, 15-18 mm wide, the subacute to

obtuse apex shortly acuminate, the base cuneate into the petiole ca. 1 mm long. Inflorescence a con¬

gested, distichous, successively several-flowered raceme up to 4 mm long, borne on top of the leaf by a

filiform peduncle 13-20 mm long; floral bracts minutely ciliate, 1.5 mm long; pedicels 1.5 mm long;

ovary 3 mm long; sepals light yellow-orange, glabrous, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal broadly ovate,

obtuse, 3.5 mm long, 2.2 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals

ovate, oblique, diverging, acute, 3.25 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 1.5 mm; petals orange,

ciliate, minutely pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1 mm long, 4.5 mm wide, 3-veined, the lobes

triangular, narrowly obtuse, subequal, the upper lobe slightly larger; lip red, bilaminate, the blades

narrowly ovate, with the apices and bases narrowly rounded, 2.25 mm long, ciliate, microscopically

pubescent, the connectives short, forming a broad body, connate to the base of the column, the sinus

slightly protuberant with a narrowly oblong, ciliate appendix 1 mm long, convex for the greater part,

delicately winged above the middle, with a bifid, pubescent gland at the apex; column 2 mm long, the

anther apical, the stigma ventral.

Colombia: Eastern Cordillera, without specific locality, collected by Herr Hubein, cultivated at the

University of Heidelberg 0-14251, flowered in cultivation 16 Oct. 1985, C. Luer 11422 (Holotype:

MO).

This species may be recognized by the short inflorescence lying upon the

shortly acuminate, elliptical leaves; the large, ciliate petals; and the narrow, ciliate

122

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

blades of the lip with a long, conspicuous, intricately sculpted appendix. Lepanthes

hubeinii resembles L. zapatae Luer & R. Escobar from the Western Cordillera,

with proportionally large petals with more or less triangular lobes overlying

slightly reflexed sepals. The latter is distinguished by lateral sepals connate less

than half their length; petals with the apices of the upper lobes overlapping; and a

lip with a minute, external appendix.

Lepanthes hurgo Luer & Behar, Revista Soc. Boliv. Bot. 4(1): 7, 2003.

Ety.: From the Lilliputian hurgo , “a great lord,” referring to the minute size of the flower.

Plant very small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 20 mm long,

enclosed by 4 closely fitting, sparsely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, ovate, acute,

15 mm long, 9 mm wide, the base broadly cuneate into a petiole 1 mm long. Inflorescence a loose, dis¬

tichous, slightly flexuous, successively several-flowered raceme up to 7 mm long, borne behind the leaf

by a slender peduncle 6 mm long; floral bracts 1 mm long; pedicels 1-2 mm long; ovary 0.5 mm long;

sepals yellow, glabrous, ovate, acute, margins smooth, 1-veined, the dorsal sepal slightly concave, 1.3

mm long, 1 mm wide, connate basally to the lateral sepals for 0.25 mm, the lateral sepals free, oblique,

diverging widely, 1.3 mm long, 0.75 mm wide; petals orange, red-orange toward the base, micro¬

scopically pubescent, transversely bilobed, 0.5 mm long, 2.25 mm wide, with the lobes nearly equal,

opposite, ovate, narrowly obtuse; lip red, bilobed, microscopically pubescent, the lobes cuneate, 0.4

mm long, with the truncate margin slightly thickened as a vestigial blade, the connectives oblong, as

wide as the body, with the appendix minute, triangular; column 0.6 mm long, the anther dorsal, the

stigma apical.

Colombia: without collection data, purchased from a street vendor, M. Behar 154 (Holotype: MO),

C. Luer illustr. 19896.

This tiny species is characterized by an ovate leaf borne by a slightly longer,

slender ramicaul. The successively flowered raceme is borne on the back of the

leaf. The flowers are extremely small, with single-veined, acute, ovate sepals less

than one and a half millimeters long. The petals are proportionally large, with

ovate lobes mostly obscuring the sepals. The twice larger column protrudes from

the center of the lobes of the minute lip. The lobes are truncate with the margin

slightly thickened. The connectives form the body with a triangular appendix.

Lepanthes hyphosa Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 17(3): 199, 1988.

Ety.: From the Greek hypha , “a thread of the mycelium of a fungus,” referring to the thread-like

lobes of the petals.

Plant very small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender but thicker than the ramicauls. Ramicauls

slender, erect, 7-17 mm long, enclosed by 5-6 tightly fitting, cellular-ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf

erect, coriaceous, elliptical, subacute, 7-12 mm long, 4.5-6.5 mm wide, the base cuneate into a 1 mm

long petiole. Inflorescence a subdense, long-pedicellate, distichous, successively few-flowered raceme

up to 3 mm long, borne slightly beyond the leaf by a filiform peduncle 8-11 mm long; floral bracts 1

mm long, muriculate; pedicels 1.5-2 mm long; ovary 1 mm long; sepals light yellow, diffusely suffused

with rose, glabrous, ovate, acute, carinate, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal 3.4 mm long, 1.6 mm wide,

3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.25 mm, the lateral sepals oblique, diverging, 3.2 mm long,

1.2 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 0.75 mm; petals yellow, bilobed with a minute marginal apiculum at

the middle, 0.25 mm long, 3.5 mm wide, the lobes filiform, about equally long; lip rose-red, U-shaped,

1.2 mm long, the lobes obtuse, embracing and protruding above the column, shortly pubescent, the

margins near the apex long-ciliate, the rounded apex shortly bicleft, forming a narrowly triangular

“midlobe” between the margins of the cleft, connate to the base of the column; column slender, 1 mm

long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Mun. Yarumal, Briceno, Quebrada El Oro, alt. 1820 m, collected by R. Escobar & E.

Valencia, 14 Feb. 1984, flowered in cultivation by L. & J. Posada at Colomborquideas, 27 June 1984,

R. Escobar 5272 (Holotype: MO), C. Luer illustr. 11530.

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

123

This tiny species resembles the common and widespread Lepanthes acarina ,

with a raceme borne by a long peduncle, slightly exceeding the small, elliptical

leaf. The flowers, however, bear little resemblance, with the lobes of the petals

finely filiform rather than oblong, and the long-ciliate lip surrounding the column

like a collar. The apex is shortly doubly split, so that when spread a tiny, triangular

midlobe can be seen between the margins of the cleft.

Lepanthes ictalurus Luer, Phytologia 54(5): 346, 1983.

Ety.: Named for the genus Ictalurus Raf., the genus of the common catfish.

Plant small to medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect to

suberect, 2.5-8 cm long, enclosed by 5-15 long-ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous,

elliptical to broadly elliptical or subcircular, 10-20 mm long, 8-11 mm wide, the apex obtuse to

rounded, the rounded base contracted into a petiole 1-2 mm long. Inflorescence a progressively length¬

ening, successively flowered, flexuous, distichous raceme up to 14 cm long including the filiform

peduncle 2-2.5 cm long; floral bracts 1.5 mm long; pedicels 2-4 mm long; ovary 1.5 mm long, with

serrulate wings; sepals purple to red-brown with yellow margins, glabrous, spiculate along the margins

and carinate nerves externally, the dorsal sepal narrowly triangular, concave, 7 mm long, 2.5 mm wide,

3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1 mm, the lateral sepals connate 5 mm into a shallowly

concave, ovate, bifid synsepal 7 mm long, 3.5 mm wide, each 2-veined, the apices approximate, acute;

petals yellow to orange, suffused with rose, long-ciliate-pubescent, markedly unequally transversely

bilobed, 0.75 mm long, 4.5 mm wide, the upper lobes short, more or less truncate, incurved into

apposition over the column, the lower lobes long-acuminate, linear-triangular; lip red-brown to yellow,

suffused with rose, bilaminate, the blades elliptical, glabrous, 2 mm long, the apex of each abruptly

contracted into a filiform appendage 2 mm long, the connectives short, broadly rectangular, the body

broad, connate to the column above the middle, the sinus pubescent with the appendix reduced to a

minute apiculum; column slender, cylindrical, 2.5 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Putumayo: epiphytic in scrub forest in the paramo between La Cocha and Sibundoy, alt. 3000 m,

26 Jan. 1987, C. Luer, J. Luer, C. H. Dodson, O. de Benavides, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 12530 (MO).

Also Ecuador (Loja, Holotype, Luer et al. 7151: SEL; Cotopaxi; Pastaza; Morona-Santiago;

Zamora-Chinchipe).

This grotesquely flowered species is widely distributed in the Andes of Ecua¬

dor, with a single collection known from Colombia. It is one of the most readily

distinguished species, easily identified by the long, flexuous racemes of yellow-

bordered, red, prickly flowers, with petals with long-acuminate lower lobes and

abbreviated, obtuse, incurved upper lobes. Each of the anterior lobes of the lip has

a long, slender process, reminiscent of the barbels of a catfish.

Lepanthes nematostele Luer has similar cristate, concave sepals, with the

laterals deeply connate; petals with a much longer lower lobe; and a long, thin

column with the lip connate above the middle. Lepanthes nematostele differs with

a small lip with arcuate, agglutinated blades.

Lepanthes illex Luer, Phytologia 54(5): 347, 1983.

Ety.: From the Latin illex , “seductive,” referring to a presumed attractive function of the appendix.

Plant medium to large in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots coarse. Ramicauls slender to stout, erect,

6-35 cm long, enclosed by 7-16 glabrous to microscopically scabrous lepanthiform sheaths, minimally

dilated at the orifice. Leaf thinly coriaceous, veined, erect, narrowly ovate, acute, acuminate, 4-15 cm

long, 1.5-3.5 cm wide, the base cuneate into the petiole 4-5 mm long. Inflorescence a sublax, succes¬

sively many-flowered raceme up to 18 cm long including the slender peduncle ca. 5 cm long behind the

leaf; floral bracts 2 mm long; pedicels 1.5 mm long; ovary 2 mm long, irregularly erose-winged; sepals

yellow, suffused with purple centrally, carinate-ciliate externally, microscopically pubescent within,

margins microscopically ciliate, the dorsal sepal triangular, acute, 10 mm long, 4 mm wide, 3-veined,

connate 1.5 mm to the lateral sepals, the lateral sepals connate 6 mm into an ovate, shortly bifid

synsepal 9.5 mm long, 5 mm wide, each 2-veined, the apices acute; petals orange, suffused with purple

124

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

medially, cellular-glandular, transversely panduriform, bilobed, 0.6 mm long, 2 mm wide, the lobes

ovate, obtuse, the lower lobe slightly smaller; lip bright purple or orange, bilaminate, the blades

oblong-ovate, convex, 1.5 mm long, glabrous, the apices subacute, the bases rounded, the connectives

broadly cuneate, the body broad, connate to the column above the base, the appendix ovate, ciliate,

pedunculate; column 1.5 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Colombia: to be expected.

Also Ecuador (Carchi, Holotype, Luer et al. 6263: SEL; Sucumbios).

This robust species, known from high altitudes in northern Ecuador, very close

to the Colombian border, is identified by its large size; bilabiate flowers borne in a

sublax raceme equaling or surpassing the acuminate leaf in length; small, trans¬

verse petals; and a lip with convex lobes and a pedunculate, pubescent appendix.

The similar Lepanthes ostraconopetala Luer & Hirtz is distinguished by its convex

petals with recurved margins.

Lepanthes imbricans Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 21(2): 147-149, 1999.

Ety.: From the Latin imbricans , “overlapping like shingles,” referring to the upper lobes of the

petals.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 4-10 cm long,

enclosed by 6-10 lepanthiform sheaths with the dilated margins of the ostia microscopically ciliate.

Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical, 3-4.5 cm long, 2-2.5 cm mm wide, the apex obtuse, shortly acuminate,

the rounded base contracted into a petiole 5 mm long. Inflorescence a loose, successively several-flow¬

ered raceme up to 5 cm long, borne behind the leaf by a filiform peduncle 15-25 mm long; floral bracts

2 mm long; pedicels 3 mm long; ovary 3 mm long; sepals orange, glabrous, subcarinate, margins

smooth, the dorsal sepal broadly ovate, obtuse, 3.6 mm long, 3.3 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the

lateral sepals for 1 mm, the lateral sepals broadly ovate, oblique, diverging, obtuse, 3.4 mm long, 2.1

mm wide, 2-veined, connate 1 mm; petals dark purple, green at the base, glabrous, transversely

bilobed, the upper lobes subcircular, overlapping, 2 mm long, 2 mm wide, with the upper margin more

or less irregular-erose, the lower lobes triangular, 0.5 mm long; lip orange, bilaminate, the blades thin,

more or less concave, glabrous, ovate, with the apices acute, with the margins irregular, 1.4 mm long,

the connectives short, broadly cuneate, the body connate to the base of the column, the appendix

oblong, pubescent, truncate-retuse at the apex; column stout, 1 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma

apical.

Cauca (probably): without specific locality, collected by J. L. Aguirre, flowered in cultivation at J

& L Orchids, Easton, Connecticut, 30 Apr. 1996, C. Luer 17855 (Holotype: MO).

This medium-sized species is distinguished by the oblong, shortly acuminate

leaf, more or less equaled in length by a lax, successively flowered raceme. The

flowers are borne in a loose raceme behind the leaf. The sepals are broadly ovate

and obtuse. The upper lobes of the deep purple petals are large, subcircular, and

overlap broadly above the column, contrasting dramatically against the orange

sepals. The lower lobes are triangular and much smaller. The blades of the lip are

thin with uneven margins, and are borne by short, broadly cuneate connectives.

The sepals and petals of Lepanthes perdita are similar, but the much smaller

flowers are borne in a much shorter, congested raceme on top of a narrowly ovate,

acute leaf.

Lepanthes imposita Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 54(1): 56, 1985.

Ety.: From the Latin impositus , “laid upon,” referring to the position of the apices of the petals.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 2-3.5 cm long, enclosed

by 3-4 close, ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical, subacute to obtuse, 15-25

mm long, 8-10 mm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole 2 mm long. Inflorescence a flexible, flexuous,

loose, successively several-flowered raceme up to 7 cm long including the filiform peduncle ca. 2 cm

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

125

long; floral bracts echinate, 1.5 mm long; pedicels 2-3 mm long; ovary 1.5 mm long; sepals light green¬

ish tan, suffused with dull purple, glabrous, triangular-ovate, acute, carinate, margins smooth, the dorsal

sepal 8.5 mm long, 4.25 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1.5 mm, the lateral sepals

oblique, diverging, 8.5 mm long, 3 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 3 mm; petals red-purple, micro¬

scopically pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1.25 mm long, 4.25 mm wide, obtusely angled on the outer

margin between the lobes, the upper lobe oblong, lightly narrowed below the rounded, incurved apex,

the apices of the opposite petals overlapping, the lower lobe obliquely triangular, obtuse, incurved; lip

red-purple, the blades broadly obovate, reniform as seen from above, convex with rounded ends,

pubescent, 2 mm long, the connectives broadly cuneate, the broad body connate to the column near the

middle, the sinus obtuse with a short, pyramidal, pubescent appendix; column 1.5 mm long, the anther

dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Norte de Santander: Cerro Pelado, epiphytic in subparamo cloud forest, alt. 2750 m, 1 May 1982,

C. Luer, J. Luer, R Escobar & D. Portillo 7671 (Holotype: SEL); flowered in cultivation by L. & J.

Posada at Colomborquideas, El Retiro, 3 Aug. 1984, R. Escobar 3337 (COL, JAUM).

This small species is characterized by the long, flexible, flexuous raceme, bear¬

ing flowers with relatively large sepals and a lip with pubescent blades. The petals

have narrowly oblong upper lobes that are slightly narrowed below the overlap¬

ping, incurved, rounded apices. The petals of Lepanthes conchyliata are similar,

but are at least as wide as the length of a sepal, and the flowers are borne by an

inflorescence no longer than the leaf.

Lepanthes impotens Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 20(3): 299-302, 1997.

Ety.: From the Latin impotens , “weak,” in reference to the habit.

Plant medium in size, weak, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls very slender, suberect,

7-11 cm long, enclosed by 12-13 microscopically scabrous lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf horizontal, pur¬

ple, thinly coriaceous, finely pubescent, ovate, acute, long-acuminate, 37-43 mm long, 9-11 mm wide,

the base rounded or broadly cuneate, contracted into a petiole ca. 1 mm long. Inflorescence a con¬

gested, subsecund, successively several-flowered raceme, up to 5 mm long, borne on top of the leaf by

a filiform peduncle 5-8 mm long; floral bracts lightly muriculate, 1 mm long; pedicels 1 mm long;

ovary 1.5 mm long; sepals translucent yellow, glabrous, subcarinate, margins denticulate, the dorsal

sepal broadly ovate, subacute, 3.5 mm long, 2.75 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for

0.5 mm, the lateral sepals connate 1.5 mm into a broadly ovate, bifid synsepal, 3.5 mm long, 3.5 mm

wide, each 2-veined, the apices acute; petals red-orange, pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1 mm long, 4

mm wide, the upper lobe subquadrate, with the apex obliquely truncate, the lower lobe narrowly

triangular, acute, attenuate; lip red-orange, bilaminate, the blades minutely pubescent, elliptical with the

ends subacute, 1.25 mm long, the connectives broadly cuneate, the body broad, connate to the base of

the column, the sinus protruding, ciliate, without an appendix; column 1 mm long, the clinandrium

large with the anther dorsal and the stigma ventral.

Risaralda: above Pueblo Rico, epiphytic in cloud forest below the TV antenna, alt. 2000 m, 14

May 1993, C. Luer, J. Luer, A. de Wilde & J. Gomez 16842 (Holotype: MO).

Vegetatively, this weak little species is similar to several other species with

very slender ramicauls with tightly applied, nondilated lepanthiform sheaths; and

small, horizontal leaves with a long-acuminate apex as long as the blade. The leaf

is finely and sparsely pubescent. The delicate plants often consist of only one

ramicaul with leaf.

The sepals and petals are nearly identical to those of the Ecuadorian Lepanthes

odohenella Luer & Hirtz, but vegetatively the latter is considerably larger and

more robust. The blades of the lip of the two species are similar, but the appendix

of L. odobenella is well-developed and relatively large with a hinge, margins, and

a central cavity. The appendix of L. impotens is reduced to a ciliate margin of the

body of the lip.

126

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Lepanthes insolita Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 17(3): 204, 1988.

Ety.: From the Latin insolitus , “strange,” referring to the unusual lip of the species.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 4-5 cm long, enclosed

by 6-7 tightly fitting, microscopically scabrous lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, ovate,

acute, 25-30 mm long, 15 mm wide, the rounded base contracted into a 1 mm long petiole. Inflores¬

cence a dense, distichous, successively several-flowered raceme up to 6 mm long, borne behind the leaf

by a filiform peduncle 6-9 mm long; floral bracts 1.5 mm long, muriculate; pedicels 2 mm long; ovary

1 mm long; sepals translucent yellow, glabrous, more or less reflexed, connate only at the very base,

low-carinate, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal elliptical, the apex rounded, 5 mm long, 2.8 mm wide,

3-veined, the lateral sepals obovate-oblong, diverging widely, 4 mm long, 2.5 mm wide, 2-veined, the

apex broadly obtuse to rounded; petals creamy yellow, bilobed, 1 mm long, 7 mm wide, the lobes

equal, oblique, narrowly triangular, narrowly obtuse, 1-veined; lip yellow, microscopically pubescent,

3-lobed, 3 mm long, 3.5 mm wide across the lateral lobes, the lateral lobes expanded, broadly oblong

with the apex rounded, the middle lobe bright red-purple, descending, narrowly triangular, acute,

connate to the column above the base; column E5 mm long, the anther and stigma apical.

Antioquia: Mun. Urrao, Pabon, Las Cruces, alt. 2400 m, collected by E. Valencia, 23 May 1984,

flowered in cultivation by L. & J. Posada at Colomborquideas, 3 Aug. 1984, R. Escobar 3354

(Holotype: JAUM; Isotype: MO), C. Luer illustr. 11524.

Vegetatively, this species is indistinguishable from hordes of other species in

the genus. Its flowers are distinctive, with obtuse, reflexed sepals; petals with pro¬

truding, hornlike upper lobes and similarly narrowly triangular lower lobes; and a

three-lobed lip. The expanded lateral lobes of the lip are broadly rounded while the

protruding, bright red-purple midlobe is long-pointed.

Lepanthes intonsa Luer, Phytologia 54(5): 348, 1983.

Ety.: From the Latin intonsus , “unshaven,” referring to the long hairs on the lip.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 2.5-4.5 cm long,

enclosed by 5-7 minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, thinly coriaceous, more or less suf¬

fused with purple, ovate, acuminate, acute, 2.5-3 cm long, E2-E7 cm wide, the rounded bases abruptly

contracted into a petiole 2 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, distichous, successively flowered

raceme up to 10 mm long, borne by a filiform peduncle 5-8 mm long along the back side of the leaf;

floral bracts echinate, 1-E25 mm long; pedicels E5-2 mm long; ovary 2.5 mm long; sepals yellow, suf¬

fused with purple, glabrous, broadly ovate, obtuse, margins minutely ciliate, the dorsal sepal 3.5-4 mm

long, 3.1 mm wide, 3-veined, connate 0.5 mm to the lateral sepals, the lateral sepals oblique, diverging,

3-3.5 mm long, 2.25 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 1 mm; petals yellow, suffused with orange, micro¬

scopically pubescent, transversely oblong, bilobed, E25 mm long, 3.75 mm wide, the outer margin

deeply indented at the junction between the oblong, apically rounded upper lobe and the smaller,

oblique, obtuse lower lobe; lip yellow, suffused with rose, bilaminate, the blades oblong-obovate,

concave, with both ends rounded, E3 mm long, the apical margin with a few very long cilia, the con¬

nectives oblong, elongated, lifting the blades above the column, the body connate to the column near

the middle, the appendix straplike, sigmoid in the lateral view, pubescent, terminating in a small gland,

hinged to the sinus; column stout, E5 mm long, the anther apical, the stigma ventral.

Cauca: Purace, alt. 2800 m, collected by E. Valencia, May 1992, flowered in cultivation at Colom¬

borquideas, 2 Jan. 1993, R. Escobar 5205 (MO); without collection data, obtained from Andrea Niessen

de Uribe, Orquideas del Valle, Cali, Valle del Cauca, flowered in cultivation by J & L Orchids, Easton,

Connecticut, Jan. 2007, C. Luer 21050 (MO).

Also Ecuador (Loja, Holotype, Luer et al. 6212\ SEL; Carchi; Morona-Santiago; Zamora-

Chinchipe), Bolivia (Cochabamba).

This species occurs locally in southern Colombia, as well as southern Ecuador

and northcentral Bolivia. Explorations in Peru may eventually connect the two

populations. Lepanthes intonsa is identified by the congested inflorescence shorter

than the ovate leaf; broad, minutely denticulate sepals; and large petals with a

prominent indentation on the outer margin between the lobes. The lip is

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

127

characterized by oblong blades with long cilia along the apical margin, often long

enough to enmesh below the column; the blades are held high above the column by

elongated connectives; and a large, sigmoid appendix is hinged to the sinus. It is

similar to L. jubata Luer, also known from Colombia, but the petals of the latter

lack the deep indentation between the lobes, and the lip is edged with long, straight

cilia on all but the interior margins.

Lepanthes ionoptera Rchb. f., Bonplandia 3: 70, 1855.

Ety.: From the Greek ionoptera , “violet-winged,” referring to the flowers.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 2-5.5 cm long, enclosed

by 4-6 minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical, subacute to obtuse, 2-3.2

cm long, 0.8-1.5 cm wide, cuneate below into a petiole 2-3 mm long. Inflorescence a loose, succes¬

sively many-flowered raceme up to 18 cm long, borne by a peduncle 3-5 cm long; floral bracts 2 mm

long; pedicels 1-4 mm long; ovary 2 mm long; sepals purple to red-brown, with or without light green

margins, glabrous, concave, ovate, acute, long-acuminate, margins smooth to minutely ciliate or erose,

the dorsal sepal 14-22 mm long, 3.5-4 mm wide, 3-veined, connate 1 mm to the lateral sepals, the

lateral sepals narrowly linear-ovate, long-attenuate, apices approximate or nearly so, 14-24 mm long,

3.5 mm wide at the base, 2-veined, connate 4 mm; petals orange-brown, microscopically pubescent,

transversely bilobed, 1 mm long, 4.5-6 mm wide, the lobes narrowly subtriangular, acute, the upper

lobe slightly longer than the lower lobe; lip rose, bilaminate, the blades oblong, slightly convex, with

both ends rounded, minutely ciliate, 1.5-2 mm long, the connectives cuneate, the body connate to the

column above the base, the appendix pedunculate, inflated, shortly pubescent, hinged at the sinus;

column stout, 2 mm long, the anther apical, the stigma ventral.

Norte de Santander: Ocana, Pericos, Rio Magdalena, Puerto Nacional, 1852, H. Wagener s.n.

(Holotype: W); Paramo de Jurisdicciones, alt. 2570 m, 30 Apr. 1982, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & D.

Portillo 7650 (SEL); Toledo, Alto de Mefue, alt. 2500 m, 12 May 1984, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar &

E. Valencia 10290 (MO).

Santander: between Bucaramanga and Berlin, alt. 2300 m, collected April 1989, by H. Angarita,

flowered in cultivation by the Robledos at La Ceja, R. Escobar 4045 (MO), C. Luer illustr. 14789.

Also Venezuela (Tachira), Bolivia (Cochabamba).

This species is one of the few of the genus Lepanthes that found their way from

the Andes into the herbaria of Europe during the nineteenth century. It is one of the

more spectacular species, with a long, loose raceme that slowly produces a succes¬

sion of large, single flowers with very narrow, long-acuminate, purplish sepals. It

is easily recognized in spite of the varied length and margins of the sepals.

Lepanthes isochila Luer, Orquideologia 20(2): 196-198, 1996.

Ety.: From the Greek isocheilos , “with equal lips,” referring to the similarity of the synsepal to the

dorsal sepal.

Plant small to medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect, slender, 3-4.5

cm long, enclosed by 5-6 microscopically scabrous lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, rigid,

thick, elliptical, obtuse, 20-25 mm long, 11-14 mm wide, with the base cuneate into a petiole 2 mm

long. Inflorescence a loose, successively few-flowered raceme 3-4 cm long including the slender

peduncle 1-2 cm long; floral bracts 1.5 mm long; pedicels 1.5-2 mm long; ovary 1.5-2 mm long; sepals

glabrous, carinate, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal green, suffused with rose-brown between the veins,

triangular, acute, 8 mm long, 5.5 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1.5 mm, the

lateral sepals green, suffused with red-brown along the margins, connate to near the apex into an acute,

triangular synsepal, 8 mm long, 5.5 mm wide, each 2-veined; petals yellow, suffused with red along the

margins and basally, cellular-glandular, transversely bilobed, 1.5 mm long, 4 mm wide, the lobes sub¬

equal, oblong with rounded apices; lip orange, bilaminate, the blades ciliate, oblong with rounded ends,

2 mm long, the connectives very short, broadly cuneate, forming a broad body, connate to the base of

the column, the sinus obtuse with a concave, triangular appendix; column semiterete, 2 mm long, with

the anther purple, dorsal, and the stigma ventral.

128

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Colombia: without collection data, purchased from a street vendor in Medellin, flowered in culti¬

vation at Mixco, Guatemala, 17 Feb. 1990, M. Behar 36 (Holotype: MO), C. Luer illustr. 14675.

This species is distinguished by the thick, rigid, elliptical leaves surpassed by a

loose, successively flowered raceme of bilabiate flowers. Except for the minutely

bifid apex of the synsepal, the dorsal sepal and the synsepal are triangular and

acute with the same dimensions. The sides of the blades of the lip are deflexed

above the middle, and the appendix is triangular and concave.

Lepanthes isosceles Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 53(4): 372,

1984.

Ety.: From the Greek isosceles, “equal-legged,” in reference to the three equal sepals.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Secondary stems slender, erect, 2-5 cm long,

enclosed by 6-7 lepanthiform sheaths with microscopically ciliate, dilated ostia. Leaf erect, coriaceous,

narrowly ovate, acute, 30-37 mm long including a 3-mm long petiole, 8-10 mm wide, the base cuneate

into the petiole. Inflorescence a flaccid, arcuate to pendent, lax, successively flowered raceme up to 15

cm long including the filiform peduncle ca 2 cm long; floral bracts 2 mm long; pedicels 2 mm long;

ovary 1 mm long; sepals similar, yellow, suffused diffusely with light brown, densely microscopically

pubescent, narrowly triangular, 3-veined, acute, essentially free to the base, margins cellular-

denticulate, 6.5 mm long, 2.25 mm wide, laterals diverging widely; petals orange, suffused with red,

transversely bilobed, oblong, 0.5 mm long, E25 mm wide, the lobes equal with rounded ends; lip

minute, orange, suffused with red, the blades oblong-lunate, 0.8 mm long, embracing the column above

the base, the ends rounded, the connectives broadly cuneate, connate to the base of the column, the

appendix minute, triangular; column rose, slender, cylindrical, 3 mm long, the anther and stigma apical.

Magdalena: Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, along road to the TV antenna, alt. 2500 m, Apr. 1981,

collected by R. Escobar, D. Portillo, et al., flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 20 Apr. 1983,

C. Luer 8740 (Holotype: SEL); flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 13 Jan. 1984, R. Escobar

3192 (Clonotype: JAUM).

Lepanthes isosceles is known only from a single collected plant. The long,

drooping, loosely flowered raceme of successive flowers is unusual for the genus.

It is one of very few species with both an inflorescence exceeding the leaf and

three-veined lateral sepals. The narrowly triangular sepals are free and essentially

equal; the petals are minute; and the tiny lip embraces the base of a long, protrud¬

ing column. Lepanthes alvarezii shares a relatively large flower with expanded

triangular sepals and a protruding column, but is distinguished by petals with a

vestigial upper lobe and a narrow, linear lower lobe as long as the lateral sepals,

borne by a much larger plant with ramicauls 10 centimeters or more long.

Lepanthes janitor Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 53(5): 476, 1984.

Ety.: From the Latin janitor , “a doorkeeper,” referring to the blades of the lip that close over the

column.

Plant medium to large, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 10-18 cm

long, enclosed by 11-19 minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, thinly coriaceous, narrowly

ovate, acute, acuminate, 4-5 cm long, 1-1.7 cm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole 2-3 mm long.

Inflorescence a congested, successively several-flowered raceme up to 10 mm long, borne behind the

leaf by a filiform peduncle 7-25 mm long; floral bracts 1.5 mm long; pedicels 2.5-4.5 mm long; ovary 2

mm long; sepals translucent light yellow-green, glabrous, margins cellular-denticulate, the dorsal sepal

triangular, acute, 5-5.5 mm long, 3-4.25 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1.5 mm,

the lateral sepals oblique, diverging, ovate, acute, 5-6 mm long, 2-2.2 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 2

mm; petals green, pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1-1.5 mm long, 4-4.5 mm wide, with an uncinate

marginal lobule between the lobes, the upper lobe oblong, truncate, suffused with purple-brown across

the truncate apex, the lower lobe smaller, triangular, acute; lip translucent green, suffused with red-

purple, bilaminate, the blades glabrous, semicircular with rounded ends, adherent medially over the

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

129

column, 1.5-1.8 mm long, the connectives narrow with a narrow body connate to the base of the

column, the sinus filled with a large, oblong, concave, pubescent appendix, 1 mm long, with a truncate,

long-ciliate apex; column 1.5 mm long, with the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Yarumal, Briceno, El Oro, alt. 1730 m, 20 May 1983, flowered in cultivation at

Colomborquideas, Medellin, 13 Jan. 1984, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 3197 (Holotype: MO; Isotypes:

COL, JAUM, SEL), C. Luer illustr. 9495; terrestrial in cloud forest along Rio El Oro, north of Yarumal,

alt. 2700 m, 1 May 1984, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 10064 (MO).

Risaralda: along new road to TV antenna south of Pueblo Rico, alt. 2400 m, 14 May 1993, C.

Luer et al. 16844 (MO).

Narino: epiphytic in cloud forest around La Planada, above Ricaurte, alt. 1950 m, 2 Nov. 1979, C.

Luer, J. Luer & A. Hirtz 4538 (SEL); epiphytic in cloud forest above Ricaurte, alt. 1600 m, 3 Nov.

1979, C. Luer, J. Luer & A. Hirtz 4617 (SEL).

Also Ecuador (Esmeraldas).

This species, locally but widely distributed in the Andes of Colombia and

Ecuador, is distinguished by long, slender ramicauls and a proportionally small,

narrowly ovate leaf with the congested raceme borne behind. The color of the

flowers is similar to others also characterized by an uncinate marginal lobule. The

sepals are translucent while the petals are green with a dark purple-brown, truncate

upper lobe. The blades of the lip are translucent and adherent over the column. The

appendix is large, oblong, and concave with a long-ciliate apex. The plants exam¬

ined are very stable morphologically through their range.

Several other Colombian species are very similar vegetatively and florally.

Lepanthes janitor resembles L. agglutinata , but the inflorescence of L. agglutinata

is secund and the column lacks the large rostellar flap. The sepals of the similar L.

pilosiaures are smooth-margined rather than denticulate, and its column also lacks

the large rostellar flap. The petals of L. posadae are distinguished by scimitar¬

shaped lower lobes, much longer than the upper lobes; and the column is bi¬

furcated with a bilobed stigma.

Lepanthes jardinensis Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 19(1): 38-39, 1993.

Ety.: Named for the municipality of Jardin in the Central Cordillera of Colombia, where this

species occurs.

Plant large, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect, stout, 7-20 cm long, enclosed by

8-14 microscopically ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, ovate, acute, acuminate, 7-9.5

cm long including the petiole 3-5 mm long, the blade 2.2-2.7 cm wide, cuneate below into the petiole.

Inflorescence racemose, 3-10 loose, flexuous, distichous, successively many-flowered racemes, up to

15 cm long including the 3-4 cm long peduncle; floral bracts oblique, 2 mm long; pedicels 1.5 mm

long; ovary 1.5-2 mm long, the ribs subverrucose; sepals dark yellow, suffused with orange-brown,

carinate, microscopically pubescent, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal ovate, acute, acuminate, 6 mm

long, 3.5 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1 mm, the lateral sepals connate into an

ovate, bifid synsepal with the apices acuminate, diverging, 6 mm long, 4.25 mm wide, each 2-veined;

petals dark purple, minutely pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1 mm long, 2.66 mm wide, the lobes sub-

triangular, obtuse, the lower lobe slightly smaller; lip dark purple, bilaminate, the blades minutely

pubescent, ovoid with rounded ends, 1.8 mm long, the connectives cuneate, the body broad, connate to

the base of the column, the sinus broad, the appendix ovoid with a minute, stellate gland at the tip;

column 2 mm long, the anther apical, the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Mun. Jardin, above Cifuentes, alt. 2800 m, collected by R. Escobar, J. Posada, L.

Moreno de Posada, et al., July 1986, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 3 Jan 1993, R.

Escobar 2696 (Holotype: JAUM; Isotypes: MO, SEL), C. Luer illustr. 16941.

This large species is apparently endemic in a residual forest in the Central Cor¬

dillera of Colombia. A few flexuous, successively flowered racemes, longer than

the leaf, bear dark yellow flowers with dark purple petals and lip. Two or three

130

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

flowers are often open simultaneously. The sepals are minutely pubescent and acu¬

minate; the petals are small, pubescent and transversely oblong. The blades of the

lip are also pubescent, and a tiny, stellate gland occupies the tip of the minute

appendix. The similar Lepanthes guanacasensis , from southern Colombia, differs

with glabrous sepals that are more deeply connate; petals with the upper lobe much

larger than the lower; and a lip with narrower, glabrous blades.

Lepanthes juan-felipei Luer & Thoerle, Harvard Pap. Bot. 16(2): 329, 2011.

Ety.: Named in honor of Juan Felipe Posada of the renowned Colomborquideas nursery in El

Retiro, Colombia.

Plant large, epiphytic, caespitose; rhizome and roots unknown. Ramicauls slender, erect, 15-20 cm

tall, enclosed by ca. 15 close lepanthiform sheaths with acuminate tips, microscopically ciliate. Leaf

erect, coriaceous, elliptical, obtuse, long-acuminate at the apex, 3.5-4.5 cm long, 1.8 cm wide, the

rounded base contracted into a petiole 2 mm long. Inflorescence 2-3 loose, congested, successively

flowered racemes up to 10 mm long, borne by a filiform peduncle 20-35 mm long rising behind the

leaf; floral bracts 1.5 mm long, acuminate; pedicels 1.5 mm long; ovary 1 mm long; sepals orange with

red inner margins, glabrous, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal ovate, acute, 4.5 mm long, 3 mm wide, 3-

veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals ovate, acute, diverging, 4 mm long, 2

mm wide, 2-veined, connate 1.5 mm; petals yellow, glabrous, transversely bilobed, 1.25 mm long, 2.5

mm wide, the upper lobe triangular, sharply and shortly incised at the tip, 1.25 mm long, 1.25 mm

wide, the lower lobe triangular acute, 1.5 mm long, 1 mm wide; lip red, bilaminate, the blades micro¬

scopically ciliate, ovate, acute at the apex, rounded at the base, 1.5 mm long, 0.75 mm wide, the

connectives broad, from above the middle, the body broad, connate to the column above the middle, the

appendix broadly triangular, concave, ciliate; column slender, terete, 1.5 mm long, the anther apical,

the stigma ventral.

Narino: Puerres, collected by J. L. Aguirre, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 14-16

June 2009, L. Thoerle 136 (Holotype: MO), C. Luer illustr. 21468.

This species is distinguished by proportionally very long, slender ramicauls

bearing elliptical leaves long-acuminate at the apex. From ascending, slender

peduncles nearly as long as the leaf, a congested, successively flowered raceme

descends. The sepals are ovate and acute; the lobes of the petals are triangular and

acute, with the tip of the upper lobe notched; the blades of the lip are ovate; the

appendix is proportionally large, concave and ciliate; and the column is elongate

and slender.

Lepanthes jubata Luer, Phytologia 54: 350, 1983.

Ety.: From the Latin jubatus , “crested with hairs,” referring to the long hairs on the margins of the

blades of the lip.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, suberect, 2-7 cm long,

enclosed by 5-9 minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect to suberect, coriaceous, more or less

suffused with purple, ovate, acuminate, acute, 10-28 mm long, 7-13 mm wide, the margins smooth or

minutely denticulate, undulate, the rounded base abruptly contracted into a petiole 1-2 mm long. Inflo¬

rescence a congested, distichous, successively flowered raceme up to 8 mm long, borne by a filiform

peduncle up to 12 mm long up the back of the leaf; floral bracts 1-1.25 mm long, minutely spiculate;

pedicels 0.5-1 mm long; ovary 0.5-1.5 mm long, echinate; flower parts red to yellow; sepals glabrous,

ovate, shortly acuminate, carinae along the nerves spiculate, margins shortly laciniate, the dorsal sepal

acute, 3-4 mm long, 1.8-2.25 mm wide, 3-veined, connate basally, the lateral sepals oblique, diverging,

obtuse, connate to about the middle, 3-4 mm long, 3.5-4 mm wide together, each 2-veined; petals trans¬

versely oblong, bilobed, 1 mm long, 3.25-4.25 mm wide, both lobes obtuse, the upper longer; lip

bilaminate, the blades oblong, oblique, the margins long-ciliate with straight hairs, the apices narrowly

obtuse, the bases rounded, the connectives broad, rectangular, erect, lifting the blades above the

column, the body broad, connate to the base of the column, the sinus broadly rounded and protruding

with a minute, pedunculated, bilobed appendix; column stout, 1 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma

ventral.

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

131

Colombia: without collection data, obtained from Orquideas del Valle, flowered in cultivation at J

& L Orchids, Easton, Connecticut, January 2007, J & L 107-654, C. Luer 21050 (MO).

Also Ecuador (Napo, Holotype, Luer et al. 6319 : SEL; Carchi; Sucumbios; Imbabura; Pichincha;

Tungurahua; Morona-Santiago; Zamora-Chinchipe), Peru.

This pretty little species is relatively frequent and widely distributed through

Ecuador and northern Peru, but has been encountered much less frequently in

Colombia. The margins of the leaves are usually smooth, but occasionally they are

undulate. The congested raceme is shorter than the leaf; the sepals are ovate and

laciniate; the petals are transversely oblong; the blades of the lip are long-ciliate

and held above the column by rectangular connectives; and the body of the lip is

protuberant with a minute, pedunculate, bilobed appendix. Also known from

Colombia, the similar Lepanthes intonsa is distinguished by petals with a deep

indentation between the lobes, and a lip with long cilia more or less restricted to

the apices of the blades.

Lepanthes labiata Luer, Orquideologia 22(1): 38-42, 2001.

Ety.: From the Latin labiatus , “with noticeable lip,” referring to the labellum.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect, slender, 3-4 cm long, enclosed

by 6-7 microscopically scabrous, acuminate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, thinly coriaceous, suf¬

fused with purple, ovate, acute, acuminate, 22-27 mm long, 7-11 mm wide, cuneate below into the sub-

petiolate base. Inflorescence a distichous, very congested, successively many-flowered raceme, up to 5

mm long, borne on top of the leaf by a slender peduncle 5-7 mm long; floral bracts muriculate, 0.5 mm

long; pedicels 1 mm long; ovary 1 mm long; sepals orange, glabrous, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal

oblong-ovate, obtuse, 1.75 mm long, 1 mm wide, 3-veined at the base, free from the lateral sepals, the

lateral sepals connate 0.6 mm, oblong, obtuse, diverging, 1.75 mm long, 1 mm wide, 1-veined; petals

red-orange, minutely pubescent, long-ciliate, transversely bilobed, 1.5 mm long, 0.6 mm wide, the

lobes subcircular, subequal, the upper lobe rounded, the lower lobe obtuse; lip red-orange, minutely

pubescent, long-ciliate, 1-lobed, oblong, 1.2 mm long, 0.6 mm wide, with the apex rounded, retuse,

with the appendix a minute lobule external at the sinus, the base rounded, connate to near the base of

the column by a short, slender strap; column terete, 0.6 mm long, the anther and stigma apical.

Valle del Cauca: Mun. Buenaventura, old road to Cali, Quebrada Yesqueros, alt. 50 m, 9 May

1997, J. T. Otero 1004 (Holotype: CUVC; Isotype: MO), C. Luer illustr. 18458.

This small species is apparently endemic in the lowland coastal forests of

Buenaventura. It is distinguished by ovate, acuminate leaves suffused with purple,

and a shorter, successively flowered inflorescence of very small flowers. The

sepals are glabrous and obtuse, with the lateral sepals single-veined; the petals are

bilobed with the lobes rounded and long-ciliate; the unusual lip is proportionally

large, long-ciliate, and oblong with the apex rounded and a tiny, lobulate appendix

on the exterior of the sinus. Some forms of the Central American Lepanthes

blephariglossa Schltr. have an equally prominent and unusual lip, but it is accom¬

panied by two-veined lateral sepals and proportionally very large petals.

Lepanthes lacera Luer & Thoerle, Harvard Pap. Bot. 16(2): 329, 2011.

Ety.: From the Latin lacerus , “lacerate,” referring to the protruding margin of the clinandrium.

Plant medium to large, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect, stout, 6 to 10 or more cm long,

enclosed by ca. 8 minutely ciliated lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, ovate, acute, acumi¬

nate, 8-9 cm long, 3-3.5 cm wide, the base rounded, contracted into a petiole 3 mm long. Inflorescence

a congested, successively many-flowered raceme, at least 6 mm long, borne behind the leaf by a

peduncle ca. 40 mm long; floral bracts 1-1.5 mm long; pedicels 1 mm long; ovary 2 mm long; sepals

yellow, glabrous, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal narrowly ovate, acute, 8 mm long, 2 mm wide, 3-

veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals connate 3.5 mm into an ovate, bifid

132

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

synsepal, concave centrally, 7 mm long, 4 mm wide, each 2-veined, with the tips acute, approximate;

petals transversely bilobed, glabrous, the upper lobe narrowly triangular, acute, 3 mm long, 1 mm

wide, the lower lobe 2 mm long, 1 mm wide below the middle, very narrowly uncinate above the

middle; up dark purple and yellow, bilaminate, the blades elliptical with obtuse ends, glabrous, 1.5 mm

long, the connectives cuneate, from the below the middle of the blade, the body narrow, connate to the

column above the base, the sinus retuse with a short, oblong, membranous appendix; column slender,

clavate, 2 mm long, the anther apical with the protruding apex of the clinandrium lacerate, the stigma

ventral.

Antioquia: Parque Natural “Las Orquideas,” right bank of the confluence of the rivers Polo and

Calles, alt. 1380 m, 26 Mar. 1988, A. Cogollo, J. Ramirez & O. Alvarez 2639 (Holotype: MO), C. Luer

illustr. 21523.

This species from the Central Cordillera of Colombia is distinguished by the

long, lacerate, protruding lower margin of a proportionally large clinandrium. The

plant is large with a very congested, short-pedicellate raceme borne by a peduncle

about half as long as the leaf. The dorsal sepal and upper lobe of the petals are nar¬

rowly acute, while the synsepal is deeply bifid, and the short lower lobe of the

petals terminates in a filiform, uncinate process.

The similar margins of the clinandrium of Lepanthes odontostemma Garay &

Dunst. are described and illustrated in one of two drawings of the clinandrium in

Venezuelan Orchids Illustrated vol. 6, p. 195. Irregularly denticulate margins of

the clinandrium are seen in a few other species as well.

Lepanthes larvina Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 53(2): 162-164,

1984.

Ety.: From the Latin larvinus , “with a larva,” referring to the appearance of the appendix.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 2-5.5 cm long, enclosed

by 4-7 darkly colored, close, microscopically scabrous lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous,

suffused with purple, broadly elliptical, obtuse, 20-35 mm long, 10-20 mm wide, the base cuneate into

a petiole 2 mm long. Inflorescence a dense, distichous, successively flowered raceme up to 5 mm long,

borne behind the leaf by a filiform peduncle 10-13 mm long; floral bracts 1 mm long, echinate; pedicels

2 mm long; ovary 2 mm long; sepals light orange, glabrous, ovate, acute, margins smooth, the dorsal

sepal 3.3 mm long, 2 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals

diverging, 2.75 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 0.5 mm; petals orange, suffused with red

medially, microscopically pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1 mm long, 3.75 mm wide, the lobes similar,

falcate-incurved, the acute apices minutely deflexed, the upper lobe slightly larger; lip red, micro¬

scopically pubescent, the blades flat, ovate, 1 mm long, the apices narrowly obtuse, the bases rounded,

the connectives cuneate, the body narrow, connate to the base of the column, the appendix pubescent,

ovoid, along the external surface of the body; column 1 mm long, the anther apical, the stigma

subapical.

Antioquia: Frontino, below El Plateado, alt. 1820 m, 3 May 1983, C. Luer, J. Luer & R. Escobar

8984 (Holotype: SEL); Abriaqui, alt. ca. 1800 m, collected 2 July 1970, flowered in cultivation in San

Claver (Santandercito), 20 February 1971, P. Ortiz 417 (HPUJ).

Choco: “Pequena planta epifita del estrato arboreo alto +/- frecuente a 50 mts.,” July 1988, G.

Misas Urreta 150a, 150b, 150c (HPUJ).

This little species, with a congested inflorescence shorter than the broadly

elliptical leaf, has essentially free sepals; petals with falcate lobes; and a lip with

the ovoid, pubescent appendix along the external surface of the body, resembling a

larva. Lepanthes larvina is similar to L. hirpex , but the latter differs in the more

deeply connate lateral sepals, broader lobes of the petals, and an appendix in the

sinus of the lip instead of on the external surface of the body. Lepanthes rutrum

bears similar flowers, but the larger, broadly cordate leaf, borne by ramicauls up to

12 centimeters in length, is distinctive.

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

133

Lepanthes lasiopetala Garay & Dunst., Venez. Orchids Ill. 6: 178, 1976.

Ety.: From the Greek lasiopetala , “with hairy petals,” referring to the petals.

Plant small to medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 2-11

cm long, enclosed by 5-8 costate lepanthiform sheaths, ciliate on the ribs and margins. Leaf erect,

coriaceous, frequently suffused with purple, elliptical to narrowly elliptical, acute to abruptly

acuminate, 2-6.5 cm long, 0.8-2.8 cm wide, the base cuneate to rounded, contracted into a petiole 2-3

mm long. Inflorescence a congested, distichous, successively many-flowered raceme up to 20 mm

long, borne behind the leaf by a slender peduncle 5-20 mm long; floral bracts 1 mm long; pedicels 0.75

mm long; ovary 1-1.5 mm long; sepals light yellow, microscopically pubescent, carinate, margins

smooth, the dorsal sepal obovate, the apex obtuse with the tip acuminate, reflexed, 2.6-4 mm long,

1.75-2.6 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for less than 1 mm, the lateral sepals ovate,

oblique, acute, acuminate, diverging, 3-5 mm long, 1.5-2 mm wide, connate less than 1 mm, 1-veined;

petals light yellow, red medially, minutely pubescent to long-pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1 mm

long, 2 mm wide, the lobes obtusely oblong-ovate, the upper lobe slightly larger than the lower lobe; lip

purplish, bilaminate, pubescent, the blades elliptical-oblong, obtuse at the ends, 1.5 mm long, the

connectives cuneate, the body broad, connate to the column at the base, the appendix short, thick,

pubescent; column stout, 1.5 mm long, the anther apical, the stigma ventral.

Norte de Santander: epiphytic in cloud forest below Paramo de Jurisdicciones, alt. 2600 m, 10

May 1984, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 10219 (MO); same area, alt. 2550 m, 13 May

1984, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 10357 (MO); epiphytic in cloud forest near Alto de

San Francisco, above Villacaro, alt. 2900 m, 11 May 1984, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia

10260 (MO); Toledo, alt. 2500 m, collected by E. Valencia, 1992, flowered in cultivation at Colombor-

quideas, 3 Jan 1993, R. Escobar 5239 (MO).

Santander: between Santa Barbara and Guaca, alt. 2850 m, 14 May 1982, C. Luer & R. Escobar

7858 (SEL); epiphytic in cloud forest, east of Bucaramanga toward Berlin, alt. 2700 m, 7 May 1984, C.

Luer, J. Luer, E. Valencia, E. Valencia & R. Escobar 10160 (MO).

Also Venezuela (Tachira, G. C. K. Dunsterville 1025 : AMES; Merida).

This variable species is confined to westernmost Venezuela and adjacent east¬

ernmost Colombia. In different populations, the size varies from less than five cen¬

timeters tall including elliptical leaves two and a half centimeters long, to seven¬

teen centimeters tall including an ovate, acuminate leaf six centimeters long. In all

populations, the raceme is congested and shorter than the leaf; the apex of the dor¬

sal sepal is acuminate and reflexed; the lateral sepals are single-veined with the

apices acuminate and diverging; the petals are simple, bilobed, and pubescent; and

the lobes of the lip are oblong and pubescent with a short, thick appendix.

Lepanthes reburra Luer & Thoerle is also found in the Eastern Cordillera. The

flowers are similar to those of L. lasiopetala in size and shape, but the lateral

sepals are denticulate and the petals are only minutely pubescent.

Lepanthes ligiae Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 18(1): 56, 1991.

Ety.: Named in honor of Sra. Ligia Moreno de Posada who with her husband Jaime Posada has

successfully cultivated this species at Colomborquideas.

Plant large, epiphytic, caespitose; roots coarse. Ramicauls stout, erect, 14-17 cm long, enclosed by

12-13 lepanthiform sheaths minutely ciliate on the ribs and margins. Leaf erect, coriaceous, promi¬

nently veined beneath, elliptical, acute, abruptly acuminate, 7-9 cm long, 2.5-3.5 cm wide, the base

rounded, contracted into a petiole 5-7 mm long. Inflorescence a very congested, distichous, succes¬

sively many-flowered raceme up to 18 mm long, borne behind the leaf by a slender peduncle 25-32 mm

long; floral bracts 1-1.5 mm long; pedicels 1 mm long; ovary 2 mm long; sepals light yellow, glabrous,

carinate, 3-veined, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal ovate-triangular, acute, 6.5 mm long, 3.5 mm wide,

connate to the lateral sepals for 1 mm, the lateral sepals ovate, oblique, diverging, subacute, shortly

acuminate, 6.5 mm long, 3.25 mm wide, connate 2 mm; petals yellow with red inner edges, micro¬

scopically pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1 mm long, 4.75 mm wide, the lobes bent inward, narrowly

oblong with rounded apices, subequal in size; lip orange with red outer margin, bilaminate, the blades

ovate, acute at the apex, round at the base, 1.5 mm long, the connectives broadly cuneate, the body

broad, connate to the column at the base, the appendix thick, pubescent, broadly triangular, concave,

134

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

with a minute, incurved apical lobule; column stout, 1.5 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma

subapical.

Antioquia: El Retiro, epiphytic in forest above Fitzebad, alt. 1500-2400 m, collected by F. Lopez,

September 1983, flowered in cultivation by L. & J. Posada at Colomborquideas, 17 July 1984, R. Esco¬

bar 3309 (Holotype: MO), C. Luer illustr, 10389; Mesopotamia, alt. 2500 m, collected by F. Lopez,

flowered in cultivation by L. & J. Posada at Colomborquideas, 3 June 1995, C. Luer 17711 (MO).

This large species, so far known only from the forests in Antioquia around Fit¬

zebad, is distinguished by the congested, short-pedicellate raceme; acute sepals;

narrowly oblong petals; ovate lobes of the lip; and a thick, triangular appendix.

Alone among the yellow-flowered, vegetatively large species of Lepanthes known

from Colombia, L. ligiae has three-veined lateral sepals.

Lepanthes lilliputae Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 17(3): 208, 1988.

Ety.: Named for the fictional kingdom of miniscule proportions, Lilliput, in Jonathan Swift’s

Gulliver’s Travels.

Syn.: Lepanthes gnoma Luer & Hirtz, Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 61: 91, 1996.

Ety: From the Latin gnomus , “a fabled dwarf,” referring to the small size of the plant.

Plant minute, epiphytic, caespitose; roots proportionally thick. Ramicauls thin, erect, 3-19 mm tall,

enclosed by 3-5 densely scabrous to ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, thickly coriaceous, suf¬

fused with purple, elliptical, subacute, 5-11 mm long, 2-5 mm wide, the base cuneate into a 1 mm long

petiole. Inflorescence a solitary flower or a successively 2-flowered raceme, borne behind the leaf by a

filiform peduncle 5-7 mm long; floral bracts scabrous, 1 mm long; pedicels and ovary each 0.5 mm

long; sepals translucent rose, glabrous, ovate, acute, carinate, 1-veined, margins smooth, the dorsal

sepal 2.66 mm long, 1.66 mm wide, connate to the lateral sepals for ca. 0.33 mm, the lateral sepals

diverging, 2.66 mm long, 1.33 mm wide, connate 0.75 mm; petals red, ciliate, transversely obscurely 3-

lobed, 0.8 mm long, 1.33 mm wide, the outer margin obtusely angled at the middle, the upper and lower

lobes subequal, obliquely triangular, obtuse; lip purple, bilaminate, the blades broadly oblong, obtuse,

ciliate, 1 mm long, the connectives narrowly cylindrical, bearing the blades at the base, the body broad,

connate to the base of the column, the rounded sinus with a thick, pubescent, uncinate appendix;

column 1 mm long, the anther apical, the stigma ventral.

Norte de Santander: epiphytic in subparamo cloud forest, Paramo de Jurisdicciones, alt. 3150 m,

10 May 1984, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 10230 (Holotype: MO).

Also Ecuador (Carchi, holotype of L. gnoma , A. Hirtz et al. 4936\ MO).

This minute species was found in abundance growing on only one scrubby

subparamo tree in association with Masdevallia fragrans Woolward in northeast

Colombia. In northern Ecuador, it was later found in cloud forest at a similarly

high altitude and described as Lepanthes gnoma. It is recognized by its minute

size; thick, elliptical leaves; ovate, acute, smooth-margined, one-veined sepals;

obscurely trilobed petals; and the lip with oblong blades attached at the bases to

the connectives, and a proportionally large, thick, uncinate appendix. Lepanthes

vieirae Luer & R. Escobar is another tiny Colombian species with a flower of

similar proportions with single-veined lateral sepals, but with denticulate rather

than smooth sepals, and petals with narrowly triangular upper lobes that are much

longer than the triangular lower lobes.

Lepanthes limbata Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 19(2): 98, 1994.

Ety.: From the Latin limbatus , “bordered,” referring to the margin of the leaf.

Plant very small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 8-23 mm long,

enclosed by 3-5 microscopically ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, with broad, crenulate-erose

borders, coriaceous, ovate, subacute to obtuse, 7-10 mm long, 4-8 mm wide, the base rounded or

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

135

broadly cuneate, contracted into a petiole 0.5 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, distichous, succes¬

sively few-flowered raceme, up to 2 mm long, borne behind the leaf by a filiform peduncle 3-6 mm

long; floral bracts 0.5 mm long; pedicels 0.75 mm long; ovary 1 mm long; sepals light yellow,

glabrous, carinate, long-caudate, margins microscopically denticulate, the dorsal sepal ovate, subacute,

the blade 3 mm long, 2.25 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the apex

contracted into a filiform cauda 3.5 mm long, the lateral sepals ovate, oblique, subacute, the blades 3

mm long, 2 mm wide, barely 2-veined, connate 1 mm, with the apices diverging, contracted into fili¬

form caudae 4 mm long; petals purple, pubescent, transversely bilobed, 0.75 mm long, 2.25 mm wide,

1-veined, the lobes diverging, triangular, acute, with the upper lobe larger than the lower lobe; lip

purple, bilaminate, the blades pubescent, elliptical oblong with the ends rounded, 1 mm long, the

connectives short, broadly cuneate, the body broad, connate to the base of the column, the sinus obtuse

with the appendix oblong, truncate, in contact with the stigma; column 1 mm long, with the anther

dorsal and the stigma ventral.

Choco: above San Jose del Palmar, Alto de Los Galapagos, epiphytic in cloud forest, alt. 2050 m,

13 May 1993, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar, A. de Wilde & J. Gomez 16807 (Holotype: MO); Cerro del

Torra, vertiente nororiental, arriba del helipuerto, bosque nublado primario muy rico, alt. 1920 m, 8 Jan.

1984, P. Silverstone-Sopkin et al. 1639 (MO).

This rare species occurs as a twig epiphyte in a wet, windy pass between the

departments of Choco and Valle del Cauca. It is distinguished by its very small

size and ovate leaves with well-defined, broad, crenulate-erose margins. The

proportionally large, pale yellow, long-tailed flower with purple petals and lip is

borne near the center of the back side of the leaf. The tiny plant with a spidery,

long-caudate flower resembles Lepanthes trimerinx Luer in both respects, but the

flowers of the latter have single-veined lateral sepals, an H-shaped lip without

blades, and are borne beyond the leaves by a filamentous peduncle.

Lepanthes linealis Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 18(1): 58, 1991.

Ety.: Named for the vicinity of La Linea, between Ibague and Armenia, where the species was

discovered.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls relatively stout, erect, 2-3.5 cm long,

enclosed by 5-6 lepanthiform sheaths with ciliate ostia. Leaf erect, coriaceous, suffused with purple

beneath, ovate, acute, 20-37 mm long, 9-14 mm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole 2-3 mm long.

Inflorescence a loose, successively few-flowered raceme up to 2.5 cm long including the filiform

peduncle 1 cm long; floral bracts 2 mm long; pedicels 1.75 mm long; ovary 2.5 mm long; sepals white,

glabrous, ovate, acute, shortly acuminate, carinate, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal 4 mm long, 2 mm

wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals oblique, diverging, 4 mm

long, connate 1.8 mm, 3.2 mm wide together, each 1-veined; petals red, pubescent, transversely

bilobed, 0.6 mm long, 1.8 mm wide, the lobes obliquely triangular with rounded apices, with a small,

obtuse angle on the outer margin near the middle; lip red, bilaminate, the blades essentially glabrous,

ovate, the apices acute, the bases rounded, 1.2 mm long, the connectives broad and short, the body

broad, connate to the column above the base, the appendix pubescent, broadly triangular with the apex

biglandular; column slender, 1.5 mm long, the anther apical, the stigma ventral.

Tolima: epiphytic in cloud forest along the crest of La Linea, alt. 3280 m, collected by R. Escobar,

flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 18 Mar. 1989, C. Luer 14223 (Holotype: MO).

Quindio: pass between Salento and Tocha, alt. 3300 m, 10 May 1993, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar

& A. de Wilde 16749 (MO).

This species is known only from one cloud forest at a high altitude in the Cen¬

tral Cordillera. The loosely few-flowered raceme is shorter than the leaf. The small

flowers are white with shortly acuminate sepals, and the lateral sepals are one-

veined. The small petals are red with an obtuse angle on the outer margin. The tip

of the triangular appendix is biglandular. Lepanthes linealis resembles another

small member of Lepanthes subsect. Breves , L. trifurcata Luer & R. Escobar, but

the latter is distinguished by petals with acutely triangular lobes with an equally

136

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

acute angle on the outer margin, and lateral sepals that are denticulate and acute,

rather than smooth and shortly acuminate.

Lepanthes lingulosa Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 21(2): 149, 1999.

Ety.: From the Latin lingulosus , “with large tongue,” referring to the rostellar flap.

Plant very small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 3-6 mm long,

enclosed by 2-3 closely fitting, microscopically ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous,

elliptical, obtuse to rounded at the apex, 6-9 mm long, 3.5-6 mm wide, the base broadly cuneate, con¬

tracted into a petiole less than 1 mm long. Inflorescence a loose, successively several-flowered raceme

up to 5 cm long including the filiform peduncle 2-3 cm long, borne beyond the leaf; floral bracts muri-

cate, 3 mm long; pedicels 3 mm long; ovary 2.5 mm long; sepals glabrous, membranous, spiculate-car-

inate, widely spread, margins irregularly ciliate, the dorsal sepal ovate, acute, concave below the

middle, 6 mm long, 3.5 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1 mm, the lateral sepals

narrowly ovate, oblique, acute, diverging slightly, 6 mm long, 2 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 2 mm;

petals long-ciliate and pubescent with thin hairs, transversely bilobed, 1 mm long, 4.5 mm wide, the

lobes narrowly triangular, obtuse; lip bilaminate, the blades minutely pubescent, irregularly long-

ciliate, elliptical-oblong, 1 mm long, with rounded ends, the connectives cuneate, the body connate to

the base of the column, the appendix narrowly oblong, 0.8 mm long, minutely pubescent, with a

pedunculate apical process; column E5 mm long, the anther cap thin, elliptical, 1 mm long, lying upon

the ovate, protruding rostellar flap, E25 mm long, E25 mm wide, the stigma ventral.

Cundinamarca: Sierra Loma, San Antonio de Tena, alt. 2620 m, collected Nov. 1993 by G. Ruiz

Schnitter, R. Escobar 5481 (Holotype: MO), C. Luer illustr. 17727.

This species, known from no other collection, was discovered in the Eastern

Cordillera of Colombia. It was perfectly preserved in liquid but without color

notes. The plant is very small, with slender ramicauls and elliptical leaves each

less than one centimeter long. The loose, successively flowered raceme reaches

about five centimeters in length. The flowers are proportionally very large for the

plant. The sepals are acute with ciliate margins. The petals are transverse with nar¬

rowly triangular lobes and irregularly long-ciliate margins. The elliptical blades of

the lip, also irregularly long-ciliate, are proportionally very small, smaller than the

large, protruding rostellar flap.

Lepanthes lycocephala Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 16(2): 147, 1984.

Ety.: From the Greek lycocephalos , “wolf-headed,” referring to the fancied appearance of the lip.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose, roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 5-15 mm long, enclosed

by 4-5 microscopically ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, margined, minutely erose,

elliptical, subacute, 7-10 mm long, 5-6 mm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole 1 mm long. Inflores¬

cence a congested, distichous, successively few-flowered raceme, up to 3 mm long, borne behind the

leaf by a peduncle 3 mm long; floral bracts 0.5 mm long; pedicels 0.5 mm long; ovary 1 mm long,

lightly papillose; sepals rosy red, glabrous, spiculate-carinate externally along the veins, margins den-

ticulate-fimbriate, caudate, the dorsal sepal concave, ovate, obtuse, 5 mm long, 3 mm wide, 3-veined,

connate to the lateral sepals for 1 mm, the obtuse apex abruptly acuminate into a cauda 1 mm long, the

lateral sepals connate 3 mm into a transverse lamina 4.5 mm long, 5 mm wide, each 2-veined, the

apices obtuse, abruptly contracted into diverging, narrow caudae 1 mm long; petals red, pubescent,

transversely bilobed, 1 mm long, 4 mm wide, the upper lobe triangular, the lower lobe narrowly oblong,

longer than the wider upper lobe; lip red, bilaminate, the blades ciliate, pubescent, obovate, E5 mm

long, the apices broadly subtruncate, the bases acute, erect, the connectives obliquely cuneate, the body

broad, connate to the base of the column, the sinus pubescent without a distinct appendix; column

narrowly terete, 2 mm long, the anther apical, the stigma apical, transversely bilobed.

Narino: epiphytic in cloud forest above Ricaurte, alt. 1600 m, 3 Nov 1979, C. Luer, J. Luer, K.

Walter & A. Hirtz 4626 (Holotype: SEL).

Antioquia: epiphytic in cloud forest north of the pass between Urrao and Carmen de Atrato, alt.

2700 m, 30 May 1995, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar, et al. 17649 (MO).

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

137

Choco: San Jose del Palmar, Cerro del Torra, Rio Negro below the heliport, alt. 1750 m, 14 Aug.

1988, J. E. Ramos, P. Silverstone-Sopkin, L. H. Ramos, et al. 1203 (CUYC, MO), C. Luer illustr.

18462; above San Jose del Palmar, Alto de Los Galapagos, alt. 2100 m, 10 May 1993, C. Luer 16740

(MO).

Valle del Cauca: Alto de Los Galapagos, at the pass between Valle del Cauca and Choco, alt.

2050 m, 13 May 1993, C. Luer et al. 16815 (MO).

Also Ecuador (Carchi, Imbabura).

This tiny species is distinguished by elliptical leaves with erose margins, and a

proportionally large, red flower borne in a congested raceme shorter than the leaf.

The margins of the sepals are denticulate. The apices of the lateral sepals are con¬

tracted into short tails. The apices of the blades of the lip are broadly subtruncate

while the bases are acute and erect. The appendix is represented by a mass of long

hairs. The effect of the pubescent, zoomorphic lip is completed by a pair of erect,

acute lobes that resemble a pair of ears. The column is slender with an apical

anther and a transversely bilobed stigma similar to those seen in Platystele Schltr.,

many species of Pleurothallis and most species of Stelis.

Lepanthes macdougalii Luer & Thoerle, Harvard Pap. Bot. 16(2): 331, 2011.

Ety.: Named in honor of J. M. Macdougal, collector of this species.

Plant medium in size, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect, slender, 4-25 cm long, enclosed

by 4-13 close, glabrous lepanthiform sheaths minimally dilated at the ostia. Leaf erect, coriaceous, nar¬

rowly elliptical-ovate, acute, 4-8 cm long, 0.8-1.2 cm wide, suffused with purple beneath, the base

cuneate into a petiole ca. 5 mm long. Inflorescence 1-2 loose, successively 4- to 8-flowered racemes,

up to 4.5 cm long, borne before leaf by a peduncle 10-15 mm long; floral bracts 2-2.5 mm long; pedi¬

cels 2-2.5 mm long; ovary 1.5 mm long; flowers “yellow and red,” sepals glabrous, carinate, margins

smooth, the dorsal sepal ovate, acute, 6 mm long, 2.5 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals

for 1 mm, the lateral sepals ovate, oblique, acute, 6 mm long, 2 mm wide, 1-veined, nearly free; petals

transversely bilobed, the lobes oblong, apices obtuse, 0.8 mm long, 5 mm wide, the upper lobe minutely

pubescent, slightly wider than the lower lobe; lip bilaminate, the blades minutely ciliate-pubescent,

elliptical with obtuse ends, 2 mm long, the connectives cuneate, from the above the middle of the blade,

the body connate to the column above the base, the sinus obtuse with a short, membranous, ciliate

appendix; column slender, 2 mm long, the anther apical, the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Mun. Urrao, Paramo de Frontino, between Llano Grande and Churrumblum, alt. 3320-

3500 m, 1 Mar. 1989, J. M. Macdougal, F. J. Roldan & J. Betancur 4389 (Holotype: MO), C. Luer

illustr. 21521.

This species, from a high altitude of the Western Cordillera of Colombia, is

similar to Lepanthes monoptera. Narrowly elliptical leaves and one or two loosely

flowered racemes about half as long are borne by considerably longer ramicauls

with smooth, barely dilated sheaths. The sepals are acute and glabrous with smooth

margins; the transversely lobed petals are oblong; the blades of the lip are

elliptical; and the appendix is minute and membranous. Denticulate sepals, petals

with usually triangular lobes, and a lip connate to the base of the column

distinguish L. monoptera.

Lepanthes macrantha Garay, Canad. J. Bot. 34: 250, 1956.

Ety.: From the Greek macrantha , “large flowered,” referring to the size of the flower.

Plant large, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect, slender, 7-21 cm long, enclosed

by up to 21 microscopically ciliate lepanthiform sheaths with long-acuminate apices. Leaf erect, coria¬

ceous, elliptical-ovate, acute, long-acuminate, 5-8 cm long, 2-3.2 mm wide, the base rounded, con¬

tracted into a petiole ca. 1 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, distichous, successively many-flow¬

ered raceme up to 15 mm long, borne behind the leaf by a filiform peduncle up to 15 mm long; floral

bracts acute, oblique, 2 mm long; pedicels 3 mm long; ovary 3 mm long; sepals orange, glabrous,

138

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

carinate, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal broadly ovate, subacute, 8 mm long, 7 mm wide, 3-veined,

connate to the lateral sepals for 2 mm, the lateral sepals broadly ovate, oblique, diverging, acute, 7.5

mm long, 7.75 mm wide together, each 2-veined, connate 3 mm; petals dark orange, microscopically

ciliate, transversely bilobed, 1 mm long, 4 mm wide, with a minute setiform process on the outer

margin between the lobes, the upper lobe oblong, 2.5 mm long, obliquely truncate, retuse, with the

outer tip of the upper lobe thicker than the inner, the lower lobe narrowly falcate-triangular, acuminate,

1.5 mm long; lip dark orange, bilaminate, the blades semilunate, glabrous, slightly concave, adherent

medially over the column, 2 mm long, with the ends obtuse, the connectives cuneate, the body connate

to the base of the column, the sinus obtuse, with the appendix oblong, convex to concave, pubescent at

the tip with a minute, bifid gland; column thick, 1.5 mm long, the anther dorsal and the stigma ventral.

Norte de Santander: Sarare, between Alto del Loro and Alto de Santa Inez, alt. 1800-2200 m, 18-

21 Oct. 1941, J. Cuatrecasas, R E. Schultes & E. Smith 12403 (Holotype: US; Isotype: COL); Santa

Inez, alt. 2050 m, 23 May 1982, C. Luer & R. Escobar 7932 (SEL); epiphytic in cloud forest, Alto de

Santa Inez, alt. 2100 m, 13 May 1984, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 10303 (MO); same

area, alt. 2150 m, 13 May 1984, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 10348 (MO).

Aptly named, the flower of this species from the Eastern Cordillera is large.

The long ramicauls are proportionally slender, with long-acuminate lepanthiform

sheaths. The large, flat, orange flowers are produced successively in a congested,

ever-lengthening raceme. The petals have a minute marginal process. The blades

of the lip adhere over the column, with an oblong appendix that is convex below

the middle and concave above. The even larger L. gargantua produces superfi¬

cially similar flowers, but the petals with an oblong, rounded upper lobe lack the

characteristic apiculum between the lobes.

Lepanthes macrostylis Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 21(2): 151, 1999.

Ety.: From the Greek makrostylos , “a large column,” referring to the gynostemium.

Syn.: Lepanthes guaduasensis Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 21(2): 145-147, 1999.

Ety.: Named for the community of Guaduas in the department of Guaduas, where the species was

collected.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect, slender, 3.5-6 cm long, enclosed

by 7-8 microscopically scabrous, closely fitting lepanthiform sheaths with acuminate apices. Leaf erect,

purple, coriaceous, ovate, acute, 22-30 mm long, 12-14 mm wide, the base cuneate, contracted into a

petiole ca. 1 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, distichous, successively several-flowered raceme up

to 6 mm long, borne behind the leaf by a filiform peduncle 7-11 mm long; floral bracts spiculate, 1-1.5

mm long; pedicels 1-1.5 mm long; ovary 1.5 mm long; sepals yellow with a broad, purple, central

stripe, glabrous, membranous, carinate, more or less reflexed, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal ovate,

acute, 3 mm long, 2.2 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1 mm, the lateral sepals

ovate, oblique, diverging, acute, 3.2 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 1 mm; petals purple,

microscopically pubescent, transversely bilobed, 0.6 mm long, 2.2 mm wide, the lobes ovate, obtuse,

with the tip of the upper lobe narrowed or acuminate; lip purple, bilaminate, the blades thick, micro¬

scopically pubescent, ovate, 1 mm long, with the bases rounded, the apex narrowed and recurved

beneath the column, the connectives broadly cuneate, the body connate to the base of the column, the

sinus obtuse, with an oblong, pubescent appendix; column thick, cylindrical, 1.5 mm long, the anther

and the stigma apical.

Antioquia: Pabon, epiphytic in forest along a stream toward Santa Ana, alt. 2050 m, 31 May 1995,

C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar, L. Moreno de Posada, G. Arteaga, B. & F. Lopez 17672 (Holotype: MO);

Urrao, Pabon, Las Cruces, alt. 2400 m, collected by E. Valencia, 23 May 1984, flowered in cultivation

at Colomborquideas, 9 July 1984, R Escobar 3298 (MO), C. Luer illustr. 11528.

Choco: Carmen de Atrato, Guaduas, collected by E. Valencia, 1990, flowered in cultivation at

Colomborquideas, 17 February 1991, R. Escobar 5242 (holotype of L. guaduasensis : MO), C. Luer

illustr. 16562.

This species from the Western Cordillera of Colombia resembles Lepanthes

zapatae. Both species are characterized by a short, congested raceme borne behind

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

139

the small leaf. The leaf of L. macrostylis is ovate and purple instead of elliptical

and green; the petals are proportionally smaller with ovate lobes rather than large

with ovate-triangular lobes at least as wide as a sepal is long. The column is pro¬

portionally very large and protrudes beyond the thick, convex lobes of the lip.

Lepanthes manabina Dodson, leones PI. Trop. 128, 1980.

Ety.: Named for the province of Manabi where the species was collected.

Syn.: Lepanthes mastodon Luer, Phytologia 54: 352, 1983.

Ety.: Named for the elephant-like Mastodon, referring to the tusklike tails of the lateral sepals.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls suberect to erect, slender, 2-

10 cm long, enclosed by 4-12 minutely pubescent lepanthiform sheaths, markedly dilated and acumi¬

nate at the ostia. Leaf dark green, purple beneath, more or less reticulate, suberect to horizontal, coria¬

ceous, microscopically pubescent, sulcate between convex halves, ovate, 2-6 cm long, 1.5-2.2 cm wide

expanded, the apex acuminate, acute, the base broadly cuneate or rounded, sessile. Inflorescence a con¬

gested, subsecund, successively many-flowered raceme up to 22 mm long, borne by a filiform peduncle

5-12 mm long, lying in the sulcus of the dorsum of the leaf; floral bracts 1 mm long; pedicels 1.5 mm

long; ovary 2.5 mm long; sepals purple-black or dark red-brown, with or without yellow or green

margins, glabrous, ovate, obtusely acuminate into caudae, carinate-spiculate along the veins, margins

ciliate, the dorsal sepal concave, 6 mm long, 3.5 mm wide expanded, 3-veined, the lateral sepals

oblique, 6 mm long, 2 mm wide, connate 2 mm, with incurved caudae 4-6 mm long, 2-veined; petals

green, yellow or purple, minutely pubescent, transversely oblong-bilobed, 1.25 mm long, 4.25 mm

wide, the upper lobe oblong, obtuse, the lower lobe narrowly triangular, oblique, obtuse; lip metallic

greenish brown, bilaminate, the blades oblong, 2 mm long, minutely ciliate, the connectives cuneate,

the body broad, connate to the column above the base, the appendix a small triangle in the sinus;

column 1.5 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: epiphytic in forest along the stream near the abandoned copper mine above La Ceja,

alt. 2400 m, 16 Apr. 1988, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar, M. Robledo, O. Robledo & W. Teague 13190

(MO); epiphytic in cloud forest north of the pass between Urrao and Carmen de Atrato, alt. 2430 m, 31

May 1995, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar, L. Moreno de Posada, G. Arteaga, B. & F. Lopez 17695

(MO); Medellin, corregimiento de Altavista, vereda Aguas Frias, alt. 2300-2350 m, 15 June 1997, L. F.

Giraldo 1462 (JAUM).

Risaralda: Santa Rosa de Cabal, alt. unknown, flowered in cultivation at “El Jordan,” 24 Nov.

1992, A. de Wilde 4410 (MO).

Narino: epiphytic in cloud forest east of Ricaurte, alt. 1800 m, 1 Nov. 1979, C. Luer, J. Luer & A.

Hirtz 4521 (SEL); epiphytic in cloud forest above Ricaurte, alt. ca. 1600 m, 3 Nov. 1979, C. Luer, J.

Luer & A. Hirtz 4590 (SEL); Ricaurte, alt. 1600 m, collected by E. Valencia, 1990, flowered in culti¬

vation at Colomborquideas, 27 Dec. 1992, R. Escobar 5082 (MO).

Also Ecuador (Manabi, Holotype, Luer et al. 3381: SEL; Carchi; Imbabura).

This species is widely distributed in Colombia and northern Ecuador.

Lepanthes manabina is recognized by the metallic greenish-brown flower resting

in the sulcus of a convex leaf The lepanthiform sheaths are markedly dilated and

acuminate at the apex. The apices of the sepals are acuminate-caudate, often

incurved like elephant tusks; the petals are transverse with a proportionally large

upper lobe; the blades of the lip are oblong; and the appendix is triangular in the

sinus of the body. The similarly dull-colored flowers of L. cincinnata are also

borne in the deep sulcus of a dark green leaf, but have flat sepals and a lip with a

tridentate apex.

Lepanthes maria-victoriae Luer & Thoerle, Harvard Pap. Bot. 16(2): 331, 2011.

Ety.: Named in honor of Maria Victoria Posada, of the renowned Colomborquideas.

Plant large, epiphytic, rhizome and roots unknown. Ramicauls stout, erect, ca. 19 cm tall, enclosed

by ca. 13 densely long-ciliate lepanthiform sheaths, acuminate at the ostia. Leaf suffused with purple

beneath, coriaceous, ovate, acute, slightly acuminate, 10 cm long, 3 cm wide, the base rounded,

140

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

abruptly contracted into a petiole 5 mm long. Inflorescence 1-2 congested, successively many-flowered

racemes, up to 7 cm long including the peduncle 1.5-2 cm long, borne behind the leaf; floral bracts 1.5

mm long; pedicels 1 mm long; ovary 2.5 mm long; sepals white to cream, glabrous, margins very

shortly denticulate, dorsal sepal broadly to transversely ovate-triangular, obtuse, shortly acuminate, 5.5

mm long, 6 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1.5 mm, the lateral sepals ovate,

oblique, diverging widely, obtuse, shortly acuminate, 5 mm long, 4 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 2 mm

to each other; petals orange with red margins, glabrous to microscopically pubescent, transversely

bilobed, oblong with ends rounded, 1 mm long, 3.25 mm wide, the upper lobe 2 mm long, 1 mm wide,

the lower lobe 1.25 mm long, 0.75 mm wide; lip red, bilaminate, the blades ovate, 2 mm long, acute at

the apex, rounded at the base, glabrous, the connectives triangular, cuneate, the body narrow, connate to

the base of the column, the appendix external, narrowly linear, subclavate, decurved; column stout,

1.75 mm long, the anther apical, the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: La Union, Alto de San Miguel, collector unknown, flowered in cultivation at

Colomborquideas, 14 June 2009, L. Thoerle 139 (Holotype: MO), C. Luer illustr. 21483.

This species, known from a single collection from the Alto de San Miguel in

Antioquia, is characterized by a large size with congested, successively flowered

racemes that are shorter than and borne behind a large, acute leaf. The white sepals

are broad, obtuse, and shortly acuminate, the laterals semiconnate; the colorful

petals are transversely oblong with rounded ends; and the blades of the lip are

ovate with narrowly cuneate connectives. The appendix is minute and digitiform.

Lepanthes medusa Luer & R. Escobar, from neighboring Abejorral, another

species with flowers with pale sepals and colorful petals, is distinguished by larger

flowers with petals with long, narrow lobes.

Lepanthes marthae Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 18(1): 60, 1991.

Ety.: Named in honor of Sra. Martha Posada de Robledo, who, with Sra. Ligia Moreno de Posada,

discovered this species.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots coarse. Ramicauls erect, slender, 3-4 cm long, enclosed by

4-5 coarsely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, suffused with purple, elliptical, acute,

20-28 mm long, 6-9 mm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole about 1 mm long. Inflorescence a loose,

distichous, successively few-flowered raceme up to at least 30 mm long, borne beyond the leaf by a

slender peduncle 10-15 mm long; floral bracts 2 mm long; pedicels 1.5-2 mm long; ovary 1.5 mm long;

sepals translucent yellow, mottled with red between the veins, glabrous, margins smooth, the dorsal

sepal broadly ovate-triangular, concave, 8 mm long, 6 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals

for 1.5 mm, the apex subacute, shortly acuminate, the lateral sepals connate 5 mm into a broadly ovate

synsepal, 8.5 mm long, 7.5 mm wide, each 2-veined, the apices diverging, subacute, shortly acuminate;

petals orange, red at the base, cellular-glandular, transversely bilobed, 1.5 mm long, 6 mm wide, the

lobes narrowly triangular, the upper lobe narrowly obtuse, the lower lobe slightly smaller, acute; lip

orange with red edges, bilaminate, the blades ovate, concave near the base, pubescent, the apices nar¬

rowly obtuse, the bases rounded, 1.8 mm long, the connectives narrow, from the base, the body narrow,

connate to the column above the base, the sinus obtuse with a minute, ovoid, bisegmented appendix;

column 2 mm long, the base dilated, the anther apical, the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Mun. Urrao, Chuzcal, alt. 2200 m, collected by M. Robledo & L. Posada, July 1987,

flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, Aug. 1989, J. M. Munera & R. Escobar 160 (Holotype:

JAUM; Isotype: MO), C. Luer illustr. 14418.

This species resembles Lepanthes effusa , which is widely encountered in

Ecuador and Colombia. Lepanthes marthae is distinguished from L. effusa by

coarse rather than slender roots, and coarsely pubescent rather than minutely ciliate

lepanthiform sheaths. Most distinctively, the petals of L. marthae join the column

above its dilated base. Both share a lip with blades supported from their bases by

narrow connectives, slanting backward from the bases of the blades.

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

141

Lepanthes matisii Luer, Thoerle & P. Ortiz, Orchid Digest 75(1): 28-31, 2011.

Ety.: Named in honor of Francisco Xavier Matis Mahecha, an artist of the Real Expedicion

Botanica del Nuevo Reino de Granada, 1783-1808, who first illustrated this species.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 10-25 mm tall, enclosed

by 4-5 close, microscopically ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical, obtuse, 15

mm long, 8 mm wide, the base cuneate into a subpetiolate base. Inflorescence a loose, successively

few-flowered raceme, borne far above the leaf by a slender, erect peduncle 25-30 mm long; floral bracts

l. 5 mm long, minutely ciliate; pedicels 4 mm long; ovary 1 mm long; sepals yellow to orange, the

inner halves of the lateral sepals suffused with red, glabrous, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal broadly

ovate, obtuse, shortly acuminate, 7-8 mm long, 6.5-7.5 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals

for 3 mm, the lateral sepals ovate, oblique, obtuse, connate 5 mm into broad, bifurcate synsepal 7.5 mm

long, 9 mm wide, each 2-veined; petals yellow to orange, pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1 mm long,

4 mm wide, the upper lobe oblong, obtuse, 1.75 mm long, 1 mm wide, the lower lobe oblong, obtuse,

2.25 mm long, 0.5 mm wide; lip red, bilaminate, the blades convex, oblong, rounded at the ends, 1.3

mm long, long-ciliate at the apex, the connectives narrow, from below the middle, the body narrow,

connate to the base of the column, the appendix narrowly oblong; column stout, barely 1 mm long, the

anther apical, the stigma ventral.

Cundinamarca: Chia, northeast of Bogota, alt. 2750 m, 11 June 2009, L. Thoerle, P. Ortiz & J.

Pfahl 106 (Holotype: HPUJ); limite entre Santander y Boyaca, Virolin, Finca La Sierra, alt. 2500-2600

m, May 13 1976, G. Lozano et al. 2446 (COL); Usaquen, alt. 3000 m., Nov. 12, 1995, P. Ortiz 1154

(HPUJ); La Calera, Yereda San Jose, alt. 2885 m, June 16 2010, R. Moreno & L. Sanchez s.n. (HPUJ).

This species is faithfully illustrated at life size and in full color in Mutis’s Flora

de la Real Expedicion Botanica al Nuevo Reino de Granada, where it is mis-

identified as Lepanthes costata Rchb. f. In his description of L. costata ,

Reichenbach states that the sepals are long-caudate with elegantly denticulate mar¬

gins, which does not apply to the present species, still without a name at that time.

In recent years, this species has been found near Bogota, at relatively high altitudes

of at least 2500 meters. In the deeply shaded glades where L. matisii grows, it is

plentiful on the moss-covered horizontal branches of smaller trees, often favoring

the undersides of the branches.

Lepanthes matisii is distinguished by a small size with obtuse, elliptical leaves

surpassed by a capillary peduncle which bears proportionally large, flat, yellow to

orange flowers in slow succession. The broadly obtuse sepals are tailless; the much

smaller petals are transverse; the apices of the blades of the lip are exceedingly

long-ciliate; and the appendix is narrowly elongate.

In general shape and color, the flower is similar to that of Lepanthes escobar-

iana , but the flower of L. matisii is about half the size and flat rather than cup

shaped. It more closely resembles the rarely seen L. amplior , sharing the small size

of the plant and the relatively large, flat flower of similar color. The flower of L.

amplior is half again as large, with petals with a longer, slightly everted lower

lobe, and a lip with blades much longer than the column.

Lepanthes medinae Luer & Thoerle, Harvard Pap. Bot. 16(2): 332, 2011.

Ety.: Named in honor of Ramiro Medina of San Francisco, Putumayo, who collected this species.

Plant large, epiphytic, caespitose; rhizome and roots unknown. Ramicauls stout, erect, 24 cm tall,

enclosed by ca. 16 lepanthiform sheaths, acuminate at the ostia. Leaf erect, coriaceous, ovate, acute,

slightly acuminate, 24 cm long, 4 cm wide, the base broadly rounded to subcordate, abruptly contracted

into a petiole 5 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, successively many-flowered raceme, up to 15 mm

long, borne behind the leaf by a slender, erect peduncle 30-35 mm long; floral bracts 1.5 mm long;

pedicels 1.5 mm long; ovary 2 mm long; sepals yellow, glabrous, margins smooth, dorsal sepal ovate,

acute, acuminate, 7.5 mm long, 4 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1.5 mm, the

lateral sepals pink, suffused with rose centrally, ovate, oblique, obtuse, acuminate, connate 2 mm into a

broad, bifurcate, cordate synsepal 7.5 mm long, 7 mm wide, each 2-veined; petals orange, upper lobe

142

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

with red margin, shortly pubescent, transversely bilobed, oblong with ends rounded, 1.5 mm long, 3

mm wide, the lobes equal, 1.5 mm long, 1.5 mm wide; lip rose with bright pink margins, bilaminate,

the blades ovate, narrowly obtuse at the apex, rounded at the base, 1.5 mm long, with the distal half

edged with dense, long, spindle-shaped cilia, the connectives and body broad, connate to the base of the

column, the appendix bilobed; column stout, 1.5 mm long, the anther apical, the stigma ventral.

Putumayo: collected and cultivated in San Francisco by R. Medina 645, 7 June 2009, L. Thoerle

114 (Holotype: MO), C. Luer illustr. 21464.

Lepanthes medinae is apparently endemic in southern Colombia. It is char¬

acterized by a large size with ovate leaves that are slightly acuminate at the apex

and subcordate at the base. The peduncle and the congested raceme do not quite

reach the middle of the leaf. The sepals are acute with the laterals semiconnate,

and the petals are transversely oblong with broad equal lobes. The lip is most

remarkable, with the outer margins of the blades edged with a dense row of

fluorescent pink, long, spindle-shaped cilia above the middle, and abruptly shortly

pubescent below the middle. The minute appendix is bilobulate.

Lepanthes medusa Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 18(1): 64, 1991.

Ety.: Named for the mythological Gorgon Medusa with snakes for hair, in allusion to the long

lobes of the petals.

Plant large, epiphytic, caespitose; roots coarse. Ramicauls erect, stout, 14-18 cm long, enclosed by

11-12 minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, ovate, acute, shortly acuminate,

rugose between veins on the under surface, 8-10 cm long, 3.5-4 cm wide, the base rounded, contracted

into a twisted petiole 3-4 mm long. Inflorescence a very congested, successively many-flowered

raceme up to 10 mm long, borne along the back surface of the leaf by a slender peduncle 3.4-4 cm long;

floral bracts 1.5 mm long; pedicels 1 mm long; ovary 2 mm long; sepals light yellow, glabrous,

subcarinate, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal ovate, acute, 10 mm long, 5 mm wide, connate to the

lateral sepals for 1 mm, the lateral sepals broadly ovate, oblique, diverging widely, obtuse, shortly

acuminate, 9 mm long, 5 mm wide, connate 3.5 mm, 2-veined; petals yellow-orange, minutely pubes¬

cent, transversely bilobed, 1.5 mm long, 12 mm wide, the lobes filiform, narrowly tubular with revolute

margins, the upper lobe yellow, 8 mm long, the lower lobe purple, 4.5 mm long; lip dark orange with

purple margins, glabrous, bilaminate, the blades narrowly ovate, with the apices and bases narrowly

rounded, 2.5 mm long, the connectives cuneate, the body connate to the base of the column, the sinus

with a minute, 4-lobed appendix; column stout, 2 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Abejorral, obtained from R. Escobar by J & L Orchids in 1984, 284-162, flowered in

cultivation at Colomborquideas, 5 Mar. 1989, C. Luer 14098 (Holotype: MO; Isotype: JAUM).

This species was originally imported by J & L Orchids in Easton, Connecticut,

from Rodrigo Escobar in 1984, and subsequently a division of the plant was

returned to Colombia and cultivated at Colomborquideas. Unfortunately, the

collection data have been lost.

Vegetatively, Lepanthes medusa is similar to many other large, robust species.

The unusually large flowers are produced successively in a very congested raceme

along the rough back surface of the leaf. The larger flower and the conspicuous

elongated, colorful lobes of the petals, often entwined above and below the

column, distinguish this species from the similar Lepanthes maria-victoriae.

Lepanthes mefueensis Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 17(3): 212-215, 1988.

Ety.: Named for the Alto de Mefue, where this species was discovered.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 3-5 cm long, enclosed

by 7-9 long-ciliate lepanthiform sheaths with dilated ostia. Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical, acute, 20-

23 mm long, 8-10 mm wide, the base cuneate into the 2-3 mm long petiole. Inflorescence a dense,

distichous, successively several-flowered raceme up to 5 mm long, borne behind the leaf by a filiform

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

143

peduncle 5-8 mm long; floral bracts 1 mm long; pedicels 1 mm long; ovary 1.5 mm long; sepals red-

purple with a thin, yellow margin, carinate, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal minutely pubescent

within, elliptical, 2.75 mm long, 1.8 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.25 mm, the

subacute to obtuse apex abruptly acuminate, the lateral sepals glabrous, ovate, oblique, diverging,

acute, 3 mm long, 1.2 mm wide, 1-veined, connate 1 mm; petals yellow-orange, microscopically

pubescent, transversely bilobed, 0.25 mm long, 2.6 mm wide, the lobes narrowly oblong, obtuse, sub¬

equal, the lower slightly wider; lip red with a yellow-orange border, sub-bilaminate, the lobes cuneate

with thick, ovate, blade-like margins with rounded ends, 1.2 mm long, microscopically pubescent, the

body broad, connate to the base of the column, the sinus obtuse with a minute, filiform, reflexed,

appendix; column stout, 1 mm long, the anther and stigma apical.

Norte de Santander: Toledo, epiphytic in cloud forest, Alto de Mefue, alt. 2600 m, 12 May 1984,

C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 10296 (Holotype: MO).

This little species is similar to the pleomorphic Lepanthes aquila-borussiae ,

which is frequently encountered at high elevations in the Eastern Cordillera of

Colombia and adjacent Venezuela. Lepanthes mefueensis differs with smooth-

margined rather than denticulate sepals, the laterals with one vein rather than two;

and the lip with a filiform, deflexed appendix.

Lepanthes meleagris Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 19(2): 99, 1994.

Ety.: From the Greek meleagris, “a peacock,” referring to the colors of the petals.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls very slender, erect to sub¬

erect, 4-17 cm long, enclosed by 8-13 closely fitting, ciliate lepanthiform sheaths with long-acuminate

apices. Leaf suffused with purple, suberect, horizontal to drooping, thinly coriaceous, with the margins

sometimes narrowly revolute, ovate, acute, acuminate, 5-8 cm long, 1.2-2.2 cm wide, the base rounded

to broadly cuneate, contracted into a petiole 2 mm long. Inflorescence a very congested, secund,

successively many-flowered raceme with overlapping pedicels, up to 35 mm long, borne on top of the

leaf by a filiform peduncle 7-20 mm long; floral bracts acuminate, muriculate, 1.5 mm long; pedicels 2

mm long; ovary 2 mm long; sepals translucent pale yellow, glabrous, subcarinate, the dorsal sepal with

margins smooth, broadly ovate, subacute, 3 mm long, 2.3 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral

sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals connate 1.75 mm into an ovate, obtuse, shortly bifid synsepal, with

margins smooth to minutely ciliate, 2.3 mm long, 2.6 mm wide, each 2-veined; petals multicolored

with purple on the outer edge, with green beneath, yellow and red at the base, minutely pubescent,

transversely bilobed with a minute marginal lobule between the lobes, 1 mm long, 3.3 mm wide, the

upper lobe ovate, obtuse, the lower lobe smaller, long-ciliate, triangular, narrowly obtuse; lip red-

purple, bilaminate, the blades glabrous, thin, transparent, flat, semilunate, adherent medially over the

column, 1.3 mm long, the connectives narrowly oblong, from above the middle of the blades, the body

replaced by a cuneate flap beneath the column, connate to the base of the column, the appendix

external, oblong, concave, thickened at the apex; column 1.5 mm long, with the anther dorsal and the

stigma ventral.

Risaralda: Pueblo Rico, Alto de Linea, epiphytic in cloud forest, alt. 2100 m, 11 May 1993, C.

Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & J. Gomez 16782 (originally cited as 167821) (Holotype: JAUM; Isotype:

MO); same area, collected by E. Valencia, April 1993, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 5-9

May 1993, C. Luer 16711 (MO).

Antioquia: epiphytic in cloud forest north of the pass between Urrao and Carmen de Atrato, alt.

2430 m, 31 May 1995, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar, L. Moreno de Posada, G. Arteaga, B. & F. Lopez

17692 (MO).

This species, known only from one area of cloud forest in the Western Cordil¬

lera, closely resembles Lepanthes parmata Luer & R. Escobar. Both species share

thin ramicauls; thin, purplish leaves; and a congested inflorescence with long,

overlapping pedicels. The flowers of L. parmata are considerably larger, but the

lip is considerably smaller than that of L. meleagris. The petals of L. meleagris are

multicolored, with the margins dark purple with a layer of green below. This

blends into yellow before the base is suffused with red. In both species, the blades

of the lips are thin, translucent, more or less lunate, and adherent medially over the

144

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

column. The narrow connectives of L. meleagris originate above the middle of the

column rather than from the base, and the body is modified with a wedge-shaped

lamina above the external, oblong appendix.

Lepanthes micellilabia Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 19(2): 11-102, 1994.

Ety.: From the Latin micellilabia , “with a microscopic lip,” referring to the size of the labellum.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 3-6 cm long, enclosed

by 5-6 microscopically ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, ovate, acute, 14-20 mm

long, 8-11 mm wide, the rounded base contracted into a petiole 1 mm long. Inflorescence a congested,

distichous, successively many-flowered raceme, ca. 10 mm long, borne by a slender peduncle 3 mm

long; floral bracts acute, lightly muricate, 0.5 mm long; pedicels 2 mm long; ovary 1 mm long; sepals

pale yellow, suffused with red-purple medially, flat, glabrous, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal ovate-

triangular, acute, 2.5 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the

lateral sepals ovate, oblique, diverging widely, acute, 2.5 mm long, 1.25 mm wide, 2-veined, connate at

the base; petals minute, red with yellow margins, microscopically cellular-pubescent, transversely

bilobed, oblong, 0.25 mm long, 0.5 mm wide, the lobes about equal in size and shape, circular, with a

minute marginal tooth on the lateral margin between the lobes; lip extremely minute at the base of the

column, cordate, acute, microscopically pubescent, 0.25 mm long and broad; column proportionally

large, red, terete, 1.5 mm long, the anther and stigma apical.

Antioquia: Mun. La Ceja, Rio Piedras, alt. 2400 m, collected by D. Arbelaz et al., 1990, flowered

in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 2 Jan. 1993, R. Escobar 5191 (Holotype: JAUM; Isotype: MO), C.

Luer illustr. 16564.

This small species possesses one of the smallest lips known in the genus. It is

cordate, microscopically pubescent, and measures 0.25 millimeters long and wide.

Practically invisible within the flower, it sits at the base of the underside of a pro¬

portionally large, long, cylindrical column protruding from the center of the small,

widely spread flower. Flanking the base of the column on either side is a minute,

obscurely bilobed petal measuring 0.3 millimeters by 0.75 millimeters.

Another small Colombian species, Lepanthes eros , shares the small, widely

expanded flowers with a minute lip and a protruding, terete column, but is distin¬

guished by larger petals, longer than each single-veined sepal. The two similar

Ecuadorian species can be readily distinguished from these Colombian species: the

monstrous column of L. pelorostele is flanked by tiny, trilobed, filiform petals; and

L. rigidigitata has a prolific habit.

Lepanthes micronyx Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 20(3): 302-304, 1997.

Ety.: From the Greek micronyx , “a tiny claw,” referring to the appendix.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls very slender, weak, erect, 7-9 cm long,

enclosed by 12-14 microscopically scabrous, tightly fitting lepanthiform sheaths with acuminate apices.

Leaf spreading, thinly coriaceous, narrowly ovate, acute, long-acuminate, 25-42 mm long, 7-12 mm

wide, the base cuneate, contracted into a petiole less than 1 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, dis¬

tichous, successively many-flowered raceme up to 5 mm long, borne on top of the leaf by a filiform

peduncle 5-20 mm long; floral bracts 1-E5 mm long; pedicels 1-E5 mm long; ovary 1 mm long; sepals

translucent yellow, glabrous, membranous, carinate, widely spread, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal

broadly ovate, obtuse, 2 mm long, E75 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.4 mm, the

lateral sepals broadly ovate, oblique, diverging slightly, obtuse, E75 mm long, 1 mm wide, 2-veined,

barely connate at the base; petals yellow-green, microscopically cellular, transversely bilobed, 0.5 mm

long, 2.25 mm wide, the upper lobe oblong, truncate, the lower lobe narrowly triangular, acute; lip

yellow, bilaminate, the blades microscopically cellular, ovate, 0.6 mm long, rounded at the bases, acute

at the apices, the connectives narrowly cuneate, the body narrow, connate to the base of the column, the

sinus obtuse, with a minute, decurved, glabrous, talon-like appendix, cleft centrally; column 0.75 mm

long, the anther dorsal and the stigma apical.

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

145

Antioquia: epiphytic in cloud forest north of the pass between Urrao and Carmen de Atrato, alt.

2700 m, 30 May 1995, C. Luer, J. Luer, R Escobar, L. Moreno de Posada, G. Arteaga, B. & F. Lopez

17648 (Holotype: MO).

This species is apparently endemic in a mountain pass in the Western Cordil¬

lera of Colombia. It is characterized by a weak, very slender ramicaul with a long-

acuminate leaf. The congested racemes are borne on top of the leaf, often two

simultaneously with peduncles of unequal length, as is seen in the common

Lepanthes mucronata. The flowers of L. micronyx are very small with sepals two

millimeters or less long. The petals are transversely bilobed with the upper lobes

oblong and the lower lobes triangular. The ovate blades of the lip are minute, 0.6

millimeters long, considerably smaller than the column they flank. The appendix is

shaped like a microscopic, decurved talon.

The Ecuadorian Lepanthes sororcula Luer & Hirtz shares the slender, weak

ramicauls; thinly coriaceous leaf; flowering habit; and small flowers with pale

sepals. While the upper and lower lobes of the petals of both are similar, a long,

slender marginal process descends from between the lobes of L. sororcula.

Lepanthes microscopica Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 52(12):

1268, 1983.

Ety.: From the Latin microscopicus, “microscopic,” in allusion to the size of the flowers.

Plant very small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots fine. Ramicauls slender, erect, 10-22 mm long,

enclosed by 6-8 close, microscopically scabrous lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical,

obtuse to subacute, 10-13 mm long, 4-5 mm wide, the base cuneate into the 1 mm long petiole.

Inflorescence a congested raceme up to 5 mm long, borne by a filiform peduncle 2-7 mm long behind

the leaf; floral bracts 0.75 mm long; pedicels 1 mm long; ovary 0.5 mm long; sepals translucent white,

glabrous, free, reflexed, subequal, ovate, acute, margins smooth, 1.25 mm long, 0.9 mm wide, dorsal

sepal 3-veined, lateral sepals diverging widely, 2-veined; petals red, microscopically pubescent, more

or less transversely oblong, multangular, 0.5 mm long, 1.3 mm wide, the upper lobe oblong, obtusely

angled on the inner margin, the lower lobe truncate, subquadrate; lip red, microscopically pubescent,

bilobed, H-shaped, the lobes flat, oblique, elliptically oblong, 1 mm long, 1 mm wide, the ends

rounded, with a minute, obtuse appendix in the sinus between the lobes, the base connate to the base of

the column; column cylindrical, 0.8 mm long, the anther and stigma apical.

Antioquia: Mun. Frontino, Alto de Cuevas, alt. 2050 m, 14 May 1983, R. Escobar & E. Valencia

2598 (Holotype: SEL), C. Luer illustr. 9095; same locality, 12 April 1974, R. Escobar et al., flowered

in cultivation by M. & O. Robledo, 26 June 1974, R. Escobar 1264 (JAUM).

This little species produces one of the smallest flowers in the genus. The free,

reflexed sepals are scarcely more than 1 mm long. The equally large petals are

multangular. The flat, H-shaped lip is attached to the base of the cylindrical col¬

umn. While there are other small Andean species bearing small flowers with

reflexed sepals, none also share this unusual lip.

Lepanthes mirabilis Ames, Sched. Orch. 1:12, 1922.

Ety.: From the Latin mirabilis , “wonderful,” presumably for the extraordinary flower.

Plant very small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots coarse. Ramicauls slender, erect, 10 mm long,

enclosed by 2 minutely scabrous, oblique lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, narrowly ellip¬

tical, marginate, acute, 8-11 mm long, 4-5 mm wide, the base cuneate, contracted into a petiole ca. 1

mm long. Inflorescence up to 22 mm long, including a congested, successively ca. 8-flowered raceme

5-8 mm long, the flowers ca. 1 mm apart, borne beyond the leaf by a slender peduncle; floral bracts

acute, estimated 1 mm long; pedicels 1 mm long; ovary estimated 1 mm long; flowers pale yellow;

sepals glabrous, membranous, smooth-margined, connate basally, abruptly long-caudate, the dorsal

sepal triangular, subacute, 6.8 mm long including the cauda, the blade ca. 2.5 mm long, 3 mm wide at

146

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

the base, 3-veined, the cauda slender, 4 mm long, the lateral sepals broadly ovate, oblique, diverging,

subacute, 7 mm long including the cauda, the blades 4 mm long, 2.5 mm wide, 2-veined (1-veined

according to the description), connate to near the middle, contracted into a slender cauda 3 mm long;

petals elliptical, slightly acuminate, acute, noted as “denticulate” on the type sheet, orientation

horizontal in the drawings on the herbarium sheet, likely vertical in life, nearly 2 mm long, 0.5 mm

wide, without a vein, either 1-lobed or with a tiny, vestigial lower lobe; lip bilaminate, the blades nar¬

rowly linear-triangular, acute, acuminate, probably not divaricate in the living flower, 2 mm long, 0.5

mm wide above a medial, basal angle, the connectives narrow, the body narrow, connate to the base of

the column, the sinus obtuse, the appendix linear-oblong, subacute, less than 0.5 mm long; column

oblong, ca. 1 mm long.

Cauca: Cordoba, Dagua Valley, Pacific Coastal Zone, alt. 30-100 m, Dec. 1905, H. Pittier 592 ,

(Holotype: US), C. Luer illustr. 21664.

This tiny species, collected near sea level in the coastal zone of Cauca over a

century ago, is rare, not yet having been collected again. The yellow flowers of

Lepanthes mirabilis are much larger than the minute leaves, with broad, ovate,

smooth-margined sepals with slender tails. The accompanying description and

illustration were made from the original description and the two sketches on the

type sheet, one by Oakes Ames and the other by Charles Schweinfurth. In the

figure herein, an illustration of the flower as it probably appears in life accom¬

panies a copy of Schweinfurth’s drawing to illustrate differences in interpretation.

Having been made from a rehydrated flower, the original drawings are remark¬

ably good. However, rehydrated flowers are frequently distorted. The position and

shapes of the petals and lip are about as the illustrators saw them, but most likely

not as they exist in life. Described as being nearly two millimeters long, the petals

are drawn proportionally too small and laterally expanded. The petals are probably

erect, more or less parallel to the midvein of the dorsal sepal. The petals are likely

the upper lobes of bilobed petals, the lower lobes being very short. However,

petals similar to those illustrated on the type sheet are seen in the Central

American Lepanthes eximia , with single-lobed, horizontal petals.

In Schweinfurth’s drawing, the long, acuminate blades of the lip were trans¬

versely expanded to either side of the appendix into positions that almost certainly

do not exist in the fresh flower. The broader bases of the blades probably cover, or

at least are adjacent to, the lower part of the column, with the acuminate tips

trailing below.

Lepanthes mirador Luer & Hirtz, Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 61:

119, 1996.

Ety.: Named for El Mirador in Carchi, Ecuador, where the species was collected.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots unknown. Ramicauls erect, slender, 8-15 cm

long, enclosed by ca. 12-15 lepanthiform sheaths acuminate at the apex. Leaf coriaceous, elliptical-

ovate, acute, slightly acuminate, leaf 5-8 cm long, 1.7-2.5 cm wide, the base rounded, contracted into

petiole 2 mm long. Inflorescence a dense, distichous, successively many-flowered raceme, 6 cm or

more long, borne behind the leaf by a filiform peduncle 20-23 mm long; floral bracts 1.5-2 mm long;

pedicels 1-1.5 mm long; ovary 2 mm long; sepals yellow, glabrous, margins denticulate, the dorsal

sepal ovate-triangular, subacute, shortly acuminate, 6 mm long, 3 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the

lateral sepals for 1 mm, the lateral sepals ovate, oblique, diverging, acute, lightly acuminate, 5 mm

long, 3 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 1.5 mm; petals dark brown, microscopically pubescent, trans¬

versely bilobed, 1 mm long, 3.5 mm wide, the upper lobe erect, narrowly triangular, acute, attenuate,

the lower lobe much smaller, broadly triangular, obtuse; lip dark brown, bilaminate, the blades micro¬

scopically pubescent, oblong with the apices narrowly rounded, 2 mm long, the connectives short,

broadly cuneate, the body broad, connate to the base of the column, the sinus incised with the appendix

small, oblong, pubescent with a bilobed apical segment; column 2 mm long, the anther dorsal, the

stigma ventral.

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

147

Cundinamarca: El Rosal, alt. 2650 m, 2006, collected and cultivated by A. Carrillo 137-B at his

finca El Cartujo, Gachancipa, June 2009, L. Thoerle 123 (MO).

Also Ecuador (Carchi, Holotype, A. Hirtz, X. Hirtz, J. Del Hierro & F. Sarmiento 4940\ MO).

Until its recent appearance in the Central Cordillera of Colombia, Lepanthes

mirador was known only from the incomplete type collection made above 3000

meters in northernmost Ecuador. It is distinguished by a combination of morpho¬

logical features: a narrowly elliptical leaf; a congested raceme borne behind the

leaf; acute, shortly acuminate, denticulate sepals with the laterals shortly connate

and diverging; petals with a long-acuminate upper lobe and a very short,

transversely obtuse lower lobe; and a lip with oblong blades and an appendix with

a bilobed apical segment.

Lepanthes tungurahuae Luer & Hirtz, from a high altitude in central Ecuador,

has similar flowers with similar petals. It is distinguished from L. mirador by the

ramicauls with coarsely ciliate sheaths; a broader acuminate leaf; and flowers with

more deeply connate lateral sepals and a lip with an entire appendix.

Lepanthes monitor Luer, Phytologia 54(5): 354, 1983.

Ety.: From the Latin monitor , “a reminder,” referring to the morphological features reminiscent of

L. elata and its relatives.

Plant medium in size to large, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender to stout,

erect, 6-28 cm long, enclosed by 9-14 minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, thinly coria¬

ceous, oblong-ovate, acute, acuminate, 6-12 cm long, 2-6 cm wide, the base cuneate or rounded, con¬

tracted into a petiole 3-5 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, distichous, successively many-flowered

raceme up to 40 mm long, borne by a filiform peduncle up to 40 mm long behind the leaf; floral bracts

1.5 mm long; pedicels 1 mm long; ovary 2 mm long; sepals pale yellow, glabrous, ovate, acute,

margins smooth, the dorsal sepal triangular-ovate, 5-7 mm long, 2.5-4 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to

the lateral sepals for 1.5-2 mm, the lateral sepals oblique, diverging, 5-7 mm long, connate 2.5-5 mm

into an ovate, bifid synsepal 4-8 mm wide, each 2-veined, the acute apices shortly acuminate; petals

yellow or white with purple margins, cellular-glandular, transversely bilobed, 1.25-1.5 mm long, 3.5-4

mm wide, the upper lobe oblong with the apex more or less slightly narrowed and everted, the lower

lobe oblong, obliquely and narrowly contracted below the middle; lip orange, white or purple,

bilaminate, blades ovate, minutely pubescent, 1.5-2 mm long, the apices narrowly rounded, the bases

rounded, the connectives short, cuneate, the body connate to the base of the column, the sinus obtuse

with the appendix small, triangular, pubescent, with a minute apical lobule; column 1.5 mm long, the

anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Carmen de Viboral, above San Lorenzo, alt. 2500 m, 21 Mar. 1989, C. Luer, J. Luer &

W. Teague 14335 (MO).

Quindio: road between Calarca and Alto de La Linea, collected by R. Escobar, E. Valencia, W.

Koniger & H. Koniger, May 1989, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 21 Dec. 1992, R. Esco¬

bar 5056 (MO).

Also Ecuador (Loja, Holotype, C. Luer et al. 7096 : SEL; Napo; Morona-Santiago; Zamora-

Chinchipe), Peru (Amazonas), Bolivia (Cochabamba, Santa Cruz).

This species is the austral counterpart of Lepanthes elata from Central America

and northern Colombia. The two species grow sympatrically in central Colombia

and are similar in appearance both vegetatively and florally. The least ambiguous

differentiating feature is the appendix, which is pedunculate, pubescent, and nar¬

rowly hinged in the sinus of the lip in L. elata , while in L. monitor it is broadly tri¬

angular and pubescent.

Lepanthes monitor is frequent and widely distributed from Colombia into

Bolivia. It is variable vegetatively and florally, especially in the length of the rami¬

cauls and the shape of the petals. Although the oblique apices of the upper lobes of

typical L. monitor are usually easily recognized, sometimes the shape is obscure.

148

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Lepanthes monoptera Lindl., J. Bot. [Hooker] 1: 10, 1834.

Ety.: From the Greek monopteron , “single-wing,” referring to an ovarian carina which was

prominent on the dorsum of the ovary of Lindley’s only flower.

Syn.: Lepanthes roseola Rchb. f., Linnaea41: 46, 1877.

Ety.: From the Latin roseolus , “rosy,” referring to the flowers.

Plant small to large, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender to stout, erect, 6-30 cm

long, enclosed by 7-11 lightly colored, microscopically scabrous lepanthiform sheaths with slightly

dilated ostia. Leaf erect, coriaceous, often suffused with purple beneath, narrowly elliptical, acute, 4-13

cm long, 0.5-1.3 cm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole 2-3 mm long. Inflorescence a subcongested,

successively several- to many-flowered raceme 1-9 cm long, borne behind the leaf by a filiform

peduncle ca. 1 cm long; floral bracts 2-3 mm long, enclosing the pedicels 1 mm long; ovary trialate,

1.5-2 mm long; flowers variable in color from green, yellow, rose, to purple-brown; sepals glabrous,

carinate, ovate, acute, slightly acuminate, margins denticulate, the dorsal sepal 4.75-7 mm long, 3-3.5

mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals oblique, diverging, 4.75-

7 mm long, 2 mm wide, connate 1-1.5 mm, 1-veined; petals minutely pubescent, transversely bilobed,

1-1.3 mm long, 3-4 mm wide, the lobes triangular, obtuse, subequal; lip bilaminate, the blades oblong

to ovate, long-ciliate, 2-3 mm long, the bases rounded, the apices narrowly obtuse, the connectives

short, from near or below the middle of the blades, the body broad, connate to the base of the column,

the sinus obtuse, with a minute, ovate, pubescent appendix; column slender, clavate, 2-3 mm long, the

anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Norte de Santander: epiphytic in cloud forest Alto de Mefue, north of Toledo, alt. 2600 m, 12

May 1984, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 10SOI (MO).

Quindio: Alto de La Linea, alt. 2700 m, collected by R. Escobar, E. Valencia, W. & H. Koniger,

May 1989, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 21 Dec. 1992, R. Escobar 5058 (MO).

Cundinamarca: epiphytic in cloud forest above Gutierrez, south of Bogota, alt. 2850 m, 19 May

1984, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar, et al. 10385 (MO).

Cauca: Macizo Colombiano, Valle de Las Papas, alredores de La Laguna de Cusiyaco, dense

Clusia forest above and east of Laguna Cusizaco, alt. 3470 m, 8 Oct 1958, H.G. Barclay & P. Juajibioy

C. 5960 (MO).

Also Ecuador (Azuay, Holotype, W. Jameson s.n.\ K; Carchi; Imbabura; Sucumbios; Pichincha,

holotype of L. roseola , Spruce 5954 : W; Napo; Tungurahua; Morona-Santiago; Canar; Loja; Zamora-

Chinchipe), Bolivia (La Paz).

This species was described and illustrated by Lindley from a single plant and a

single flower. Although crude, enough details are included to leave no doubt about

its identity. Jameson collected the plant near Cuenca, where it is known to be

especially common today. It is still common at high altitudes in much of Ecuador,

but less common in Colombia. Lepanthes dolichopus Schltr. had been reduced to a

synonym of L. monoptera (Luer 1996b). Schlechter (1920, 1929) described and

illustrated a flower of L. dolichopus with a similar lip and petals, and single-veined

lateral sepals. It departs from L. monoptera in several other significant char¬

acteristics, however, including apparently much narrower, entire sepals; glabrous

petals; and an inflorescence as long or slightly longer than the leaf. Lepanthes

dolichopus remains unresolved.

The leaves are narrowly elliptical, not much shorter than the ramicaul when the

plant is small, but in larger plants the ramicaul is noticeably much longer than the

leaves. The subcongested racemes reach about half the length of the leaf. The

sepals are denticulate, with the laterals single-veined. The transverse petals are

oblong but variously shaped, often overlapping above the column. The blades of

the lip are ciliate and elliptical or ovate, and the appendix is short and pubescent.

Two similar member of Lepanthes subsect. Breves , L. ferax and L. nulla Luer

& R. Escobar, also produce short, few-flowered racemes that often bear capsules.

The flowers of both are smaller overall. The flower of L. ferax is distinguished by

denticulate sepals, petals with obtuse lobes, and a lip with an appendix reduced to

a microscopic lobule buried in the pubescence of the sinus. The flower of L. nulla

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

149

is distinguished by petals with the upper lobe narrowed above the middle, and a lip

without an appendix.

Lepanthes mucronata LindL, Comp. Bot. Mag. 2: 356, 1836.

Ety.: From the Latin mucronatus , “mucronate,” referring to the tip of the leaves.

Syn.: Lepanthes mesochlora Rchb. f., Xenia Orch. 1: 147, 1856.

Ety.: From the Greek mesochloros , “green in the middle,” referring to the colors of the flower.

Syn.: Lepanthes macroura Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 8: 55, 1921.

Ety.: From the Greek makroura , “large or long tail,” referring to the mucronate tip of the leaf.

Syn.: Lepanthes tricuspis Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 7: 100, 1920.

Ety.: From the Latin tri , “three,” and cusp is., “pointed,” referring to the mucronate tip of the leaf.

Plant small to large, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender erect, 2-23 cm long,

enclosed by 7-12 closely fitting, microscopically ciliate-scabrous lepanthiform sheaths with narrowly

dilated, acuminate ostia. Leaf more or less horizontal, often purple beneath, thinly coriaceous, narrowly

ovate, acute, acuminate, 1-8 cm long, 0.5-2 cm wide, the base broadly to narrowly cuneate into a peti¬

ole 1-2 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, successively many-flowered raceme up to 10 mm long,

borne on top of the leaf by a filiform peduncle 3-20 mm long, a short and a long peduncle frequently

co-existing; floral bracts 1-2 mm long; pedicels 2-4 mm long; ovary 1.5-2 mm long; sepals yellow,

brown or purple, glabrous, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal ovate, obtuse, 3-4 mm long, 2.75-3.25 mm

wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals connate into a broadly ovate

synsepal, 3-4 mm long, 3-3.75 mm wide, each 2-veined, the apex obtuse, often shortly bifid; petals

green, brown or purple, microscopically pubescent, transversely bilobed with a slender marginal

process between the lobes, 1-1.5 mm long, 3-5 mm wide, the upper lobe oblong, sharply truncate, with

the angles shortly acuminate, sometimes erose, the lower lobe triangular, acute; lip purple or brown,

bilaminate, blades thin, adherent medially over the column, elliptical with rounded ends, minutely

ciliate, 1.5-2.25 mm long, borne at the base by short connectives, the body narrow, connate to the base

of the column, the sinus obtuse with a comparatively large, oblong, concave, ciliate appendix; column

l. 5-2.5 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: epiphytic in forest near Yarumalito, northeast of Santa Rosa, alt. 2350 m, 15 May

1985, C. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 11387 (MO); epiphytic in forest remnant north of Santa Rosa

de Osa, above Estadero Manicomio, alt. 2580 m, 14 Mar. 1989, C. Luer, J. Luer, S. Dalstrom & W.

Teague 14141 (MO); Medellin, corregimiento de San Cristobal, alt. 2870-2890 m, 15 June 1997, L. F.

Giraldo 1602 (JAUM).

Santander: epiphytic in cloud forest, east of Bucaramanga toward Berlin, alt. 2700 m, 7 May

1984, C. Luer, J. Luer, E. Valencia & R. Escobar 10159 (MO).

Choco: San Jose del Palmar, in humid secondary cloud forest, road to Valle department, alt. 2100

m, flowered in cultivation at El Jordan, A. de Wilde 3900 (MO).

Boyaca: Chiquinquira, alt. 3000 m, 2 Jan. 1993, A de Wilde 4441 (MO).

Cundinamarca: epiphytic in cloud forest above Gutierrez, south of Bogota, alt. 2700 m, 19 May

1984, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & W. Teague 10365 (MO).

Quindio: epiphytic at the pass between Salento and Tocha, alt. 3300 m, 10 May 1993, C. Luer, J.

Luer, R. Escobar & A. de Wilde 16753 (MO).

Valle del Cauca: Alto de Los Galapagos, at the pass between Valle del Cauca and Choco, alt.

2050 m, 13 May 1993, C. Luer et al. 16804 (MO).

Cauca: An aumen auf dem Paramo von Guanacas, 3000 m, F. C. Lehmann 4551 (isotype of L.

tricuspis : K, MO); Cordillera Central, vertiente occidental. Cabeceras del rio Palom quebrada del rio

Lopez: Alto del Duende, matorrales y bosquecillo de paramo, alt. 3300-3350 m, 1-2 Dec. 1944, J.

Cuatrecasas 188867 (MO).

Narino: epiphytic in scrub forest in the paramo between La Cocha and Putumayo, alt. 3000 m, 26

Jan. 1987, C. Luer, J. Luer, C. H. Dodson, O. de Benavides, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 12522 (MO);

wet forest around La Planada above Ricaurte, alt. 1800 m, flowered in cultivation at the La Planda

Orquideario, 25 Jan. 1987, C. Luer 12506 (MO); in montane pluvial forest, La Planada, south of

Ricaurte on road from Pasto to Tumaco, alt. 1820 m, 21 July 1989, C. H. Dodson, R. Escobar & E.

Valencia 18065 (MO).

Putumayo: Santiago, San Antonio de Bellavista, Paramo del Bordoncillo, alt. 3240 m, 19 Mar.

1999, S. M. Pasmiho & M. R. Posso 23 (MO).

Also Ecuador (Pichincha, Holotype, Hall s.n .: K; holotype of L. mesochlora , Jameson 27\ W;

150

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Carchi; Imbabura; Sucumbios; Tungurahua; Pastaza; Azuay; Morona-Santiago; Loja; Zamora -

Chinchipe), Bolivia (Cochabamba).

Lepanthes mucronata is one of the most common Andean species of the genus.

It varies vegetatively, no two populations being alike. The plants vary from small

to relatively large, but always with very slender ramicauls with the leaves more or

less horizontal. The thin leaves vary from ovate, short- to long-acuminate, to

narrowly ovate, and to nearly linear. The tips of the leaves are often prominently

mucronate, but this feature occurs in varying degrees in most species of the genus.

The inflorescences lie upon the upper surface of the leaf, commonly within the

central groove. Curiously, a raceme borne by a short peduncle usually accompa¬

nies a second raceme with a twice longer peduncle. The racemes commonly bear

their single brownish or greenish flower simultaneously. Double racemes are also

sometimes seen in related species. The flowers vary somewhat, especially in the

upper margin of the upper lobe of the petals, but the flower is always readily

recognized. The upper margin is truncate and sometimes erose, with the comers

more or less narrowly pointed. A narrow process, or third lobe, projects laterally

from the margin between the two transverse lobes, indicating its membership in a

large alliance of species. The lip is distinct, with the pair of thin, fragile blades

overlying a proportionally large, scaphoid appendix.

The similar Lepanthes andrenoglossa has been treated as a synonym (Luer

1996b), but is sufficiently distinct to be recognized as a species. It differs in a

smaller stature with ovate leaves. A very congested, single raceme bears flowers

with petals with simple, obliquely truncate upper lobes; and a lip with blades that

do not adhere to one another medially.

Lepanthes muscula Luer & R. Escobar, Phytologia 54(5): 354, 1983.

Ety.: From the Latin musculus , “a little mouse,” in reference to the trilobed appendix.

Plant medium to large in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots coarse. Ramicauls erect, slender to stout,

5-22 cm long, enclosed by 10-14 ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, thinly coriaceous, elliptical-

ovate, acute, acuminate, 4-7 cm long, 1.5-2 cm wide, the base cuneate into the petiole 2-3 mm long.

Inflorescence a progressively lengthening, loose, lightly flexuous raceme up to 20 cm long including

the peduncle ca. 2 cm long, 2-3 flowers open simultaneously; floral bracts 1.5-2 mm long; pedicels

0.75-1.5 mm long; ovary sulcate, 1.5-2 mm long; sepals purple-brown or yellow-orange, glabrous,

narrowly ovate, acute, lightly acuminate, margins smooth or microscopically cellular-denticulate, the

dorsal sepal 5-7.5 mm long, 2.5-3 mm wide, 3-veined, connate 1.5 mm to the lateral sepals, the lateral

sepals diverging slightly, 5-7 mm long, 1.5-2.25 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 2 mm; petals dark red or

yellow-orange, cellular-glandular, transversely oblong, bilobed, 1-1.25 mm long, 2.5-3.75 mm wide,

the upper lobe oblong, the apex obliquely narrowed, obtuse, the lower lobe smaller, oblique, triangular,

obtuse; lip dark red or purple, bilaminate, the blades oblong with rounded ends, 1.75 mm long, micro¬

scopically ciliate-pubescent, the connectives cuneate, the body narrow, connate to the base of the

column, the appendix minute, pubescent, orbicular with a pair of rounded terminal lobules; column 1.5

mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Cauca: Purace, alt. 2800-2900 m, collected by E. Valencia, May 1992, flowered in cultivation at

Colomborquideas, 2 Jan. 1993, R. Escobar 5188 (MO).

Putumayo: Santiago, San Antonio de Bellavista, Paramo del Bordoncillo, alt. 3240 m, 14 Apr.

1999, S. M. Pasmino & M. R. Posso 43 (MO).

Also Ecuador (Carchi, Holotype, C. Luer & R. Escobar 8300: SEL; Sucumbios; Napo;

Tungurahua).

This species occurs at high altitudes in northernmost Ecuador and southern

Colombia. It is identified by a loose, elongated raceme with several flowers open

simultaneously; ovate, acuminate sepals; transverse petals with the upper lobe

reminiscent of that of Lepanthes monitor , with the apex narrowed; and an

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

151

appendix with a terminal pair of lobules similar to that of L. hirtzii. The colors of

the flower parts vary greatly throughout its distribution. Lepanthes elongata ,

another Colombian species with an extremely long raceme, is distinguished by a

peduncle exceeding the narrowly ovate leaf, and petals with a long-acuminate

upper lobe.

Lepanthes myoxophora Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 53(3): 261,

1984.

Ety.: From the Greek myoxophorus, “mouse-bearing,” in reference to the appearance of the flowers

with the large, concave, earlike petals.

Plant medium to large in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots filiform. Ramicauls slender, erect, 3-20

cm long, enclosed by 6-16 ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, thinly coriaceous, acute, acuminate,

3-10 cm long, 1-2.4 cm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole 2-5 mm long. Inflorescence a very con¬

gested, long-pedicellate, successively flowered raceme up to 10 mm long, borne behind the leaf by a

filiform peduncle 1-5.5 cm long; floral bracts 1.5 mm long; pedicels 4 mm long; ovary 3 mm long;

sepals yellow, glabrous, smooth-carinate, margins minutely denticulate, the dorsal sepal triangular-

ovate, acute, 4.5 mm long, 3 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1 mm, the lateral

sepals ovate, oblique, acute, acuminate, diverging, 4 mm long, 2 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 1 mm;

petals green, edged in black, ciliate-pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1.2 mm long, 4 mm wide, with a

small, uncinate middle lobe on the outer margin, the upper lobe oblong with the end rounded and

lightly concave, the lower lobe narrowly triangular, acute; lip yellow, suffused with rose, the blades

glabrous, thin, oblong, concave, with the ends rounded, 1. 75 mm long, the connectives narrowly oblong

from the middle of the blades, connate to the base of the column, the appendix broadly oblong, thin,

concave, ciliate, the truncate apex notched, 0.75 mm long; column 2 mm long, protruding beyond the

blades, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Mun. Yarumal; above Quebrada El Oro, alt. 1850 m, 20 May 1983, R. Escobar et al.

2621 (Holotype: SEL), C. Luer illustr. 9100; Yarumal, epiphytic in forest remnant along the road to

Briceno, Quebrada El Oro, alt. 1850 m, 16 Mar. 1989, C. Luer, J. Luer, S. Dalstrom & W. Teague

14181 (MO).

This large species is identified by the congested, long-pedicellate racemes

shorter than the leaf, bearing small flowers with minutely denticulate sepals, the

laterals with apices diverging approximately 90 degrees; transverse, pubescent

petals, with a hooklike process in the middle and a prominent, concave upper lobe;

and the lip with glabrous, narrow blades and a large, oblong, ciliated appendix.

Lepanthes nautilus Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 53(10): 1046,

1984.

Ety.: Named for the fancied resemblance of the flower to a nautilus.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 3-7 cm long,

enclosed by 5-7 close, minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, thinly coriaceous, elliptical,

subacute, 27-37 mm long, 13-17 mm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole ca. 3 mm long. Inflorescence

a drooping, loose, successively flowered raceme up to 10 cm long including the filiform peduncle 3.5-4

cm long, 2 flowers often produced simultaneously; floral bracts 1.5 mm long, lightly echinate; pedicels

3 mm long; ovary 1.5 mm long; sepals glabrous, dorsal sepal brown with 3 green stripes, triangular,

acute, long-acuminate, obtusely angled at the base, deeply concave, margins smooth, 20 mm long, 14

mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 7 mm to form a cupped, bowl-shaped flower,

lateral sepals green, suffused with brown on the outer third, margins minutely ciliate, connate to near

the apex into a triangular, abruptly long-acuminate, concave synsepal, 20 mm long, 12 mm wide, each

2-veined, the slender, linear apex shortly bifid; petals brown, shortly pubescent, transversely bilobed,

1.4 mm long, 4.5 mm wide, the upper lobe oblong, rounded, the lower lobe narrowly oblong, obtuse;

lip purple-brown, bilaminate, the blades oblong, ciliate, 1.9 mm long, with rounded ends, the connec¬

tives short, cuneate, the broad body connate to the column above the base, the sinus narrow with a

narrowly triangular appendix; column stout, 2 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

152

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Santander: epiphytic in cloud forest east of Bucaramanga toward El Picacho, alt. 2550 m, 7 May

1984, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 10203 (Holotype: MO; Isotype: SEL); same collec¬

tion, cultivated by L. & J. Posada at Colomborquideas, El Retiro, flowered in cultivation 26 May 1984,

R. Escobar 3249 (JAUM, COL).

The spectacular Lepanthes nautilus often produces two large flowers simulta¬

neously on a weak, arching, successively flowered raceme. The sepals form a cup¬

shaped flower with the attenuated apices protruding at either end, the synsepal

shortly bifid. The flowers of L. chelonion are similarly shaped and nearly as large,

but the blades of the lip of L. chelonion are approximately twice as long as the

column rather than subequal in length. Vegetatively, L. chelonion is much smaller,

with ramicauls ten to fifteen millimeters in length, bearing leaves only nine to

twelve millimeters long.

Lepanthes nematodes Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 18(1): 66-68, 1991.

Ety.: From the Greek nematodes , “filamentous,” referring to the threadlike petals.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect, slender, 2.5-6.5 cm long,

enclosed by 8-9 microscopically ciliate-scabrous lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf spreading, coriaceous,

ovate, acute, 18-22 mm long, 7-9 mm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole 1-2 mm long. Inflorescence

a congested, successively several-flowered raceme up to 7 mm long, borne on the dorsum of the leaf by

a slender peduncle 3-10 mm long; floral bracts 0.4 mm long; pedicels 0.6 mm long; ovary 0.75 mm

long; sepals light yellow, glabrous, carinate, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal ovate, acute, with the

sides revolute, 2.6 mm long, E5 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.3 mm, the lateral

sepals ovate, oblique, diverging, acute, 2.6 mm long, E25 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 1 mm; petals

yellow, glabrous, transversely bilobed, filamentous, 0.2 mm long, E2 mm wide, the upper lobe longer;

lip yellow, glabrous, bilobed without blades, the lobes oblong, with obtuse apices and uncinate bases,

0.8 mm long, embracing the column, the body broad, connate to the base of the column, the sinus with

a minute, oblong, membranous appendix; column erect, cylindrical-clavate, 1 mm long, the anther

dorsal, the stigma apical.

Risaralda: Mun. Pueblo Rico, La Linea, alt. ca. 2200 m, collected by E. Valencia, 16 Feb. 1985,

flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 6 Apr. 1988, C. Luer 13018 (Holotype: MO); same area,

alt. 2100 m, 11 May 1993, C. Luer et al. 16779 (MO).

This little species is characterized by minute, yellow flowers borne on top of a

small, horizontal leaf; smooth-margined, ovate sepals; tiny, filamentous petals; and

an erect, cylindrical column embraced by the lobes of a shorter lip. There are

several other very small Colombian species with bilobed, filamentous petals and

acute sepals, e.g., Lepanthes ramosii Luer, L. hyphosa , but the petals of the others

are proportionally much wider, equaling or surpassing the length of a sepal.

Lepanthes nematostele Luer, Novon 3: 449 (1993).

Ety.: From the Greek nematostele , “threadlike column,” referring to the column.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 3-5 cm long, enclosed

by 7-8 long-ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical, subacute, 10-15 mm long

excluding the petiole 1-E5 mm long, 8-10 mm wide, the base cuneate into the petiole. Inflorescence an

erect, loose, successively several-flowered raceme up to 5 cm long including the slender peduncle 2-2.5

cm long; floral bract E5 mm long; pedicel E5-2 mm long; ovary 3.5 mm long, lightly ribbed; sepals

dark red, glabrous, cristate along the veins and margins, the dorsal sepal deeply concave, ovoid, acute, 6

mm long, 2.5 mm wide unexpanded, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1 mm, the lateral sepals

connate 5 mm into a deeply concave, ovoid synsepal similar to the dorsal sepal, 6 mm long, 4 mm wide

unexpanded, the apices free for less than 1 mm, 2-veined; petals transversely bilobed, long-pubescent

on the back surface, 1 mm long, 5 mm wide, the upper lobe short, semicircular, the lower lobe tri¬

angular, acute, long acuminate; lip bilaminate, the blades glabrous, arcuate, firmly adherent to each

other below the middle over the column, E25 mm long, the apices everted, rounded, ciliate, the

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

153

connectives and body short, connate to the column near the apex, the appendix triangular, retrorse;

column weak, proportionally very long and very slender, 3.5 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma

ventral with a prominent, descending process.

Valle del Cauca: Yumbo, Dapa, growing on trees at a height of ca. 1.5 in open areas, alt. 2000 m,

Feb. 2011, O. Perez & E. Parra s.n. (VALLE, HPUJ).

Also Ecuador (Carchi, Holotype, S. Dalstrom & T. Hdijer 1234: MO).

This remarkable species is characterized by its small stature; ramicauls with

long-ciliate lepanthiform sheaths; a loose inflorescence longer than the leaves;

concave, crested sepals; petals with a long-acuminate lower lobe; and a long,

threadlike column bearing near the tip a tiny lip. The blades of the lip are solidly

agglutinated over the column. A prominent stigmatic process, as large as the

retrorse appendix, descends from between the blades of the lip.

Lepanthes ictalurus has similar cristate, concave sepals, with the laterals

deeply connate; petals with a much longer lower lobe; and a long, thin column

with the lip connate above the middle. It is readily distinguished by the pro¬

portionally large, narrow lip with blades abruptly terminating in filiform append¬

ages longer than the blade.

Lepanthes nicolasii Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 20(3): 304-305, 1997.

Ety.: Named in honor of Nicolas Pelaez of Medellin, Colombia, enthusiastic student of orchids,

who discovered this species.

Plant medium to large in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 8-18

cm long, enclosed by 12-14 minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, thinly coriaceous,

elliptical-oblong, acute, slightly acuminate, 5-11 cm long, 2-3 cm wide, the base rounded or broadly

cuneate into a petiole 2-4 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, distichous, successively flowered

raceme, up to 30 mm long, borne by a pendent, filiform peduncle 25-35 mm long; floral bracts oblique,

1.5 mm long; pedicels 1.5 mm long; ovary 8.5 mm long; sepals yellow, carinate, microscopically

pubescent within, margins microscopically ciliate, the dorsal sepal ovate-triangular, acute, 9.5 mm long,

5 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1.5 mm, the lateral sepals ovate, oblique,

diverging, acute, slightly short-acuminate, connate 4.5 mm into a bifid synsepal, 9.5 mm long, 8 mm

wide, each 2-veined; petals orange with the outer margin red, microscopically cellular-pubescent,

transversely bilobed, 1 mm long, 7 mm wide, the lobes narrowly triangular, acute, with the lower lobe

uncinate-recurved; lip red-purple, bilaminate, microscopically pubescent, sparsely ciliate at the apices,

the blades ovate with the narrow blade developed only below the middle, narrowly triangular above the

middle, 2.2 mm long, the connectives broad, short, the body broad, connate to the base of the column,

with the appendix small, bilobulate, pubescent; column stout, 1 mm long, the anther apical and the

stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Jardin, between Jardin and Quebrada La Cifuentes, alt. 2000 m, collected by N. Pelaez,

Jan. 1993, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, Feb. 1994, R. Escobar 5452 (Holotype: MO), C.

Luerillustr. 17155.

This species is known only from a single collection in the Central Cordillera of

Colombia, subsequently cultivated at Colomborquideas. The congested raceme is

pendent, borne by a slender, elongated, arching peduncle from beneath the leaf.

The large flowers are held out on elongated ovaries. The sepals are microscopi¬

cally pubescent; the petals are transverse with the upper lobe narrowly triangular

and the lower uncinate; and the lobes of the lip are narrowly ovate with the blades

developed only below the middle, the distal halves merely narrowly triangular.

The appendix is minute and bilobulate. Lepanthes nicolasii is distinguished from

the other yellow-flowered, large species most easily by its long peduncle and

flowers with petals with hook-shaped, everted lower lobes.

154

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Lepanthes niesseniae Luer, Revista Soc. Boliv. Bot. 4(1): 7-9, 2003.

Ety.: Named in honor of Andrea Niessen de Uribe of Orquideas del Valle, Cali, Valle del Cauca,

Colombia.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 4-4.5 cm long,

enclosed by 7-8 microscopically ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf suffused with purple, erect, thinly

coriaceous, elliptical-ovate, acute, slightly acuminate, 4-6 cm long, 1.5-1.7 cm wide, the base cuneate

into a petiole ca. 2 mm long. Inflorescence a very congested, secund, successively many-flowered

raceme, up to 8 mm long, borne on top of the leaf by a slender peduncle 17-20 mm long; floral bracts

oblique, acute, 1 mm long; pedicels 2.5-3 mm long; ovary 1.75 mm long; sepals orange, carinate,

glabrous, gaping, margins microscopically ciliate, the dorsal sepal ovate, subacute, 8 mm long, 5.5 mm

wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1.5 mm, the lateral sepals triangular-ovate, oblique,

diverging widely, 7.5 mm long, 3.75 mm wide, connate barely 1 mm, 2-veined; petals transversely

bilobed, less than 1 mm long, 3.5 mm wide, 1-veined, the lobes more or less oblong, of equal length,

the upper lobes dull green, thick, bosselated, the lower lobes orange, curved, round at the apex; lip

yellow, bilobed, with the lobes broadly cuneate, oblique, flanking the column, 1.25 mm long, with the

margins bosselated and verrucose, forming a narrow body, connate to the base of the column, with the

appendix narrowly oblong in the narrow sinus; column stout, 1.5 mm long, the shaft 0.75 mm long, the

anther dorsal and the stigma apical.

Valle del Cauca: without collection data, cultivated at Orquideas del Valle, A. Niessen & J. C.

Uribe 088 (Holotype: MO), C. Luer illustr. 19899.

This species is characterized by its medium size; caespitose habit; and a very

congested, successively flowered, secund raceme shorter than the thinly

coriaceous, elliptical leaf. The sepals are orange with microscopically ciliate mar¬

gins. The dorsal sepal is larger than the acute, triangular lateral sepals. The

prominent, erect petals are reminiscent of Lepanthes lucifer Luer & Hirtz, of north¬

western Ecuador, but in L. niesseniae the upper lobes are thick, cuneiform in

shape, and bosselated rather than oblong-sigmoid and smooth. The lip is minute

with verrucose, cuneate lobes flanking the column.

Lepanthes niphas Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 18(1): 68-70, 1991.

Ety.: From the Greek niphas , “a snowflake,” referring to the tiny, crystalline flowers.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect, slender, 4-9 cm long, enclosed

by 12-15 microscopically scabrous lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, narrowly ovate, acute,

3.5-5 cm long, 9-11 mm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole 1-2 mm long. Inflorescence a congested,

distichous, successively many-flowered raceme up to 15 mm long, borne behind the leaf by a slender

peduncle 5-20 mm long; floral bracts spiculate, 1 mm long; pedicels 1.25 mm long; ovary 2.25 mm

long; sepals white, glabrous, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal ovate, acute, 2.25 mm long, 1.25 mm

wide, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.25 mm, 3-veined, the lateral sepals ovate, diverging more than

90 3 , acute, 2.5 mm long, 1 mm wide, 1-veined, connate 1 mm; petals white, cellular-glandular, trans¬

versely bilobed, 0.2 mm long, 1 mm wide, the lobes subequal, narrowly triangular, obtuse; lip white,

cellular-glandular, bilobed, the lobes semi-orbicular, rounded, embracing the column, cleft anteriorly

with a minute apiculum in the sinus, 0.8 mm long, 1 mm wide expanded, connate to the column

between the outer and middle thirds; column erect, cylindrical-clavate, 1 mm long, the anther dorsal,

the stigma apical.

Antioquia: Abejorral, collected by E. Valencia, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 6

Apr. 1988, C. Luer 13019 (Holotype: MO; Isotype: JAUM).

Risaralda: Pueblo Rico, Alto de Linea, epiphytic in cloud forest, alt. 2100 m, 11 May 1993, C.

Luer et al. 16780 (MO).

This little species is characterized by minute, crystalline, white flowers borne

behind an erect, narrowly ovate leaf; smooth-margined, ovate sepals, with the

laterals single-veined; minute, transverse petals; and an erect, cylindrical column

embraced by the rounded lobes of a shorter, bilobed lip connate to the column well

above the base. Two other small Colombian species in Lepanthes subsect. Breves

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

155

share this prominent, erect column dwarfing a much smaller lip, but both L. eros

and L. hurgo have proportionally large petals.

Lepanthes norae Foldats, Bol. Soc. Venez. Ci. Nat. 28: 244, 1969.

Ety.: Named in honor of Nora Dunsterville, who collected this species with her husband.

Syn.: Lepanthes janus Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 54:(6): 730-732. 1985.

Ety.: Named for the Roman deity Janus, with two faces, referring to the two forms of the species.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect, slender, 1-3 cm long, enclosed

by 2-4 minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical, obtuse, 8-15 mm long,

6-10 mm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole 2 mm long. Inflorescence an erect, lax, distichous, sub-

flexuous, successively several-flowered raceme up to 7 cm long, borne by a filiform peduncle 1-1.5 cm

long; floral bracts minutely spiculate, 1.5 mm long; pedicels 1.5-3.5 mm long; ovary spiculate, 1-2 mm

long; sepals yellow, often suffused with red, dark red, orange, or translucent purple, glabrous, margins

microscopically cellular to ciliate, the dorsal sepal ovate, subacute, acuminate, 5-10 mm long, 3-7 mm

wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals about a fourth the length, the lateral sepals ovate, oblique,

diverging, subacute, 5-10.5 mm long, connate over half the length into an ovate, bifid synsepal, 5-10.5

mm wide, each 2-veined; petals purple to yellow with red medially, transversely bilobed, micro¬

scopically pubescent, 1 mm long, 4-5 mm wide, the lobes similar, oblong-triangular, obtuse; lip red or

purple, ciliate, bilaminate, the blades oblong with the ends obtuse, 2 mm long, the connectives cuneate,

the body narrow, connate above the base of the column, the appendix small, narrowly triangular,

pubescent; column 1.5 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Norte de Santander: Paramo de Jurisdicciones, alt. 2750 m, 30 Apr. 1982, C. Luer, J. Luer, R.

Escobar & E. Valencia 7666, 7667 (MO); epiphytic in cloud forest below the Paramo de Jurisdicciones,

alt. 2600 m, 10 May 1984, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 10220 (MO); epiphytic in cloud

forest near Alto de San Francisco, above Villacaro, alt. 2850 m, 11 May 1984, C. Luer, J. Luer, R.

Escobar & E. Valencia 10269 (MO); Toledo, epiphytic in cloud forest, Alto de Mefue, alt. 2500 m, 12

May 1984, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 10283 (holotype of L. janus: MO); same collec¬

tion, flowered in cultivation by L. & J. Posada at Colomborquideas, El Retiro, 6 June 1984, R. Escobar

3253 (COL, JAUM); same area, 12 May 1982, C. Luer & R. Escobar 7803 (SEL); same collection,

flowered in cultivation by L. & J. Posada at Colomborquideas, 14 July 1984, R. Escobar 3303 (COL,

JAUM).

Also Venezuela (Tachira, Holotype, G. C. K. Dunsterville & E. Dunsterville 64: VEN).

In this treatment, Lepanthes norae is considered to be an extremely variable

species-complex, and L. janus is included within this concept. The two specimens

illustrated in this volume seem unlikely to be conspecific, but the specimens from

Norte de Santander show a continuum of characteristics without a logical demar¬

cation. This small species is characterized by elliptical leaves surpassed by a lax

raceme of successive, variably colorful flowers. The ovary varies from smoothly

sulcate to lightly ribbed with occasional spicules to cristate-spiculate. The sepals

range in size from about five to seven millimeters in length, with the sepals of one

exceptional specimen measuring ten millimeters. The margins of the sepals vary

from microscopically irregular to (more usually) ciliate. The blades of the lip are

oblong to elliptic to oblong-obovate, with apices short- to long-ciliate. The appen¬

dix varies from cymbiform to relatively long and slender.

In Foldats’s drawing, the lip is shown with suboblong blades with shortly

ciliate margins and a simple, triangular-lanceolate, pubescent appendix.

Dunsterville’s illustration in Venezuelan Orchids Illustrated depicts a lip with

blades similarly shaped, but with long-ciliate apices and a longer, slender, short-

ciliate appendix. One of the illustrations herein differs from these drawings in the

shape of the blades of the lip and the microscopic detail of the appendix; the other

is an extreme variation from the far end of the spectrum of characteristics. Only

the examination of additional specimens can define species within this complex.

156

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Lepanthes nulla Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 19(2): 102, 1994.

Ety.: From the Latin nullus , “none,” referring to the totally absent appendix.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls comparatively stout, erect, 3-6 cm

long, enclosed by 7-8 microscopically scabrous lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, thickly coriaceous,

narrowly ovate, acute, 20-30 mm long, 6-9 mm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole 2-3 mm long.

Inflorescence a congested, distichous, successively many-flowered raceme, up to 18 mm long, borne

behind the leaf by a filiform peduncle 4-7 mm long; floral bracts infundibular, 1 mm long; pedicels 1

mm long; ovary 1 mm long, frequently forming a capsule; sepals yellow-green, glabrous, margins

smooth, 1-veined, the dorsal sepal ovate-triangular, acute, 3 mm long, 1.3 mm wide, connate to the

lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals ovate-triangular, oblique, diverging, acute, 2.8 mm long,

1.25 mm wide, 2.5 mm wide together, connate 0.5 mm; petals yellow, cellular-glandular, transversely

bilobed, 0.6 mm long, 1.75 mm wide, the lobes obscurely triangular, oblique, obtuse, the upper lobe

variously narrowed above the middle with the tip purple; lip crimson, bilaminate, the blades cellular-

glandular, narrowly oblong as the thickened margin of the connective, with obtuse ends, 1 mm long, the

connectives broadly cuneate, the body broad, connate to the base of the column, the sinus acute,

without any appendix; column 1 mm long, with the anther and the stigma apical.

Quindio: epiphytic in shrubs at the pass between Salento and Tocha, alt. 3300 m, 10 May 1993, C.

Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar, A. de Wilde & J. Gomez 16748 (Holotype: MO).

Although abundant where found, this little species is known only from the one

area of cloud forest remnant in the Central Cordillera. It is distinguished by its

small size with thick, narrowly ovate leaves. The racemes behind the leaf bear fruit

and flowers simultaneously. The flowers are small with acute, single-veined

sepals. The petals are small with the tip of the upper lobes variously elongated,

sometimes hook-shaped. The blades of the lip are thickened margins of broad,

cuneate connectives, and the sinus between lacks an appendix. The similar, wide¬

spread Lepanthes monoptera is distinguished by a flower larger in overall size;

petals with oblong to triangular, obtuse, subequal lobes; and a lip with a small,

ovate, pubescent appendix.

Lepanthes obovata Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 53(8): 823,

1984.

Ety.: From the Latin obovatus, “obovate,” referring to the distinctive shape of the leaves.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots very slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 10-13 cm

long, enclosed by 14-16 long-ciliate lepanthiform sheaths widely dilated at the apex. Leaf erect, thinly

coriaceous, obovate, 5-5.5 cm long, 2-2.5 cm wide, the obtuse apex abruptly contracted into a 1 cm

long acumen, the base cuneate into a 2 mm long petiole. Inflorescence a congested, flexuous, succes¬

sively flowered raceme up to 10 mm long, borne on top of the leaf by a filiform peduncle 28-30 mm

long; floral bracts 1 mm long, ciliate; pedicels 1.5 mm long; ovary 2 mm long; sepals light orange,

glabrous, with long-ciliate carinae, margins smooth, dorsal sepal broadly ovate, acute, 3.5 mm long,

2.75 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.75 mm, lateral sepals ovate, oblique,

diverging, acute, 3.5 mm long, 2 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 1.2 mm; petals bright orange, pubescent,

transversely bilobed, 1 mm long, 3 mm wide, the upper lobe oblong, oblique, truncate, obtuse, obtusely

angled on the inner margin, the lower lobe smaller, falcate; lip red, pubescent, broadly cordate, 1.25

mm long, 1.75 mm wide expanded, the rounded apex abruptly short-acuminate, the lateral lobes thick¬

ened, embracing the column, attached to the base of the column; column stout, 1.25 mm long, the

anther and stigma apical.

Antioquia: San Luis, Rio Caldera, alt. 1650 m, collected by E. Valencia, 23 June 1983, flowered

in cultivation at Colomborquideas, El Retiro, 13 Jan. 1984, R. Escobar 3195 (Holotype: MO; Isotypes:

JAUM, SEL), C. Luer illustr. 9490.

This species is readily recognized by the obovate, abruptly acuminate leaves;

and flowers with a broadly cordate lip with a short apical acumen and rounded lat¬

eral lobes embracing the column. Lepanthes trichocaulis Luer & R. Escobar is

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

157

alike but smaller in all parts, with flowers with obtuse rather than acute sepals, and

a similar cordate lip but lacking an apiculum.

Lepanthes octavioi Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 18(2): 128-130, 1991.

Ety.: Named in honor of Brother Octavio Ospina of Sibundoy, Colombia, discoverer of this

species.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls suberect to horizontal,

slender, 3-6 cm long, enclosed by 9-11 ciliate lepanthiform sheaths with dilated ostia. Leaf more or less

horizontal, erect in relation to the ramicaul, coriaceous, ovate, acute, slightly acuminate, 3.5-5 cm long,

1.3-1.7 cm wide, the base cuneate, contracted into a petiole 1 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, dis¬

tichous, successively many-flowered raceme up to 8 mm or more long, borne on top of the leaf by a

filiform peduncle 9-12 mm long; floral bracts 1.5 mm long, minutely echinate; pedicels 1.25 mm long;

ovary 2.5 mm long; sepals yellow-orange, glabrous, carinate-spiculate, ovate, subacute, margins den¬

ticulate, the dorsal sepal 5.5 mm long, 4 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1.25 mm,

the lateral sepals oblique, diverging slightly, 5.75 mm long, 1.75 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 1.75 mm;

petals yellow, transversely bilobed, cellular-pubescent, 0.5 mm long, 3.25 mm wide, the lobes about

equal, oblong, obtuse, incurved; lip dull purple, glabrous, bilaminate, the blades oblong with the apices

narrowly obtuse, 2.4 mm long, the connectives cuneate, forming a thick body, connate to the base of the

column, the front surface of the sinus convex beneath a minute fold, the appendix triangular, minute, on

the external surface of the body; column 2 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Putumayo: epiphytic in cloud forest east of San Francisco, alt. 2100 m, 27 Jan. 1987, C. Luer, J.

Luer, R. Escobar & O. Ospina 12548 (Holotype: MO; Isotype: JAUM); Rio Blanco, east of San Fran¬

cisco, alt. 1650 m, collected by R. Escobar 3753, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 18 Mar.

1989, C. Luer 14220 (MO).

Lepanthes octavioi is characterized by the congested, short-pedicellate inflores¬

cence bearing a yellow-orange flower upon the leaf. The sepals are ovate, shortly

acuminate and denticulate; the petals are small and narrowly transversely oblong;

the blades of the lip cover the column; the sinus of the body of the lip is thick and

shallowly concave on the front surface below a small, transverse flap between the

connectives; and the appendix is merely a minute triangle on the external surface

of the body. The similar flowers of the smaller L. opetidion Luer & R. Escobar are

about half the size, and the bilobed lip embraces the column.

Lepanthes octopus Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 20(3): 305-307, 1997.

Ety.: From the Latin octopus , “with eight feet,” referring to the eight segments of the petals.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 15-35 mm long,

enclosed by 6-8 minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths with oblique ostia. Leaf erect, coriaceous, ellip¬

tical, obtuse, 14-15 mm long, 9-10 mm wide, the base cuneate, contracted into a petiole 2 mm long.

Inflorescence a subsecund, congested, successively several-flowered raceme up to 6 mm long, borne

behind the leaf by a filiform peduncle 7-9 mm long; floral bracts muriculate, 1-1.25 mm long; pedicels

1 mm long; ovary 1.5 mm long; sepals light rosy brown with green margins, glabrous, membranous,

carinate-spiculate, widely spread, margins minutely ciliate, the dorsal sepal ovate, acute, 4 mm long,

2.5 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals connate into an

ovate, acute synsepal, 4 mm long, 2.5 mm wide, each 2-veined; petals orange, microscopically ciliate,

forked into 4 filamentous segments ca. 3 mm long, the uppermost segment shortest, ca. 1.5 mm long;

lip rose, microscopically ciliate, subcordate, with the apex broadly rounded, shortly incised, with the

basal lobes encircling the column, 1.6 mm long, 1.4 mm wide, connate to the column near the apex;

column slender, 2 mm long, the anther and stigma apical.

Santander: Virolin, alt. 1800 m, collected by E. Valencia, Oct. 1994, flowered in cultivation at

Colomborquideas, 23 May 1995, C. Luer 17551 (Holotype: JAUM; Isotype: MO).

158

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Lepanthes octopus , apparently endemic in the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia,

is similar to L. alcicornis from the Central Cordillera. Lepanthes octopus is

distinguished by leaves that are elliptical instead of ovate-acuminate. The lateral

sepals are connate into an ovate synsepal, while those of L. alcicornis are nearly

free, elliptical, and subacute. The two species share petals divided into four seg¬

ments, but those of L. octopus are filamentous rather than narrowly linear-

triangular. Both species share a cordate lip, although that of L. alcicornis is ellip-

tically cordate with a more deeply cleft apex. The synsepal of Lepanthes skeleton

is also deeply connate and the petals are also filamentous, but the latter is distin¬

guished by the larger size, cucullate dorsal sepal, and petals with three lobes.

Lepanthes ollaris Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 53(9): 920, 1984.

Ety.: From the Latin ollaris , “pertaining to a pot,” referring to the deep cavity of the body of the

lip.

Plant medium to large, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 10-18 cm

long, enclosed by 10-14 shortly ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, thinly coriaceous, ovate, acute,

acuminate, 8-10 cm long, 2.5-3 cm wide, the base rounded, contracted into a petiole 3-4 mm long.

Inflorescence a congested, successively several-flowered raceme up to 25 mm long, borne behind the

leaf by a filiform peduncle 10-25 mm long; floral bracts 1-1.5 mm long; pedicels 4-5 mm long; ovary

2.5 mm long; sepals greenish white, glabrous, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal broadly ovate, obtuse,

5.5 mm long, 4.5 mm wide, 3-veined, connate 1.5 mm to the lateral sepals, the lateral sepals oblique,

diverging, ovate, acute, 5.75 mm long, 2.75 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 2.5 mm; petals light green

with the upper margin purple, pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1.25 mm long, 5 mm wide, the middle

lobe an uncinate marginal lobule, the upper lobe oblong, truncate, the lower lobe narrowly falcate-tri¬

angular, acute; lip red, bilaminate, the blades translucent, oblong-lunate with rounded ends, adherent

medially to each other over the column, 2 mm long, the connectives narrow, oblique, from the middle

of the blades, the connectives and body connate to the column just above the base, the body greatly

dilated, saccate, 1.5 mm wide, with a minute, pubescent appendix on the anterior rim of the body;

column flat, 2 mm long, with the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Mun. Frontino, Alto de Cuevas, alt. 2050 m, 4 May 1983, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar,

A. Pridgeon & E. Valencia 8954 (Holotype: SEL); same area, flowered in cultivation at

Colomborquideas, 26 May 1984, R. Escobar 5247 (JAUM, MO).

Valle del Cauca: El Cairo, in secondary forest dominated by Tibouchina sp., Cerro del Ingles, alt.

2260-2300 m, 3 Jan. 1987, P. Silverstone-Sopkin, N. Paz, R. T. Gonzalez, I. Cabrera, D. Garces & A.

Henao 2910 (MO).

Also Ecuador (Carchi).

This species is found locally in the Western Cordillera of Colombia and north¬

ernmost Ecuador. It is distinguished by the rather large, thin, elliptical, acuminate

leaves borne by tall ramicauls. The flowers are borne in a congested raceme near

the center of the back of the leaf. The flowers are large and basically similar to

those of Lepanthes agglutinata , with translucent sepals, green petals with a dark

purple margin, and an uncinate process from the margin between the lobes. The

lower lobes of the petals are elongate and sub falcate to either side of the lip. The

lip is most distinctive, with the body dilated into a large, saccate structure that pro¬

trudes on either side of the blades of the lip. While the bodies and appendices of

the lips of other species similar to L. agglutinata are large and have a cavity or

hollow, this is among the most unusual for its size.

Lepanthes opetidion Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 18(2): 131-133, 1991.

Ety.: From the Greek opetidion , “a small awl,” in allusion to the shape of the leaf.

Plant small, weak, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect, very slender, 5-6.5 cm

long, enclosed by 10-15 tightly fitting lepanthiform sheaths with microscopically ciliate ostia. Leaf

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

159

spreading to deflexed, purple beneath, coriaceous, ovate, 22-27 mm long, 6-9 mm wide, the apex acute,

linear-long-attenuate, longer than the ovate basal portion, tridentate, the rounded base contracted into a

petiole 1 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, distichous, successively several-flowered raceme up to 4

mm long, borne on top of the leaf by a filiform peduncle 3-7 mm long; floral bracts smooth, 1 mm long;

pedicels 1.75 mm long; ovary 1 mm long; sepals yellow, glabrous, carinate, the dorsal sepal ovate, sub¬

acute, 2.25 mm long, 2 mm wide, margins smooth, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm,

the lateral sepals denticulate, ovate, oblique, diverging, subacute with the apices obtuse, 2.5 mm long,

2.25 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 0.75 mm; petals dark yellow, transversely bilobed, microscopically

pubescent (cellular-glandular), 0.5 mm long, 2.25 mm wide, the lobes narrowly triangular, obtuse,

apices incurved, the lower lobe narrower; lip dark yellow, shortly pubescent, transversely bilobed, U-

shaped, the lobes thickened, poorly developed into ovate blades with rounded ends, embracing the

column, 0.6 mm long, 1 mm wide expanded, the body between the lobes thick without an appendix;

column 0.75 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma apical.

Narino: Mun. Ricaurte, collected in the cloud forest around La Planada, alt. 1800 m, flowered in

cultivation at the La Planada Science Center, 25 Jan. 1987, C. Luer 12504 (Holotype: MO).

The very slender ramicauls of this delicate species bear a nearly pendent leaf

with a long, narrow apical portion longer than the ovate basal portion; and a very

small, yellow flower with denticulate lateral sepals and a pubescent, bilobed lip

without an appendix, embracing the column. The similar flowers of the larger

Lepanthes octavioi are about twice as large, with a lip with oblong blades and a

minute appendix.

Lepanthes ophelma Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 54(6): 732-734,

1985.

Ety.: From the Greek ophelma , “a broom,” referring to the appearance of the appendix.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots numerous, slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 8-

11cm tall, enclosed by 10-12 close, short-ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, narrowly

ovate, acute, acuminate, apiculate, 6-8 cm long, 1.5-2.2 cm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole 3-4

mm long. Inflorescence a very congested, distichous, successively flowered raceme up to 15 mm long,

borne on top of the leaf by a filiform peduncle 15-30 mm long; floral bracts 1.5 mm long; pedicels 2.5

mm long; ovary ribbed, 5 mm long; sepals glabrous, ovate, acute, carinate, margins microscopically

denticulate, the dorsal sepal orange-brown, 10 mm long, 7.5 mm wide, 5-veined, connate to the lateral

sepals for 3 mm, the lateral sepals bright yellow, oblique, connate 4 mm into an ovate synsepal with the

acute apex bifid, apices approximate, 10.5 mm long, 9.5 mm wide together, each 3-veined; petals

yellow, microscopically pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1.5 mm long, 5.5 mm wide, with a setiform

tooth 1 mm long on the margin between the lobes, the upper lobe oblong, truncate, the lower lobe nar¬

rowly triangular, acute; lip yellow, suffused with brown, the blades oblong with subacute ends, 2.2 mm

long, glabrous, adherent medially over the column, the connectives short, cuneate, the body broad,

connate to the base of the column, the sinus occupied by a triangular appendix, long-ciliate externally,

with a short, oblong apical segment; column 2.5 mm long with the apex bifurcate, the anther dorsal, the

stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Mun. Mesopotamia, between La Union and Sonson, alt. 2400 m, 19 Aug. 1984, R.

Escobar, L. C. Vieira, F. Siegert & C. Head 3380 (Holotype: JAUM; Isotypes: COL, MED, MO), C.

Luer illustr. 10468.

This species is most remarkable for the large, colorful flowers, which with their

weight often hang over the sides of the narrowly ovate-acuminate leaves. The

orange dorsal sepal is five-veined; the yellow lateral sepals are each three-veined.

The transversely bilobed petals produce a setiform tooth at the middle. The oblong

lobes of the lip are glabrous and adherent over the column. The appendix is rela¬

tively large and densely long-pubescent on the external surface.

160

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Lepanthes oreibates Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 18(2): 133-136, 1991.

Ety.: From the Greek oreibates , “a mountain climber,” referring to the prolific habit.

Plant relatively large, epiphytic, caespitose and prolific; roots slender. Ramicauls stout, erect, often

producing another ramicaul at the apex, 5-18 cm long, enclosed by 6-12 light brown, minutely ciliate

lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical, subacute, shortly acuminate, 3.5-6 cm long, 1.7-

2.5 cm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole 5-7 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, successively

many-flowered raceme up to 4 cm long, borne by a filiform peduncle 3-4 cm long; floral bracts 2-3 mm

long; pedicels 2-2.5 mm long; ovary 2 mm long; sepals translucent light yellowish tan, glabrous, ovate,

acute, carinate, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal 9 mm long, 3 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the

lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals oblique, 8.5 mm long, connate 3 mm, 4.5 mm wide together,

the apices approximate, each 2-veined; petals red with purple margins, microscopically pubescent,

transversely bilobed, 1 mm long, 3 mm wide, the lobes triangular with obtuse apices; lip purple,

bilaminate, the blades microscopically pubescent, ovate, the apices narrowly rounded, the bases

rounded, E5 mm long, the connectives broad, cuneate, the body broad, connate to the base of the

column, the appendix small, pubescent, oblong, bilobulate; column stout, E75 mm long, the anther

apical, the stigma ventral.

Cundinamarca: epiphytic in cloud forest, Alto de Gutierrez, alt. 2960 m, collected by R. Escobar,

1987, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 18 Mar. 1989, C. Luer 14227 (Holotype: MO).

This species differs from the other known species with a prolific habit in the

combination of the following characteristics: the large size; the more or less

decurving, congested inflorescence; flowers with narrowly ovate sepals; and a

bilaminate lip with the clinandrium protruding from between the apices and a

minute, bifid appendix. The raceme is borne by a slender peduncle about half as

long as the leaf. The elongating raceme eventually reaches the length of the leaf,

but it usually droops over to the side.

Vegetatively, Lepanthes prolifer a Foldats may be nearly as large as some

smaller plants of L. oreibates , but it is distinguished by a narrowly elliptical leaf

rarely exceeding 3.5 centimeters in length. The flowers are similar in size, but

those of L. prolifer a are distinguished by denticulate sepals and a clinandrium

shorter than the blades of the lip.

Lepanthes orion Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 54(3): 316, 1985.

Ety.: Named for Orion, a mythological giant known for his beauty.

Plant large, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect, slender, 10-38 cm long, enclosed

by 11-18 glabrous lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, thinly coriaceous, prominently veined beneath,

ovate, acute, acuminate, 6-13 cm long, 2.5-4.3 cm wide, the rounded base contracted into a petiole 2-3

mm long. Inflorescence a very congested, distichous, successively flowered raceme up to 10 mm long,

borne beneath the leaf by a filiform peduncle 18-40 mm long; floral bracts imbricating, 1.5 mm long;

pedicels 1.5 mm long; ovary 4 mm long; sepals yellow, glabrous, ovate, obtuse, margins smooth, the

dorsal sepal 6 mm long, 3.75 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1.5 mm, the lateral

sepals oblique, diverging more than 90 5 , 5.5 mm long, 3.75 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 1.5 mm, petals

bright yellow with purple-brown margins, glabrous to microscopically pubescent, transversely bilobed,

1.75 mm long, 5.25 mm wide, with an obtuse angle on the outer margin between the lobes, the upper

lobe oblong with the apex rounded, the lower lobe smaller but similar; lip yellow with the external

margin red-purple, glabrous, the blades ovate, 1.5 mm long, with a longitudinal, midline thickening,

acute at the apices, round at the bases, the connectives thick, oblong, from the apical halves of the

blades, the thick body connate to the column above the base, the protuberant, rounded sinus with a thin,

flabellate, erose appendix appressed to the stigma in the natural position; column clavate, 1.5 mm long,

the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Santander: Mun. Velez, epiphytic in cloud forest west of Velez toward Landazuri, alt. 2150 m, 4

May 1984, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 10120 (Holotype: JAUM; Isotype: MO); same

collection, flowered in cultivation by L. & J. Posada at Colomborquideas, El Retiro, 11 June 1984, R.

Escobar 3262 (COL, JAUM).

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

161

Antioquia: Normandia, other collecting data unknown, flowered in cultivation at Colombor-

quideas, June 2009, L. Thoerle 137 (MO).

Also Ecuador (Tungurahua, Morona-Santiago).

Lepanthes orion is known from two disjunct localities: the Eastern Cordillera

of Colombia and the eastern slopes of the central Andes of Ecuador. In spite of its

large size, this species still seems delicate because of its relatively slender rami-

cauls with pale, glabrous sheaths and slender roots. The thin, ovate, acuminate

leaves are veined beneath and slightly concave, and the very congested racemes

are borne against this surface. All flower parts are glabrous; the sepals are obtuse;

the similar lobes of the petals are oblong; and the lip has thick, carinate blades and

a thick, protuberant body bearing a thin, fan-shaped appendix which lies against

the ventral stigma.

Two other large Colombian species with mostly yellow flowers borne in a

densely distichous raceme also share a lip with blades that are thick between

poorly defined calli. The lateral sepals of Lepanthes auriculata also diverge widely

and the appendix of the lip is adpressed to the stigma, but it is distinguished by

acute sepals and an appendix that is pubescent and oblong. The lip of the similar L.

steyermarkii is characterized by a protuberant, shortly ciliate, obtuse sinus, held

beneath the stigma.

Lepanthes ortiziana O. Perez, E. Parra & Kolan., Orquideologia 27(2): 229,

2010.

Ety.: Named in honor of the late Padre Pedro Ortiz Valdivieso, S.J., of the Universidad Javeriana in

Bogota, Colombia, authority on the orchids of Colombia.

Plant medium to large in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls more or less

horizontal, slender, 5-18 cm long, enclosed by 8-12 lepanthiform sheaths with dilated, attenuated ostia.

Leaf horizontal to pendent, suffused with purple, microscopically pubescent, thinly coriaceous, ovate,

acute, slightly acuminate, 4-6.5 cm long, 1.8-2.5 cm wide, the base broadly cuneate, not cordate, con¬

tracted into a conduplicate petiole ca. 5 mm long. Inflorescence 1-4 congested, successively many-

flowered racemes up to 25 mm long, including the peduncle 5-12 mm long, borne in the sulcus on top

of the leaf; floral bracts 1.5 mm long; pedicels 1.5 mm long; ovary 2.5 mm long; sepals light yellow-

green, glabrous, margins minutely denticulate, the dorsal sepal broadly ovate, obtuse, abruptly con¬

tracted into a short cauda, the blade 4-5 mm long, 4 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for

1 mm, the lateral sepals ovate, oblique, diverging, obtuse, acuminate into short caudae 0.5-1 mm long,

3.5-4 mm long, 2-veined, connate ca. 1.5 mm; petals green with inner margin of the upper lobe purple,

glabrous, transversely bilobed, 1 mm long, 3 mm wide, narrowed between the lobes, the upper lobe

broadly uncinate, the apex obtuse, incurved, the apices usually overlapping above the column; 1.5 mm

long, 1 mm wide, the lower lobe oblong-triangular, narrowly obtuse, 1.5 mm long, 0.5 mm wide; lip

purple, glabrous, bilaminate, 2 mm long, the blades oblong, with the ends rounded, the connectives

short, cuneate, the body connate to the base of the column, the appendix short, triangular; column 1.5

mm long, with the anther dorsal and the stigma ventral with an incurved process.

Valle del Cauca: Mun. Yumbo, Hda. “Cielo Azul,” alt. 1960 m, 9 May 2010, O. Perez & E. Parra

752 (Holotype: VALLE).

Colombia: collection data unknown, imported from Colomborquideas, flowered in cultivation in

Little Compton, Rhode Island, July 2011, L. Thoerle 183 (MO), C. Luer illustr. 21666.

This species from Valle del Cauca in southern Colombia resembles Lepanthes

smaragdina Luer & R. Escobar from the Western Cordillera of Antioquia. Similar

in habit, inflorescence, and the greenish color of the flowers, L. ortiziana differs

with lateral sepals with spreading, rather than approximate apices; and the petals

with wider, more or less broadly uncinate, incurved upper lobes. The lips are alike

with a minute, acuminate appendix.

162

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Lepanthes oscillifera Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 53(1): 30-33,

1984.

Ety.: From the Latin oscillum, “a swing,” and -fir, “bearing,” referring to the appendix hinged to

the sinus of the lip.

Plant small to medium size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, suberect

to horizontal, 5-17 cm long, enclosed by 7-13 close, microscopically ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf

erect to spreading, coriaceous, ovate, acute, long-acuminate, 25-45 mm long, 7-21 mm wide, the

rounded base abruptly contracted into a 1 mm-long petiole. Inflorescence a single flower borne in suc¬

cession on a very congested, distichous raceme up to 5 mm long, borne by a filiform peduncle 5-24 mm

long on top of the leaf; floral bracts 1 mm long; pedicels 1-1.5 mm long, ovary 1.5 mm long; sepals

translucent purple, glabrous, ovate, subacute, margins cellular-ciliate, the dorsal sepal 3-5.75 mm long,

2.5-4 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5-1 mm, the lateral sepals connate to above

the middle into a shortly bifid synsepal, 3-5.25 mm long, 2.75-4.5 mm wide together, each 2-veined;

petals red-orange, transversely oblong, 1 mm long, 3.5-4.5 mm wide, minutely pubescent, the upper

lobe dolabriform, the lower lobe triangular, acute; lip orange to purple, the blades ovate, acute, 1-1.75

mm long, minutely pubescent, ciliate anteriorly, the connectives oblong-cuneate, the body narrow, con¬

nected to the base of the column, the margin of the sinus inflexed with a large appendix broadly hinged

from the center, the appendix flap-like, the apical portion concave and ciliate with a minutely bilobed

apex; column 1.5 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Mun. Yarumal, Raton Pelado, alt. 2700 m, 22 May 1983, R. Escobar & E. Valencia

2669 (Holotype: SEL), C. Luer illustr. 9111; Mun. Frontino, Alto de Cuevas, alt. 2050 m, 4 May 1983,

C. Luer, R. Escobar, et al. 9019 (SEL); same locality, 14 May 1983, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 2599

(SEL), C. Luer illustr. 9096; Alto de Musinga, alt. 1900 m, 11 April 1974, R. Escobar et al. 1203

(JAUM); Yarumal, epiphytic in cloud forest, Raton Pelado, alt. 2650 m, 1 May 1984, C. Luer, J. Luer,

R. Escobar & E. Valencia 10061 (MO); Yarumal, epiphytic in forest remnant along the road to Briceno,

Quebrada El Oro. alt. 1850 m, 16 March 1989, C. Luer, J. Luer, S. Dalstrom & W. Teague 14182,

14199 (MO).

Cudinamarca: Gutierrez, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 3 June 1995, C. Luer 17723

(MO).

This complex lip of this species is remarkable. The margin of the broad sinus is

rolled in and hinged to the broad, convex basal half of the appendix. The apical

segment of the appendix is concave with pubescent margins and a narrowly bilob-

ulate apex. The whole appendix swings up and down easily beneath the stigma.

Lepanthes troglodytes Luer & R. Escobar has a similarly mobile appendix, but

differs with less deeply connate sepals and reniform petals.

Lepanthes osiris Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 19(2): 103, 1994.

Ety.: Named for the hornlike petals, reminiscent of the bull’s horns that commonly adorn the

headdress of the Egyptian god Osiris.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, scandent; roots slender, produced from the apices of ramicauls.

Ramicauls erect, stout, prolific, 6-8 cm long, enclosed by 5-7 minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths.

Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical, acute, 3.5-6 cm long including the petiole 0.5-1 cm long, the blade 1-

1.8 cm wide, cuneate below into the petiole. Inflorescence a loose, strict, successively several-flowered

raceme up to 25 cm long including the 3-4 cm long peduncle; floral bracts oblique, 3.5 mm long; pedi¬

cels 1.5-2 mm long; ovary 2.5 mm long, subcostate; sepals yellow, glabrous, carinate, margins micro¬

scopically ciliate, the dorsal sepal ovate, acute, slightly acuminate, 10 mm long, 4 mm wide, 3-veined,

connate to the lateral sepals for 1.5 mm, the lateral sepals connate into an ovate synsepal with the apex

acute and bifid, 10 mm long, 6.25 mm wide, each 2-veined; petals glabrous (microscopically cellular-

pubescent), transversely bilobed, 1.2 mm long, 7 mm wide, the lobes yellow, suffused with rose, sub¬

equal, narrowly ovate, acute, the upper lobes hornlike, with the tips curving outward, with a small

marginal angle between the lobes; lip yellow-orange, bilaminate, the blades microscopically ciliate,

narrowly oblong with rounded ends, 2.75 mm long, the connectives short, cuneate, the body narrow,

connate to the base of the column, the sinus broad, with a small, oblong, bifid appendix; column 2.5

mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

163

Cauca: Mun. Totoro, epiphytic in Paramo de las Delicias east of Popayan, alt. 3380 m, 17 Nov.

1982, C. Luer & R. Escobar 8470 (Holotype: SEL).

This species is apparently confined to the cool, moist, scrubby forests of the

Paramo de las Delicias in southern Colombia. Although vegetatively of moderate

size, the habit is long-scandent. A gradually lengthening, distantly flowered

raceme of relatively large flowers eventually far surpasses the leaf The flowers are

most remarkable for the curved, hornlike upper lobes of the petals. The bifid syn-

sepal is similar to the ovate, slightly acuminate dorsal sepal. The blades of the lip

are narrowly oblong. The tip of the appendix is minutely bifid.

Lepanthes ostraconopetala Luer & Hirtz, Selbyana, 30(1): 11, 2009.

Ety.: From the Greek ostrakon , “a kind of low, rounded shell,” referring to the convex petals.

Plant large, epiphytic, caespitose; roots coarse. Ramicauls stout, erect, 16-42 cm long, enclosed by

11-18 microscopically scabrous, tubular lepanthiform sheaths, not dilated at the orifice. Leaf coria¬

ceous, erect, narrowly elliptical-ovate, acute, acuminate, 11-14 cm long, 3-3.5 cm wide, the base

cuneate into the petiole 5 mm long. Inflorescence a sublax, successively many-flowered raceme up to

14 cm long including the slender peduncle 2-3 cm long behind the leaf; floral bracts 2.5 mm long; pedi¬

cels 1 mm long; ovary 2.5 mm long, irregularly carinate-lacerate; sepals yellow, suffused with rose,

glabrous, carinate-fimbriate externally, margins microscopically cellular-ciliate, the dorsal sepal trian¬

gular, acute, 10 mm long, 4.25 mm wide, 3-veined, connate 1 mm to the lateral sepals, the lateral sepals

connate 5 mm into an ovate, bifid synsepal 10 mm long, 4.75 mm wide, each 2-veined, the apices atten¬

uate, acute, in apposition; petals yellow, edged in purple, cellular-glandular, transversely bilobed, 0.6

mm long, 1.6 mm wide, 1-veined, the lobes obliquely ovoid, convex with margins recurved with a

minute apiculum between the lobes, the upper lobe subacute, 1 mm long, 0.6 mm wide, the lower lobe

uncinate, acute, 0.6 mm long and wide; lip yellow, edged in purple, bilaminate, glabrous, but ciliate at

the apices, the blades narrowly oblong, rounded at the ends, convex, 1.5 mm long, the connectives nar¬

rowly cuneate, the body narrow, connate to the column at the base, the appendix minute, oblong,

pedunculate, microscopically bilobulate at the tip; column 1.5 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma

ventral.

Narino: forest between Ipiales and La Victoria, alt. 3200 m, 4 Nov. 1979, C. Luer, J. Luer & A.

Hirtz 4630 (Holotype: SEL).

This large species, apparently endemic at a high altitude in southernmost

Colombia, is similar to Lepanthes illex , which is widely distributed in northern

Ecuador. Both species are characterized by ramicauls usually longer than twenty

centimeters, and a large, acuminate leaf surpassed by a successively many-

flowered raceme of flowers with narrowly acute sepals. Lepanthes ostraconopetala

is best distinguished by its convex petals with recurved margins and a minute

apiculum between the lobes. The blades and body of the lip are narrower than

those of L. illex , and the tip of the minute appendix is microscopically bilobed.

Lepanthes oxybaphon Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 54(6): 734-

736, 1985.

Ety.: From the Greek oxybaphon , “a saucer,” referring to the appearance of the lip.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender, purple. Ramicauls slender, erect to sub¬

erect, 3-6 cm long, enclosed by 5-8 long-ciliate lepanthiform sheaths with dilated ostia. Leaf erect to

spreading, coriaceous, suffused with purple beneath, elliptical, acute, 1.5-3 cm long, 1-1.8 cm wide, the

base cuneate into a petiole 2-3 mm long. Inflorescence a subdense, successively several-flowered

raceme up to 3 cm long, borne beneath the leaf by a filiform peduncle 7-10 mm long; floral bracts

shortly echinate, 1 mm long; pedicels 1.5 mm long; ovary 1 mm long; sepals rose-red with a yellow

border, glabrous, 3-veined, narrowly ovate, acute, margins minutely denticulate, the dorsal sepal 7.5

mm long, 3 mm wide, connate to the lateral sepals for 1 mm, the lateral sepals oblique, diverging, 7 mm

long, 2.5 mm wide, connate for 1 mm; petals yellow, suffused with red medially, microscopically

164

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

pubescent, transversely narrowly oblong with narrowly rounded ends, 0.5 mm long, 5 mm wide, the

lower lobe very long in comparison to the upper lobe which may be reduced to 0.5 mm in length; lip

bright dark red, microscopically pubescent, the blades reduced to oblong, incurved margins of a broad

body, 2.5 mm long, subcircular when expanded, the ends broadly rounded, the connectives short and

very broad forming the broad body beneath the short column, connate to the column near the middle,

the sinus short and rounded with a minute lobule for an appendix; column 2 mm long, the anther

dorsal, the stigma apical.

Norte de Santander: Cerro Plateado, epiphytic in subparamo cloud forest, Paramo de Jurisdic-

ciones, alt. 2600 m, 10 May 1984, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 10228 (Holotype:

JAUM; Isotype: MO); same collection, flowered in cultivation by L. & J. Posada at Colomborquideas,

El Retiro, R. Escobar S3182 (COL, JAUM); same area, between Ocana and Pamplona, alt. 2600 m, 10

Nov. 1981, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & D. Portillo 6628 (SEL); same area, alt. 2570 m, 30 April-

May 1 1982, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & D. Portillo 7659 (SEL).

This species is similar to Lepanthes antennifera , but L. oxybaphon is distin¬

guished by three-veined rather than two-veined lateral sepals; and petals with long,

slender lower lobes and very short upper lobes rather than smaller lower lobes. The

apex of the column is positioned in the center of the round, saucer-like lip. The

blades of the lip are thickened margins of a broad, concave body, with the short

apices rounded and overlapped in front of a shallow, rounded sinus, a considerable

distance beyond the apex of the column.

Lepanthes oxypetala Luer & Hirtz, Orchidee (Hamburg) 39(2): 57, 1988.

Ety.: From the Greek oxypetala , “with long-pointed petals,” referring to the shape of the petals.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender to stout, erect, 4-13

cm long, enclosed by 5-11 minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical-

oblong, 3-5 cm long, E2-2.2 cm wide, the apex obtuse, shortly acuminate, the base broadly cuneate,

contracted into a petiole 4-8 mm long. Inflorescence racemose, 1-4 loose, flexuous, flexible, succes¬

sively many-flowered racemes up to 10 cm long including the slender peduncle 1-2 cm long; floral

bracts E5-2 mm long; pedicels 1-E5 mm long; ovary E5 mm long; sepals red-purple, glabrous,

oblong-ovate, subacute to obtuse, shortly acuminate, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal 5-7 mm long,

2.5-2.75 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1-2 mm, the lateral sepals oblique, 5-6

mm long, connate 3-4 mm into a broadly ovate, bifid synsepal, 4.5 mm wide, each 2-veined; petals

orange-brown, minutely pubescent, transversely bilobed, inserted above the base of the column, 0.75-1

mm long, 5 mm wide, the lobes narrowly triangular, acute, long-acuminate, the lower lobe smaller; lip

orange-brown, minutely pubescent, bilaminate, the blades elliptical or ovate, convex, E75 mm long, the

apices narrowly obtuse, the bases rounded, the connectives broadly oblong from the bases of the blades,

short, the body broad, connate to the column above the middle, the appendix thick, oblong, long-pubes¬

cent, rounded at the apex; column 2.5 mm long, slender, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Narino: La Cocha, alt. 2900 m, collected by E. Valencia, January 1988, flowered in cultivation at

Colomborquideas, 3 Jan. 1993, R. Escobar 5240 (MO).

Putumayo: epiphytic in scrub forest in the paramo between La Cocha and Sibundoy, alt. 3000 m,

26 Jan. 1987, C. Luer, J. Luer, C. H. Dodson, O. de Benavides, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 12528 (MO).

Also Ecuador (Carchi, Holotype, C. Luer, J. Luer, A. Hirtz & W. Flores 11113: MO; Imbabura).

Lepanthes oxypetala grows intermixed with L. biloba in northern Ecuador and

southern Colombia. In habit it is indistinguishable from L. biloba. The flowers are

also similar, the long-acuminate upper lobes of the petals resembling those of the

forms of L. biloba that were segregated into L. metaxy. The petals of L. oxypetala ,

however, originate from the shaft of an elongated column above its base. The con¬

vex, pubescent blades of the lip are similar to those of L. biloba , but in the latter

the connectives support the bases of the blades, rather than the middle, and the

body is connate near the base of a shorter column.

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

165

Lepanthes pachoi Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 19(2): 104, 1994.

Ety.: Named in honor of Francisco “Pacho” Lopez, curator of orchids at Colomborquideas, who

discovered this species.

Plant large, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls stout, erect, 18-22 cm long, enclosed

by 15-17 microscopically scabrous lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical, obtuse,

shortly acuminate, 8-9 cm long including the petiole, 3.5-4 cm wide, the rounded base contracted into a

petiole 0.5 cm long. Inflorescence a congested, successively several-flowered raceme, at least 1 cm

long, borne by a slender peduncle 3-3.5 cm long; floral bracts acute, 1.5 mm long; pedicels 1 mm long;

ovary 2 mm long; sepals pale yellow, flat, low-carinate, glabrous, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal

ovate-triangular, acute, acuminate, 10-11 mm long, 5.5 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals

for 1.5 mm, the lateral sepals ovate, oblique, diverging widely, acuminate, acute, 10-11 mm long, 5 mm

wide, 2-veined; petals yellow, the upper lobe with red margins, microscopically cellular-pubescent,

transversely bilobed, 3 mm long, 4.5 mm wide, the lobes obliquely triangular, creating a 4-angled

blade, the upper lobe larger with the broadest edge uppermost, the lower lobe with the broadest edge

outermost; lip rose, sub-bilaminate, the blades narrowly ovate as thickened lateral margins of a broad,

subquadrate body, 1.3 mm long and broad, embracing the under half of the column, connate to the base

of the column, the sinus protuberant, rounded, with a narrowly bilobed, pubescent appendix at the apex;

column 2 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Mun. El Retiro, Hda. Normandia above Colomborquideas, alt. 2500 m, collected by F.

Lopez et al., Oct. 1992, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 12 Dec. 1992, R. Escobar 5015

(Holotype: JAUM; Isotype: MO), C. Luer illustr. 16556.

Although this species resembles several others characterized by a large size

with large, mostly yellow flowers borne in a short, congested raceme, Lepanthes

pachoi is distinguished by the peculiar flabellate petals. The four-angled petals

appear to consist of a pair of lopsided triangles. The lip is also remarkable, con¬

sisting of a subquadrate body under the column, with the lateral margins of the

body developed into narrow blades to either side of the column. The appendix is a

two-pronged organ on the margin of the protuberant sinus of the body.

Lepanthes palaga Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 53(6): 604, 1984.

Ety.: From the Greek palaga, “a gold ingot,” referring to the bright yellow-orange petals.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, weak, caespitose; roots filiform. Ramicauls very slender, erect, 6-

13 cm long, enclosed by 6-12 close, microscopically scabrous lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf subspreading,

coriaceous, ovate, long-acuminate, 3.5-5.5 cm long, 1-1.5 cm wide, the rounded base contracted into a

petiole 2 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, secund, successively flowered raceme up to 8 mm long,

borne on top of the leaf by a filiform peduncle 8-20 mm long; floral bracts and pedicels each 1.5 mm

long; ovary 1.5 mm long; sepals pale yellow, glabrous, broadly ovate, acute, margins smooth, the

dorsal sepal triangular-ovate, 2.5 mm long, 2.25 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for

0.5 mm, the lateral sepals oblique, connate 1 mm into a transversely cordate synsepal, 2.5 mm long,

2.75 mm wide, each 2-veined, the acute apices slightly diverging; petals bright yellow-orange, micro¬

scopically pubescent, transversely oblong, 0.5 mm long, 2 mm wide, the upper lobe oblong with the

end rounded, the lower lobe smaller, narrowly triangular, acute; lip yellow, suffused with rose, the

blades oblong with rounded ends, microscopically ciliate, 1.5 mm long, the connectives broadly

cuneate, the body originating with the base of the column, the sinus obtuse, with a large, ovate,

concave, pubescent appendix 0.5 mm long, with a bilobulate apex; column stout, 1.5 mm long, the

anther apical, the stigma subapical.

Antioquia: Mun. Yarumal, Quebrada El Oro, alt. 1850 m, 21 May 1983, R. Escobar & E. Valencia

2651 (Holotype: SEL), C. Luer illustr. 9106; same collection, flowered in cultivation at Colom¬

borquideas, 3 Nov. 1983, R. Escobar 3177 (JAUM); same locality, 14 Feb. 1984, R. Escobar & E.

Valencia 3235 (COL, JAUM, MO); epiphytic in cloud forest along Rio El Oro, north of Yarumal, alt.

2700 m, 1 May 1984, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 10074, 10075 (MO); Yarumal, epi¬

phytic in cloud forest, above road to El Cedro, alt. 1900 m, 17 March 1989, C. Luer, J. Luer, S.

Dalstrom & W. Teague 14211 (MO).

166

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

In habit, this species is very similar to a common form of Lepanthes

mucronata. It exhibits the same peculiarity of producing two racemes on top of the

leaf: one short, the other twice as long, each bearing successive, single flowers.

The tiny flowers of Lepanthes palaga are not particularly remarkable except for

the proportionally large, pubescent appendix. The petals do not bear the middle

lobe typical of L. mucronata. The subdense raceme of L. planadensis Luer & R.

Escobar bears similar though larger flowers, with proportionally larger petals with

subequal lobes.

Lepanthes panope Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 54(3): 318-321,

1985.

Ety.: Named for Panope Menard, a genus of clams (Panope, a mythological sea nymph), in

allusion to the appearance of the blades of the lip and column.

Plant large, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect, slender, 10-39 cm tall, enclosed

by 15-20 minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, thinly coriaceous, ovate, acute, acuminate,

10-12 cm long, 4-5.5 cm wide, the rounded base contracted into a petiole 3-4 mm long. Inflorescence a

congested, distichous, successively many-flowered raceme up to 45 mm long, borne behind the leaf by

a filiform peduncle up to 35 mm long; floral bracts 1.25 mm long; pedicels 1 mm long; ovary 3 mm

long; sepals light yellow, glabrous, subcarinate, ovate, acute, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal 8 mm

long, 4 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1.5 mm, the lateral sepals diverging,

connate 3 mm, 7 mm long, 6.25 mm wide together, each 2-veined; petals microscopically pubescent,

transversely oblong-bilobed, 1 mm long, 4.5 mm wide, the upper lobe red-purple, oblong with the apex

rounded, the lower lobe orange, narrowly oblong; lip orange with red margins, glabrous or micro¬

scopically pubescent, the blades elliptical, longitudinally concave, 1.5 mm long with rounded ends, the

connectives short, obliquely cuneate, the body connate to the column above the base, the sinus occupied

by a broad, oblong, membranous appendix with a flabellate, ciliate apex appressed to the stigma;

column lavender, 2.5 mm long including the rostellar projection, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Norte de Santander: Mun. Toledo, epiphytic in cloud forest, Alto de Santa Inez, alt. 2100 m, 13

May 1984, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 10317 (Holotype: MO); same collection, flow¬

ered in cultivation by L. & J. Posada at Colomborquideas, 9 July 1984, R. Escobar 3291 (COL,

JAUM); same area, alt. 2200 m, 13 May 1982, C. Luer & R. Escobar 7846 (SEL).

This large species is very similar to Lepanthes steyermarkii , also known from

northern Colombia. Lepanthes panope is distinguished by the narrowly oblong

lobes of the petals, and oblong blades of the lip without the longitudinal carina of

L. steyermarkii , held to either side of a much longer column by short connectives,

instead of far above by elongated connectives. Also in common with L.

steyermarkii , the membranous appendix of the lip is appressed to the overlying

stigma, but in L. panope the apex of the appendix is flabellate and ciliate.

Lepanthes parmata Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 18(2): 136-138, 1991.

Ety.: From the Latin parmatus , “armed with a small, light shield,” in allusion to the thin, rounded

blade of the lip.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots fine. Ramicauls erect, slender, 7-12 cm long,

enclosed by 11-14, minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, suffused with purple

beneath, elliptical, subacute, shortly acuminate, 4-5 cm long, 1.5-2.2 cm wide, the base cuneate into a

petiole 1 mm long. Inflorescence a very congested, successively many-flowered raceme up to 15 mm

long, borne behind the leaf by a slender peduncle 25-30 mm long; floral bracts 0.5 mm long; pedicels 3-

4 mm long; ovary 2.5 mm long; sepals yellow, glabrous, carinate, the dorsal sepal ovate, acute, 5 mm

long, 3.5 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.75 mm, margins smooth, the lateral

sepals ovate, oblique, diverging, acute, margins minutely denticulate, 5 mm long, 2.5 mm wide, connate

1.5 mm, 2-veined; petals yellow, minutely pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1.5 mm long, 5 mm wide,

3-veined, with a minute marginal lobule between the lobes, the upper lobe oblong, subtruncate, the

lower lobe narrowly triangular, obtuse; lip green, bilaminate, the blades glabrous, very thin, lunate, the

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

167

two blades connate medially over the column to form a thin, circular blade, 1 mm long and broad, the

connectives narrow, elongate, barely forming a body, connate to the base of the column, the sinus thick¬

ened and retuse with an oblong, membranous, pubescent appendix; column stout, 1.5 mm long, the

anther apical, the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Parque Nacional Natural “Las Orquideas,” road from Yenados above Carauta, right

bank of Rio Yenados, alt. 1300-1350 m, 15 Feb. 1989, A. Cogollo, D. Cardenas, F. Ramirez & O.

Alvarez 4044 (Holotype: JAUM; Isotype: MO), C. Luer illustr. 14409.

Risaralda: along new road to TV antenna south of Pueblo Rico, alt. 2400 m, 14 May 1993, C.

Luer et al. 16820 (MO).

This species is characterized by the elliptical, shortly acuminate leaves suf¬

fused with purple; a long-pedicellate, congested raceme borne by a long peduncle;

ovate, acute sepals; and bilobed petals with a minute lobule on the outer margin.

The small lip with the thin blades connate into a circular lamina supported above

the column by a pair of long, narrow connectives is the most remarkable character.

The appendix is membranous and oblong. Similar Colombian species include

Lepanthes mucronata and L. agglutinata.

Lepanthes pastoensis Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Beih. 7: 97, tab. 33, n.

125, 1920.

Ety.: Named for Pasto, the community near where the species was collected.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect, slender, 4-12 cm long,

enclosed by 7-9 minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical, obtuse, 3-5 cm

long, 1.5-2 cm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole 2-3 mm long. Inflorescence a loose, strict, succes¬

sively several-flowered raceme up to 17 cm long including the slender peduncle 4-6 cm long; floral

bracts 2-3 mm long; pedicels 2-3 mm long; ovary 2 mm long; sepals orange with brown veins, gla¬

brous, carinate, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal triangular, flat, acute, long-attenuate, 16-18 mm long,

7-8 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 2 mm, the lateral sepals connate almost to the

tip into an flat, acute, triangular synsepal, 16.5 mm long, 9 mm wide, each 2-veined; petals orange-

brown, microscopically pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1.25 mm long, 4.5 mm wide, the lobes oblong

with rounded apices, the lower lobe slightly smaller; lip orange-brown, bilaminate, ciliate, the blades

oblong with the ends rounded, 3 mm long, the connectives cuneate, from the below the middle of the

blade, the body connate to the base of the column, the appendix narrowly triangular, acute; column

terete, 2 mm long, the anther apical, the stigma ventral.

Cauca: near Pasto, collected by Ed. Klaboch s.n. (Holotype destroyed at B, Lectotype designated

here: tab. 33, n. 125 in Schlechter, 1920); Daza, near Pasto, flowered in cultivation at La Ceja by M. &

O. Robledo, 24 Oct. 1979, C. Luer 4328 (SEL).

Huila: east of Volcan Purace, near Cauca border, Finca Merenberg, 2300 m, 3 Apr. 1986, A. Gen¬

try, E. Zardini & M. Monsalve 53974 (MO).

Narino: along road from Incano on west margin of lake Laguna Cocha, alt. 2750 m, 23 July 1989,

C. H. Dodson & R. Escobar 18104 (MO).

With the triangular dorsal sepal and a similar triangular synsepal, the large

rhombic flowers of this species are distinctive. Two or three flowers occur simulta¬

neously in a long, distantly flowered raceme. The species is very similar to Lepan¬

thes elegantula Schltr. of central Ecuador, but the latter differs with the dorsal

sepal and synsepal being long-acuminate, and the synsepal partially cleft. With the

exception of the larger size, the flowers are nearly identical to those of L. capita-

nea Rchb. f., known from nearby northern Ecuador. Lepanthes capitanea is also

smaller vegetatively, and bears successive, single flowers spaced more closely

together on a slightly flexuous rachis. Lepanthes pastoensis often bears two or

three simultaneous flowers on a strict rachis.

168

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Lepanthes penicillifera Luer, Selbyana, 30(1): 11, 2009.

Ety.: From the Latin penicillus, “a painter’s brush,” and -fir, “bearing,” referring to the appendix.

Syn.: [= Lepanthes scopulifera Luer, Revista Soc. Boliv. Bot. 4(1): 9, 2003, nom. illeg. horn., non

Lepanthes scopulifera Luer & R. Escobar, 1997],

Ety.: From the Latin scopulifer , “bearing a little brush,” referring to the appendix.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 3 cm long, enclosed by

4-5 microscopically scabrous lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical-ovate, acute, 2.5

cm long, 1.1 cm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole 1.5 mm long. Inflorescence a very congested, dis¬

tichous, successively several-flowered raceme, up to 3 mm long, borne behind the leaf by a slender

peduncle 6-11 mm long; floral bracts oblique, echinate, 1 mm long; pedicels 1-1.5 mm long; ovary 2

mm long; sepals carinate, glabrous, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal broadly ovate, subacute, 2.5 mm

long, 2.3 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals ovate, oblique,

diverging, 2.3 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, connate 0.6 mm, 2-veined; petals microscopically pubescent,

transversely bilobed, 1-veined, the upper lobe broadly elliptical, rounded, 2 mm long, 1.4 mm wide, the

lower lobe oblong-triangular, obtuse, 1.5 mm long, 0.75 mm wide; lip bilaminate, 0.75 mm long, with

the blades broadly elliptical with rounded ends, shallowly concave, long-ciliate, the connectives

cuneate, forming a broad body, connate to the base of the column, with the appendix a tuft of long cilia;

column stout, 1 mm long, protruding beyond the blades, the anther dorsal and the stigma apical.

Cauca: without collection data, cultivated at Orquideas del Valle, A. Niessen & J. C. Uribe 036A

(Holotype: MO), C. Luer illustr. 19902.

This species is characterized by a small size, a caespitose habit, and a suc¬

cessively flowered raceme shorter than the ovate leaf. The sepals are subacute; the

petals are transverse with large, obtuse lobes, the upper larger than the lower. The

blades of the lip are small, elliptical, and long-ciliate. The connectives form a

broad body with a small, brush-like appendix. The flowers of the similar

Lepanthes intonsa , also known from Cauca, share ovate sepals and a lip with

small, rounded blades, but the sepals of the latter are longer, the lip is ciliate only

at the broad apex, and the petals are very deeply indented between the lobes.

In 2003, this species was mistakenly assigned the name Lepanthes scopulifera ,

a homonym for another Colombian species described in 1997.

Lepanthes perdita Luer & Hirtz, Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 61(3):

138, 1996.

Ety.: From the Latin perditus , “lost,” referring to the lost data for the original collection.

Plant small to medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, to 9

cm long, enclosed by up to 10 microscopically scabrous lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous,

narrowly ovate, acute, 5 cm long, 1.5 cm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole 3 mm long. Inflores¬

cence a congested, distichous, successively flowered raceme, up to 1 cm long, borne by a filiform

peduncle 15 mm long; floral bracts 1 mm long; pedicels 1.5 mm long; ovary 1 mm long; sepals yellow,

glabrous, broadly ovate, obtuse, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal 2.4 mm long, 2.4 mm wide, 3-veined,

connate to the lateral sepals for 0.75 mm, the lateral sepals oblique, diverging widely, 2.4 mm long, 1.6

mm wide, 2-veined, connate for 1 mm; petals yellow with red border, cellular-pubescent, transversely

bilobed, 0.75 mm long, 3.75 mm wide, the upper lobe broadly and obliquely ovate, obtuse, the lower

obliquely triangular, obtuse, much smaller than the upper lobe; lip microscopically pubescent,

bilaminate, the blades lunate, concave, incomplete above the middle, 1.2 mm long, both the apices and

bases acute, incurved, the connectives short, broadly cuneate, the body connate to the base of the

column, the sinus obtuse with a short, oblong appendix; column stout, 0.75 mm long, the anther and

stigma apical.

Valle del Cauca: Buenaventura, Quebrada Yesqueros, old road between Cali and Buenaventura,

alt. 50 m, 9 May 1997, J. T. Otero & B. Angulo C. 1005 (CUVC, MO).

Also Ecuador (s. loc., Holotype, Hirtz 2053: MO).

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

169

The locality of the original Ecuadorian collection of this species was lost. It

remained unknown until its subsequent collection in southern Colombia at a sur¬

prisingly low altitude. Lepanthes perdita is characterized by a medium size with a

congested raceme of successive, very small flowers borne behind an ovate, acute

leaf. The sepals are broadly ovate and obtuse. The petals are proportionally large,

with the upper lobes overlapping above the column. The blades of the lip are

lunate and incomplete above the middle, with both ends acute and incurved.

The sepals of the similar but larger flowers of Lepanthes setifera Luer & R.

Escobar are translucent, and the petals are green edged with purple. The larger,

rounded upper lobes of both species overlap above the column, but those of L.

setifera are oblong rather than broadly ovate.

Lepanthes petalolenta Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 18(2): 139-141, 1991.

Ety.: From the Latin petalus and - olentus , “with petals markedly developed,” referring to the

proportionally large petals.

Plant small to medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots fine. Ramicauls erect, slender, 2-4.5 cm

long, enclosed by 6-7 blackish, nondilated, minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coria¬

ceous, elliptical, subacute, shortly acuminate, 2-3.5 cm long, 1.3-2 cm wide, the base cuneate into a

petiole 3 mm long. Inflorescence a very congested (more or less loose when beginning), successively

many-flowered raceme up to at least 5 mm long, borne along the back surface of the leaf and usually

surpassing the leaf by a slender peduncle 25-35 mm long; floral bracts 1.5 mm long; pedicels 2-3 mm

long; ovary 1.5 mm long; sepals yellow, glabrous, carinate, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal ovate,

acute, 5 mm long, 3 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.75 mm, the lateral sepals

ovate, oblique, diverging, acute, 5 mm long, 2 mm wide, connate 2 mm, 2-veined; petals yellow,

microscopically pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1.5 mm long, 8.5 mm wide, 3-veined, the lobes

narrowly triangular, narrowly obtuse, about equal in length; lip purple, minutely pubescent, bilaminate,

the blades ovate, with the apices subtruncate, the bases rounded, 1.5 mm long, the connectives cuneate,

the body broad, connate to the base of the column, the sinus thickened and pubescent with an oblong,

pubescent appendix; column stout, 1.5 mm long, the anther apical, the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Urrao, Parque Nacional Natural “Las Orquideas,” Quebrada El Guaguo, alt. 1390-1420

m, 12 Feb. 1989, A. Cogollo, D. Cardenas & O. Alvarez 3907 (Holotype: JAUM; Isotype: MO), C.

Luer illustr. 14406; Urrao, Parque Nacional Natural “Las Orquideas,” Sector Calles, margen derecha

del Rio Calles, alt. 1240 m, 29 May 1988, A. Cogollo & J. Ramirez 3051, 3046, 3052 (JAUM, MO).

This species is characterized by the elliptical, shortly acuminate leaves and a

congested raceme borne by a long peduncle that usually lifts the raceme beyond

the apex of the leaf. Most remarkable are the flowers, with proportionally large

petals, nearly as long as the length of the dorsal and lateral sepals combined. The

sepals and lip are unremarkable, and the appendix is small, oblong, short, and

pubescent. Lepanthes tetracola Luer & R. Escobar, also known from Antioquia,

has similar petals but lacking the indentation between the lobes; and a lip with

blades that are narrowly oblong, glabrous with minutely ciliate apices rather than

ovate and pubescent.

Lepanthes petalopteryx Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 19(2): 106, 1994.

Ety.: From the Greek petalon , “the petal,” and - pteryx , “-winged,” referring to the winglike petals.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 4-5 cm long, enclosed

by 6-7 microscopically ciliate-scabrous lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, narrowly ovate,

acute, 3-4 cm long, 0.6-0.7 cm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole 1-2 mm long. Inflorescence a con¬

gested, distichous, successively several-flowered raceme, up to 5 mm or more long, borne beside the

leaf by a slender peduncle 10-12 mm long; floral bracts muricate, 1 mm long; pedicels 1.5 mm long;

ovary 1.5 mm long; sepals pale yellow, glabrous, reflexed, margins microscopically denticulate, the

dorsal sepal elliptical, obtuse, 3 mm long, 2.2 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5

170

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

mm, the lateral sepals ovate, oblique, diverging, obtuse, 3 mm long, 2 mm wide, connate only at the

base, 2-veined; petals bright yellow with orange at the base, microscopically pubescent, transversely

bilobed, 1 mm long, 3.5 mm wide, the lobes similar, obliquely subquadrate or oblong, obliquely trun¬

cate, with the inner angles shortly acuminate-obtuse, the outer angles subacute, the outer margin

obtusely angled at the center; lip orange, microscopically pubescent, bilobed, reniform, surrounding the

column, 2 mm long, 2 mm wide expanded, with the basal angles narrowly rounded, with the apex

broadly rounded, shallowly incised; column 1.5 mm long, with the anther and the stigma apical.

Choco: Carmen de Atrato, road to Guaduas, alt. 1600 m, collected by E. Valencia, 1991, flowered

in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 21 Dec. 1992, R. Escobar 5061 (Holotype: JAUM; Isotype: MO), C.

Luer illustr. 16563.

Colombia: collecting data unknown, flowered in cultivation at Ecuagenera, Galaceo, Ecuador, 4

Mar. 2001, C. Luer, J. Luer & A. Hirtz 19633 (MO).

The short, congested raceme of Lepanthes petalopteryx is borne beside a

narrowly ovate leaf. The flowers, with elliptical, obtuse sepals, are distinguished

by large, winglike petals with nearly identical, obliquely subquadrate upper and

lower lobes. The short column is surrounded by a reniform lip that is rounded

when expanded, with a microscopic lobule at the base of a shallow apical incision.

The smaller flowers of L. cyclochila are similar, but the smooth-margined sepals

do not reflex; the lower lobe of the petals is shallowly bifurcated; and the sub-

circular lip recurves to hang below the column.

Lepanthes phalloides Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 21(2): 154, 1999.

Ety.: From the Greek phalloides , “phallus-like,” in reference to the appendix.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 2-4.5 cm long, enclosed

by 10-18 microscopically ciliate lepanthiform sheaths with dilated ostia. Leaf erect, thickly coriaceous,

sulcate, ovate, acute, slightly acuminate, 15-25 mm long, 7-9 mm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole

ca. 1 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, subsecund, successively many-flowered raceme, up to 12

mm long, borne on top of the leaf by a filiform peduncle 5-10 mm long; floral bracts 1 mm long; pedi¬

cels overlapping, E5 mm long; ovary E5 mm long; sepals yellow, glabrous, carinate-spiculate, with the

inner three-fourths concave, margins denticulate, the dorsal sepal triangular, acute, 3.3 mm long, 2.5

mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals completely connate into

an ovate, acute synsepal, 3 mm long, 2.6 mm wide, each 2-veined; petals red, long-pubescent, trans¬

versely bilobed, 0.6 mm long, 3 mm wide, the upper lobe obliquely oblong, obtuse, the lower lobe

narrowly triangular, acute, acuminate, with an intermediate lobe, arcuate, slender, 0.6 mm long; lip rose

with red edges, bilaminate, the blades pubescent, elliptical with rounded ends, 1 mm long, the

connectives short, broadly cuneate, the body broad, concave, connate to the base of the column, the

sinus protuberant with the appendix oblong, 0.5 mm long, with the apex concave with distinct margins,

minutely pubescent; column 1 mm long, with the anther apical and the stigma ventral.

Boyaca: El Taladro, collected by E. Valencia, Apr. 1992, flowered in cultivation at Colombor¬

quideas, 5 May 1993, C. Luer 16728 (Holotype: MO).

This species is known only from the original collection in the Eastern Cordil¬

lera of Colombia. The small, narrowly ovate, thickly coriaceous leaf is sulcate

medially where the inflorescence lies. The sepals are completely connate with den¬

ticulate margins, and the concave interior resembles that of the Bolivian Lepanthes

nycteris Luer & R. Vasquez. In pickled flowers, a brownish cellular pigmentation

is seen on the peripheral fourth of the sepals that is not concave. Medial to the pig¬

mentation the sepals are abruptly concave. The lateral sepals are completely

connate into an ovate, concave synsepal. The petals are long-pubescent with an

oblong upper lobe; a long, narrow lower lobe; and a filiform, shorter middle lobe.

The blades of the lip are borne by short, broad connectives forming a broad,

concave body. A prominent, elongate appendix with a concave apex protrudes

from the anterior margin.

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

171

Lepanthes pictoris Luer & Thoerle, Harvard Pap. Bot. 16(2): 332, 2011.

Ety.: From the Latin pictoris , “of a painter,” referring to the lip like a painter's palette.

Plant small, epiphytic, rhizome and roots unknown. Ramicauls slender, erect, 4-4.5 cm long,

enclosed by 7-8 long-ciliate lepanthiform sheaths with dilated ostia. Leaf erect, coriaceous, broadly

elliptic, obtuse, shortly acuminate, 20 mm long, 15 mm wide, the rounded base abruptly contracted into

a petiole 3 mm long. Inflorescence 2-3 erect, congested, successively, many-flowered racemes, up to

18 mm long, including the peduncle ca. 5 mm long, borne behind the leaf; floral bracts oblique, 1-1.2

mm long; pedicels 1-1.2 mm long; ovary 5 mm long; sepals yellow, glabrous, the dorsal sepal ovate,

margins minutely ciliate, the apex acute with a broad cauda 1 mm long, 4 mm long including the cauda,

2.25 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals ovate, oblique,

diverging, margins conspicuously ciliate, acute, acuminate into slender caudae 1 mm long, connate 1

mm, the blade 4 mm long, 2 mm wide, 1-veined; petals red, cellular, transversely bilobed, the lobes

narrowly triangular, acute, attenuate, 0.4 mm long, 3.5 mm wide, the upper lobe 1.5 mm long, the lower

lobe 2 mm long; lip red, cellular, broadly subcordate or subcircular, 1.8 mm long, 1.8 mm wide, the

apex broadly bilobed, each lobe 0.5 mm long, with a microscopic, triangular appendix in the sinus, the

body 1 mm long, the base similarly bilobed, connate to the base of the column; column 1 mm long, the

anther and stigma apical.

Norte de Santander: Paramo de Mefue, collected by J. L. Aguirre, Jan. 2008, flowered in cultiva¬

tion by A. Carrillo, 12 June 2009, L. Thoerle 122A (Holotype: MO), C. Luer illustr. 21472.

This species from the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia is characterized by long-

ciliate lepanthiform sheaths, dilated at the ostia; single-veined lateral sepals; slen¬

der, long-attenuate lobes of the petals; and a circular lip without blades, notched at

the apex to resemble a painter’s palette. Some forms of Lepanthes aquila-

borussiae with longer petals resemble L. pictoris , but the lip of the former is sub¬

equal in length to the column, with a protruding descending sinus bearing a

minute, stalked, pubescent appendix.

Lepanthes pilosiaures Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 53(3): 262,

1984.

Ety.: From the Latin pilosus, “hairy,” and aures, “ears,” referring to the pubescent petals.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender, filamentous. Ramicauls slender, erect,

5-10.5 cm long, enclosed by 8-10 close, microscopically scabrous lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect,

coriaceous, suffused with purple beneath, ovate, 4.5-6 cm long, 2-2.7 cm wide, the apex acute, acumi¬

nate, minutely apiculate, the base rounded, contracted into a petiole 3 mm long. Inflorescence a very

congested, successively flowered raceme up to 15 mm long, borne behind the leaf by a filiform

peduncle 12-20 mm long; floral bracts 1 mm long; pedicels 4-5 mm long; ovary 2 mm long; sepals

translucent light yellow, glabrous, broadly ovate, carinate, abruptly acute, margins smooth, the dorsal

sepal 4.5 mm long, 3.75 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1 mm, the lateral sepals

oblique, diverging, connate 1 mm, 4.5 mm long, 2.25 mm wide together, each 2-veined; petals yellow,

pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1 mm long, 4 mm wide, with a narrow, linear lobe 0.5 mm long from

the outer margin near the middle, the upper lobe suffused with red-brown, rectangular-oblong, truncate,

the lower lobe narrowly triangular, acute; lip dull purple-brown with green veins, the blades thin,

minutely ciliate, adherent medially over the column, oblong, 1.8 mm long, the apices obtuse, obliquely

truncate, the bases rounded, the connectives cuneate, from the middle of the blades, the body narrow,

with a ligulate, retuse, concave, pubescent appendix nearly 1 mm long occupying the sinus; column 1.6

mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Mun. Yarumal, Raton Pelado, alt. 2700 m, 22 May 1983, R. Escobar et al. 2663

(Holotype: SEL), C. Luer illustr. 9108.

Lepanthes pilosiaures is distinguished by broadly ovate sepals with smooth

margins; conspicuously pubescent petals with the upper lobes obtusely truncate;

and a lip with the connectives originating from the middle of the blades and a

large, ligulate appendix.

172

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

A number of Colombian species are similar vegetatively and florally.

Lepanthes pilosiaures resembles L. janitor , but the sepals of L. janitor are den¬

ticulate, and its column has a large rostellar flap. The inflorescence of the similar

L. agglutinata is secund, bearing flowers with sepals denticulate rather than

smooth-margined. The petals of L. posadae are distinguished by scimitar-shaped,

much longer lower lobes; and the column is bifurcated with a bilobed stigma.

Lepanthes pinnatula Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 20(3): 307-308, 1997.

Ety.: From the Latin pinnatulus , “with a little feather,” referring to the appendix.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls proportionally stout, erect, 10-25 mm

long, enclosed by 6-7 minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths with dilated, acuminate ostia. Leaf erect,

coriaceous, margined, suffused with purple beneath, ovate, subacute, 10-16 mm long, 6-7 mm wide, the

base cuneate, contracted into a petiole 1 mm long. Inflorescence a lax, successively 2- to 3-flowered

raceme up to 3 mm long, borne behind the leaf by a filiform peduncle 5-7 mm long; floral bracts 1 mm

long; pedicels 1 mm long; ovary 1.2 mm long; sepals yellow, glabrous, membranous, carinate, widely

spread, margins denticulate, the dorsal sepal ovate, acute, acuminate, 3.5 mm long, 2.5 mm wide, 3-

veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals slightly suffused with purple, 4 mm

long, connate 2.5 mm into an oblong, bifid synsepal, 2.5 mm wide, with the apices acute, acuminate,

each sepal 1-veined; petals minutely ciliate-pubescent, transversely bilobed, the upper lobe red-orange,

erect, subfalcate-oblong, oblique, acute, 2 mm long, 0.75 mm wide, the lower lobe yellow, obliquely

triangular, obtuse, incurved, 0.75 mm long, 0.75 mm wide; lip white, suffused with purple medially,

bilaminate, the blades minutely ciliate-pubescent, ovate, with the bases rounded, decurved, the apices

obtuse, E3 mm long, the connectives short, cuneate, the body connate to the base of the column, the

sinus acute, with a slender, elongated, pedunculated, long-pubescent appendix; column 1.2 mm long,

the anther apical and the stigma subapical.

Antioquia: epiphytic in cloud forest south of the pass between Urrao and Carmen de Atrato, alt.

2680 m, 31 May 1995, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar, L. Moreno de Posada, G. Arteaga, B. & F. Lopez

17676 (Holotype: MO).

This very small species is apparently endemic in the Western Cordillera of

Colombia. It is characterized by elliptical, margined leaves borne by comparatively

stout ramicauls with ciliate sheaths, and a loose, few-flowered inflorescence not

exceeding the leaf. The sepals are acute and denticulate with short-acuminate

apices, the laterals single-veined. The ovate blades of the lip are not remarkable,

but the elongate, pedunculated, long-ciliate appendix resembles a tiny feather.

The flowers of the equally minute Lepanthes vieirae Luer & R. Escobar, from

the hot lowlands of western Colombia, are similar, with single-veined, denticulate

sepals, petals with an upper lobe much larger than the lower lobe, and a lip with a

ciliate appendix. Lepanthes vieirae is best distinguished by the sepals with acute

apices; petals that are transversely narrowly elliptical; and a convex lip with

rounded bases that do not curve downward.

Lepanthes planadensis Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 18(2): 141-143, 1991.

Ety.: Named for the La Planada Science Center, Ricaurte, Colombia, where this species is in

cultivation.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect, slender, 8-11 cm long,

enclosed by 10-15 glabrous lepanthiform sheaths, the dilated ostia microscopically ciliate-scabrous.

Leaf spreading, coriaceous, narrowly ovate, acute, 4-5.5 cm long, 1-1.4 cm wide, the base cuneate into

a petiole 2 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, secund, successively several-flowered raceme up to 20

mm long, borne on top of the leaf by a filiform peduncle 5-20 mm long; floral bracts smooth, 1 mm

long; pedicels 2 mm long; ovary 1.5 mm long; sepals purple, glabrous, carinate, broadly ovate, margins

smooth, the obtuse apices shortly acuminate, the dorsal sepal 4 mm long, 3 mm wide, 3-veined, connate

to the lateral sepals for 1 mm, the lateral sepals oblique, diverging, 4 mm long, 2.25 mm wide,

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

173

2-veined, connate 1.5 mm; petals dark red-purple, transversely bilobed, glabrous (cellular-glandular), 1

mm long, 5 mm wide, the lobes triangular, narrowly obtuse, about equal in size; lip dark red-purple,

glabrous (cellular-pubescent), bilaminate, the blades broadly elliptical with rounded ends, 2 mm long,

the apices ciliate, the connectives broadly cuneate, forming a broad body, connate to the base of the

column, the appendix oblong-ovoid, long-pubescent; column 1.5 mm long, the anther dorsal, the

stigma ventral.

Narino: Mun. Ricaurte, collected in the cloud forest around La Planada, alt. 1800 m, flowered in

cultivation at the La Planada Science Center, 25 Jan. 1987, C. Luer 12487 (Holotype: MO); La Planada,

in pluvial forest south of Ricaurte on road from Pasto to Tumaco, alt. 1820 m, 21 July 1989, C. H.

Dodson, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 18062 (MO).

This species seems to have affinities with several vaguely defined groups,

including the “ Lepanthes mucronata group.” Narrowly ovate, spreading leaves

support a short, secund raceme of successive, purple flowers. The sepals are obtuse

with shortly acuminate apices; the petals are large with more or less similar, nar¬

rowly obtuse, triangular lobes; the lip has broadly elliptical blades and a small,

long-pubescent appendix. Among many species, Lepanthes palaga is perhaps the

most similar, but with a more densely congested raceme bearing smaller, yellow

flowers, with a lip with a proportionally large, pubescent, concave appendix.

Lepanthes plectilis Luer & Hirtz, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 54: 166, 1985.

Ety.: From the Latin plectilis , “intricate,” in reference to the complicated appendix.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, suberect, 2-8 cm long,

enclosed by 5-9 close, microscopically scabrous lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf coriaceous, spreading to

horizontal, margined, with purple reticulation, especially beneath, narrowly ovate, acute, 2.5-4.5 cm

long, 0.6-1.0 cm wide, the base narrowly cuneate into a petiole 1.5 mm long. Inflorescence a con¬

gested, flexuous, successively flowered raceme up to 8 mm long, borne on top of the leaf by a filiform

peduncle 4-20 mm long, commonly produced in pairs, one with a short peduncle, the other with a

longer peduncle; floral bracts 1 mm long, lightly echinate; pedicels 1.25 mm long; ovary sulcate, 2 mm

long; sepals yellow, glabrous, carinate, ovate, subacute to obtuse, margins microscopically cellular-

denticulate, the dorsal sepal 2.5 mm long, 1.75 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5

mm, the lateral sepals suffused with orange along the midvein, oblique, diverging, 2.25 mm long, 1.5

mm wide, 2-veined, connate 0.5 mm; petals orange, microscopically pubescent, transversely oblong-

bilobed, 0.75 mm long, 1.75 mm wide, the ends rounded, the upper lobe larger; lip orange-brown,

microscopically pubescent, the blades ovate with rounded ends, the triangular connectives forming a

narrow body, connate to the base of the column, the appendix pubescent, oblong, with a terminal bifid

segment with a pair of microscopic, pedunculate lobules; column clavate, 1 mm long, the anther dorsal,

the stigma ventral.

Colombia: without collecting data, collected by C. Luer, 1988, flowered in cultivation by the

Jesups in Bristol, Connecticut, 21 May 1992, C. Luer 16254 (MO).

Also Ecuador (Napo, Holotype, A. Hirtz 1861: MO; Pastaza).

Lepanthes plectilis is similar to L. popayanensis Luer & R. Escobar, known

from the vicinity of Popayan in Cauca. Lepanthes popayanensis differs with plain,

ovate leaves, rather than reticulated and narrowly ovate; and sepals with smooth

margins, acuminate, and acute, rather than microscopically denticulate and obtuse.

The lips of the two species are similar, with triangular connectives, narrow bodies,

and intricate, segmented appendices.

Lepanthes pleurorachis Luer, Phytologia 54(5): 363, 1983.

Ety.: From the Greek pleurorachis , “a ribbed rachis,” in allusion to the inflorescence.

Plant small, weak, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 2.5-6 cm long,

enclosed by 6-8 minutely scabrous lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect to suberect, thinly coriaceous,

174

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

narrowly ovate, acuminate, acute, 16-28 mm long, 8-10 mm wide, the base obtuse to rounded, con¬

tracted into a petiole 1-2 mm long. Inflorescence an extremely congested, distichous, long-pedicellate,

successively many-flowered raceme up to 5 mm long, borne by a slender peduncle up to 6 mm long

along the back of the leaf; floral bracts 0.5 mm long; pedicels 1 mm long, closely arranged in 2 rows;

ovary 1 mm long; sepals yellow, glabrous, elliptical, subequal, acute, reflexed, free nearly to the base,

margins smooth, the dorsal sepal 1.5 mm long, 0.8 mm wide, 3-veined, the lateral sepals diverging,

1.25 mm long, 0.8 mm wide, 2-veined; petals orange, transversely bilobed, 0.3 mm long, 2 mm wide,

the upper lobe triangular, oblique, acute, with a second point midway on the inner margin, the lower

lobe equally long, falcate, acute; lip red-brown, ciliate, transversely bilobed-cordate, 0.6 mm long, 0.6

mm wide, the apex retuse between 2 rounded lobes and with a minute apiculum in the sinus, the basal

lobes rounded, to either side of the column, the base connate to the undersurface of the basal third of

the column; column 0.5 mm long, the anther and stigma apical.

Antioquia: Rio Caldera, alt. 1650 m, collected by E. Valencia, 23 June 1983, flowered in cultiva¬

tion at Colomborquideas, El Retiro, 13 Jan. 1984, R. Escobar 3195 (MO), C. Luer illustr. 9490;

Represa de Miraflores, collected by R. Escobar 3481, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 6

Apr. 1988, C. Luer 13027 (MO); epiphytic on Ericaceae, Parque Nacional Natural “Las Orquideas,”

Sector Calles, margen izquierda del Rio Calles, alt. 1460 m, 11 Feb. 1989, A. Cogollo, D. Cardenas &

O. Alvarez 3862 (MO).

Valle del Cauca: epiphytic on a fallen branch of a Rubiaceae shrub, Mun. Dagua, along the old

Cali-Buenaventura road, Digua river watershed, 10 km below El Queremal, alt. ca. 1000 m, 24 Jan.

2011, E. Calderon, flowered in cultivation at El Refugio Nature Reservation, Nov. 2011, E. Calderon

609 (HPUJ).

Also Ecuador (Pichincha, Holotype, Luer et al. 7373 : SEL).

This delicate little species occurs locally in the forests of Colombia’s Western

Cordillera and on the western slopes of Pichincha in Ecuador. It is easily distin¬

guished by the dense, distichous, long-pedicellate raceme borne behind a small,

narrowly ovate leaf. The flowers are minute, with similar, elliptical, reflexed,

essentially free sepals; acute, transverse petals, the upper lobe inconstantly bearing

a small angle on the inner edge; and a ciliate, cordate lip, shallowly to significantly

retuse at the rounded apex with a minute apiculum.

Several species from Colombia share the characteristic small flowers with

strongly reflexed sepals. Lepanthes refracta Luer differs in the longer ramicaul

bearing a subcircular leaf, abruptly contracted into a linear acumen; and flowers

with blunt sepals with the laterals obtuse. The vegetatively similar L. georgii is

readily differentiated by its petals with linear, acute, diverging lobes with a minute

lobule between the lobes.

Lepanthes pleurothallopsis Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 19(2): 107, 1994.

Ety.: Named for the similarity of the plant to the genus Pleurothallis.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 3.5-6 cm long,

enclosed by 5-6 coarsely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical, obtuse, 2.5-4

cm long, 1-E8 cm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole 2 mm long. Inflorescence a long, flexible,

loose, successively many-flowered raceme, 2-3 flowers open simultaneously, up to 30 cm or more long

including the peduncle 5-7 cm long, the flowers large, incompletely opening, non-resupinate; floral

bracts 3.5 mm long; pedicels 3.5 mm long; ovary 2.5 mm long; sepals white with broad, red stripes,

glabrous, margins minutely erose, the dorsal sepal ovate, acute, acuminate, concave, 13-17 mm long, 6

mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 2 mm, the lateral sepals flat to convex, connate 10

mm into a narrowly ovate, bifid synsepal, 14-18 mm long, 6.5 mm wide, each 2-veined, the apices

acute, acuminate; petals white with red margins, microscopically pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1.4

mm long, 3.5 mm wide, the lobes similar, triangular, with rounded apices; lip bilaminate, the blades

oblong, glabrous with long-ciliate margins, 2.5 mm long, with the apices slightly everted, rounded, with

the blades deflexed above the middle, more or less erect toward the base, the connectives cuneate below

the middle, the body connate to the base of the column, with the appendix triangular, acute, concave,

hinged in the sinus; column 2 mm long, with the anther dorsal and the stigma ventral.

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

175

Quindio: Mun. Salento, alt. 2800 m, collected by E. Valencia, Jan. 1991, flowered in cultivation at

Colomborquideas, 12 Dec. 1992, R. Escobar 5007 (Holotype: MO), C. Luer illustr. 16569.

This remarkable species with its long raceme of large, partially open, non-resu-

pinate flowers superficially resembles some species of Pleurothallis. A few of the

colorful flowers are open simultaneously as the flexible raceme gradually length¬

ens, reaching at least 30 centimeters. The sepals, white with conspicuous red

stripes, are incompletely spreading so that the typically Lepanthes-likQ petals and

lip are not easily visible, reinforcing the appearance of a species of Pleurothallis.

The long, pointed, concave “dorsal sepal” is lowermost in the natural position on

the rachis.

Lepanthes popayanensis Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 21(2): 156, 1999.

Ety.: Named for the city ofPopayan in the department of Cauca, where the species was collected.

Plant small to medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect, slender, 4-5

cm long, enclosed by 6-8 microscopically ciliate lepanthiform sheaths, with the apices long-acuminate.

Leaf erect, thinly coriaceous, ovate, acute, 3-4 cm long, 0.9-1.4 cm wide, contracted below into a peti¬

ole 2 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, distichous, successively several-flowered raceme up to 8

mm long, borne beneath the leaf by a peduncle ca. 10 mm long; floral bracts 1 mm long; pedicels 1.5

mm long; ovary 2 mm long; sepals cellular-glandular, subcarinate, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal

ovate-triangular, acute, 3.75 mm long, 2 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm,

the lateral sepals ovate, oblique, diverging, acute, slightly acuminate, 3.25 mm long, 1.6 mm wide, 2-

veined, connate 0.5 mm; petals microscopically pubescent, transversely bilobed, 0.8 mm long, 2 mm

wide, the upper lobe larger, oblique, oblong, round at the apex, the lower lobe triangular, round at the

apex; lip bilaminate, with the blades glabrous, narrowly oblong, with the ends rounded, 1.75 mm long,

the connectives cuneate, the body narrow, connate to the base of the column, the sinus acute with the

appendix long-pubescent, oblong, with a bifid terminal segment; column 1.5 mm long, the anther

dorsal and the stigma ventral.

Cauca: near Popayan, collected by J & L Orchids, 1292-399, flowered in cultivation, Dec. 1992,

C. Luer 16531 (Holotype: MO); same collection, flowered in cultivation by J. Hermans, 903, in

Enfield, England, 1993, C. Luer 16546 (MO).

This species is not distinguished by any single character, but can be identified

by a combination of characters. The plant is small, with an ovate leaf borne by

ramicauls with sheaths with long-acuminate apices. The congested inflorescence is

borne behind the leaf. The sepals are acute; the lobes of the petals are broad with

rounded apices; and the blades of the lip are narrowly oblong and glabrous. The

long-pubescent appendix terminates in a bifid segment. The leaves of the similar

Lepanthes plectilis are narrowly ovate and reticulated; the sepals are minutely den¬

ticulate and obtuse. The lips of the two species are similar, with triangular

connectives; a narrow body; and an intricate, segmented appendix.

Lepanthes porracea Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 20(3): 309-310, 1997.

Ety.: From the Latin porraceus , “leek-green,” referring to the flowers.

Plant medium to large in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots very slender. Ramicauls stout, thick,

erect, 6-12 cm long, enclosed by 12-15 coarsely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths with oblique ostia. Leaf

erect, coriaceous, elliptical-ovate, acute, acuminate, 4-6.5 cm long, 1.7-2.2 cm wide, the base cuneate,

contracted into a petiole 3-4 mm long. Inflorescence a distichous or subsecund, successively several-

flowered raceme lax below to congested above, borne behind the leaf by a filiform peduncle 20-30 mm

long; floral bracts 2 mm long; pedicels 2-2.5 mm long; ovary 1.75 mm long; sepals deep green,

glabrous, membranous, carinate, widely spread, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal ovate-triangular,

acute, acuminate, 5 mm long, 3.5 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1 mm, the lateral

sepals ovate, oblique, 5 mm long, apices approximate into an ovate, split synsepal, 3.75 mm wide,

connate 1 mm, each 2-veined, with the apices thickened, acute; petals green, suffused with purple,

176

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

microscopically pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1.25 mm long, 3.5 mm wide, the lobes broadly oblong

with rounded apices, the upper lobe longer than the lower lobe; lip green with purple margins,

bilaminate, the blades microscopically ciliate, elliptical, flat, with the ends rounded, 1.6 mm long, the

connectives short, broad, the body connate to the base of the column, the sinus bifid, with the appendix

small, densely pubescent; column 1.5 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Risaralda: San Antonio del Chaim, collected by E. Valencia, Nov. 1992, flowered in cultivation at

Colomborquideas, 3 June 1995, C. Luer 17721 (Holotype: JAUM; Isotype: MO).

Vegetatively, Lepanthes porracea is distinguished by thick, strict ramicauls

with coarsely ciliate sheaths. The inflorescence, loosely flowered below and con¬

gested above, is shorter than and borne behind the elliptical leaf. The sepals are

bright deep-green, the dorsal acuminate and the laterals approximate into an ovate,

split synsepal with thickened, acute apices. The green petals are transversely

oblong. The ovate blades of the lip are green; the appendix is small and pubescent.

Lepanthes posadae Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 53(5): 479,

1984.

Ety.: Named in honor of Sr. Jaime Posada of Medellin, Colombia, in whose nursery

Colomborquideas this species was cultivated.

Plant medium to large in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 6-20

cm long, enclosed by 11-23 minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf suberect to spreading, thinly

coriaceous, convex, elliptical-ovate, acute, acuminate, 5-10 cm long, E5-3.5 cm wide, the base cuneate

to rounded, contracted into a petiole 3-4 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, successively many-flow¬

ered raceme up to 15 mm long, borne by a slender peduncle E5-5 cm long along the back of the leaf;

floral bracts 1-E5 mm long; pedicels 3-4 mm long; ovary 2-4 mm long; sepals light green, glabrous,

carinate, ovate, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal 3.5-5.5 mm long, 2.75-3.75 mm wide, 3-veined,

connate to the lateral sepals for 1 mm, the lateral sepals connate 2-2.5 mm into a broadly ovate, bifid

synsepal, 3.6-5.5 mm long, 3.2-4.5 mm wide, each 2-veined, the apices diverging, acute; petals green

with purple margins, pubescent, transversely bilobed, E5 mm long, 5-6 mm wide, with a setiform,

purple marginal midlobe 1-E5 mm long, the upper lobe oblong, truncate, the lower lobe longer,

narrowly falcate-triangular, oblique, long-attenuate; lip yellow, suffused with purple, bilaminate, the

blades thin, oblong, with rounded ends, E5-2 mm long, minutely ciliate, adherent medially over the

column, the connectives narrowly oblong, oblique, the body narrow, connate to the base of the column,

the sinus filled with a large, oblong, ciliate, concave appendix with a truncate, bilobulate apex; column

bright purple, bifurcate, 2-2.5 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral, bilobed.

Choco: San Jose del Palmar, alt. ca. 1900 m, 1979, collected by L. & J. Posada et al., flowered in

cultivation at Colomborquideas, El Retiro, 21 Apr. 1983, C. Luer 8743 (Holotype: SEL); San Jose del

Palmar, collected by E. Valencia, March 1993, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 16-19 May

1993, C. Luer 16935 (MO).

Cauca: Popayan, collected by Janet Kuhn, cultivated by A. & P. Jesup in Bristol, Connecticut, 26

Apr. 1987, C. Luer 12885A (MO).

Also Ecuador (Imbabura).

This species, similar to the widespread Lepanthes agglutinata , occurs locally

on the western declivities of the Andes of Colombia and Ecuador. It is char¬

acterized by the large size; thin, ovate, acuminate leaves with the congested inflo¬

rescence borne along the back side; green petals with a purple margin, the nar¬

rowly triangular lower lobe much longer than the oblong upper lobe, and a

protruding marginal process; and thin blades of the lip adherent over the column.

The appendix is large, oblong, and ciliate.

A number of Colombian species are similar vegetatively and florally.

Lepanthes janitor , L. agglutinata , and L. pilosiaures have petals with lobes sub¬

equal in length, with an uncinate process between the lobes. None of these three

shares the unusual forked column and the bilobed stigma beneath.

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

177

Lepanthes praemorsa Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 18(2): 143-145, 1991.

Ety.: From the Latin praemorsus , “bitten off, chewed,” referring to the upper margin of the broadly

truncate upper lobe of the petals.

Plant small to medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots fine. Ramicauls slender, erect, 3-12 cm

long, enclosed by 10-13 microscopically ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, thinly coriaceous,

more or less reticulate, elliptical, with the apex acute and narrowly acuminate, 2.5-6 cm long, 1-2.5 cm

wide, the base broadly cuneate into a petiole 2-3 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, distichous, suc¬

cessively many-flowered raceme up to 8 mm long, borne on the dorsum of the leaf by a filiform

peduncle 5-30 mm long; floral bracts 1.25 mm long; pedicels 3 mm long; ovary 1.5 mm long; sepals

translucent yellow, glabrous, ovate, acute, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal 4 mm long, 2.5 mm wide,

3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals oblique, diverging, 4 mm long, 1.75

mm wide, connate 1.25 mm, 2-veined; petals green, microscopically pubescent, transversely bilobed,

1.25 mm long, 3.75 mm wide, with a filiform, lateral midlobe 1.25 mm long, the upper lobe suboblong,

truncate, the upper edge minutely erose, the lower lobe triangular, acute, shorter than the upper lobe,

indented between the lobes; lip rose, bilaminate, the blades thin, cellular-erose, oblong with rounded

apices and bases, 2 mm long, adherent medially over the column, the connectives oblong, narrow, from

the anterior half of the blades, the body thick, convex, connate to the column above the base, the

appendix thick, broadly triangular, convex, the apex thick, obtuse, pubescent; column slender, 1.5 mm

long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Mun. Yarumal, epiphytic in cloud forest remnant above El Cedro, alt. 2000 m, 16 Mar.

1989, C. Luer, J. Luer, S. Dalstrom & W. Teague 14207 (Holotype: MO), 14210 (MO).

Putumayo: San Miguel, La Union, alt. unknown, July 1999, collector unknown, flowered in culti¬

vation at Colomborquideas, June 2009, L. Thoerle 144 (MO).

Lepanthes praemorsa is distinguished by the small size; sepals with smooth

margins; filiform lateral lobules of the petals; and the convex body of the lip with a

short, triangular appendix. It is most similar to L. heteroloba and L. quandi , two

other Colombian species in the “ Lepanthes mucronata group.” Both of these

species have sepals with denticulate margins and glabrous petals, unlike the

smooth-margined sepals and pubescent petals of L. praemorsa.

Lepanthes profusa Luer & Hirtz, Orchidee (Hamburg) 41: 10, 1990.

Ety.: From the Latin profusus , “profuse,” referring to the floriferous character of the species.

Plant large, epiphytic, shortly ascending, caespitose; roots coarse. Ramicauls stout, erect, 10-40

cm long, enclosed by 10-14 glabrous, closely fitting lepanthiform sheaths, microscopically ciliate on

the margins of the upper ostia. Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical-ovate, acute to lightly acuminate, 7-12

cm long, 2-5 cm wide, the base rounded or broadly cuneate, contracted into a petiole 3-6 mm long.

Inflorescence racemose, successively many-flowered, congested, up to 5 cm long including the

peduncle 1.5-2 cm long, borne behind the leaf; floral bracts 1.5 mm long; pedicels 1 mm long; ovary

2.5 mm long; sepals pale yellow, glabrous, carinate, ovate-triangular, acute, slightly acuminate,

margins denticulate, the dorsal sepal 6-7 mm long, 4-5 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals

for 1.5-2 mm, the lateral sepals oblique, diverging, 6.5-7 mm long, 3 mm wide, connate 1.5-2.5 mm, 2-

veined; petals yellow with red inner margin, glabrous, transversely bilobed, 1-1.5 mm long, 3.5-4 mm

wide, narrowed between the lobes, the lobes subequal, the upper lobe broadly ovate, the lower lobe

oblong, narrower, with the ends rounded; lip bilaminate, the blades red-purple, elliptical, indented

above the middle, 2.25 mm long, glabrous, the rounded apices ciliate, the connectives shortly cuneate,

the body broad, connate to the base of the column, the sinus obtuse, with a minute, biglandular

appendix; column 1.5 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Meta: Macizo de Sumapaz vertiente oriental de la cordillera, hoya de la Quebrada El Buque, alt.

3400 m, July 11-12 1981, Santiago Diaz P. 2785 (MO).

Ecuador (Loja, Holotype, C. Luer et al. 10751: MO; Zamora-Chinchipe).

This large, robust species is found in high altitude cloud forest in southern

Ecuador with a single collection from the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia. It is

identified by tall, stout ramicauls clad in essentially glabrous, nondilated

178

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

lepanthiform sheaths; elliptical-ovate, acuminate leaves; short inflorescences laxly

flowered below, becoming congested above; denticulate, broad but acuminate

sepals; glabrous, bilobed petals with a constriction near the middle; and the lip

with elliptical blades, ciliate at the apices, with a minute, biglandular appendix.

Lepanthes profusa was considered to be synonymous with L. caudatisepala

(Luer 1996b), but recent examination of preserved specimens argues for maintain¬

ing separate species. Lepanthes caudatisepala is distinguished by flowers with

smooth-margined sepals and a lip with flat blades, while those of L. profusa have

denticulate sepals and a lip with the blades indented above the middle.

Lepanthes prolifera Foldats, Bol. Soc. Venez. Ci. Nat. 28: 247, 1969.

Ety.: From the Latin prolifer , “prolific,” referring to the habit.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, prolific; roots fine. Ramicauls slender, erect, producing an addi¬

tional ramicaul from the apex, 3-12 cm long, enclosed by 4-8 lepanthiform sheaths with ciliated ostia.

Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical, acute, 2-5 cm long, 0.5-1.5 cm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole 2-

3 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, distichous, successively several-flowered raceme up to 10 mm

long, borne by a filiform peduncle up to 18 mm long; floral bracts 2.5 mm long; pedicels 2.5 mm long;

ovary 2 mm long; sepals red-brown, glabrous, carinate, margins minutely denticulate, the dorsal sepal

ovate, acute, acuminate, 9 mm long, 4 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for ca. 1 mm,

the lateral sepals ovate, oblique, with acuminate apices diverging, 9 mm long, connate 5 mm into a

bifid synsepal 5 mm wide, each 2-veined; petals orange, red medially, microscopically pubescent,

transversely bilobed, 0.9 mm long, 3.75 mm wide, with the lobes suboblong with rounded apices, the

upper lobe slightly larger than the lower lobe; lip red, bilaminate, the blades oblong with rounded

apices and bases, minutely pubescent, 2 mm long, the connectives broad, the body thick, connate to the

column above the base, the appendix thick, triangular, concave, the apex long-pubescent; column 2 mm

long, the anther apical, the stigma ventral.

Arauca: Sierra Nevada del Cocuy, Monte El Tovo, alt. 2900 m, 30 May 1982, C. Luer & R. Esco¬

bar 7996 (SEL).

Also Venezuela (Tachira, Holotype, J. Steyermark, G. C. K. & E. Dunsterville 101198 : VEN).

This prolific species occurs at high altitudes in westernmost Venezuela and

adjacent Colombia. The successively flowered raceme is shorter than the leaf. The

sepals are acuminate; the petals are simple and bilobed; the blades of the lip are

oblong; and the appendix is short, thick, and long-pubescent. It is similar to

Lepanthes oreibates , but the latter is distinguished by a larger elliptical leaf,

reaching six centimeters in length; sepals with smooth margins; and a clinandrium

protruding beyond the blades of the lip.

Lepanthes pterygion Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 53(7): 720,

1984.

Ety.: From the Greek pterygion, “a small wing,” referring to the minute, winged lip.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots comparatively coarse. Ramicauls erect, slender; 1-4 cm

long, enclosed by 6-7 minute, microscopically ciliate lepanthiform sheaths with dilated ostia. Leaf suf¬

fused with purple, erect, coriaceous, ovate, acute to acuminate, 1-2 cm long, 0.6-1 cm wide, the

rounded base contracted into a petiole 0.5 mm long. Inflorescence a dense, secund, successively flow¬

ered raceme up to 8 mm long, borne by a filiform peduncle 4-20 mm long; floral bracts 0.5 mm long;

pedicels 2 mm long; ovary 1.5 mm long; sepals translucent magenta with darker veins, glabrous,

margins smooth, the dorsal sepal triangular-ovate, acute, 5 mm long, 2.5 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to

the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals ovate, obtuse, diverging, connate 2.5 mm, 4.5 mm long,

4 mm wide together, each 2-veined; petals dark red-purple, microscopically pubescent, transversely

elliptical, 0.5 mm long, 2.75 mm wide, the lobes subequal, narrowly triangular, acute; lip white,

suffused with rose, microscopically pubescent, transversely elliptic, three-lobed, 1 mm long, 2 mm

wide, with a shallow concavity near the middle, the anterior lobe ligulate, obtuse, 0.5 mm long, the

lateral lobes triangular, narrowly obtuse, erect, surrounding the column below the middle, the base

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

179

connate to the base of the column; column arcuate, 2 mm long, the apex bidentate, the anther subapical,

the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Mun. Yarumal, Alto de Yentanas, alt. 2000 m, 20 May 1983, R. Escobar & E.

Valencia 2618 (Holotype: SEL), C. Luer illustr. 9099; Quebrada El Oro, alt. 1730 m, 21 May 1983, R.

Escobar & E. Valencia 2652 (SEL); Cocorna, epiphytic in cloud forest near Rio Cocorna, alt. 1900-

2000 m, 2 May 1984, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 10086 (MO); Yarumal, epiphytic in

forest remnant along the road to Briceno, Quebrada El Oro, alt. 1850 m, 16 March 1989, C. Luer, J.

Luer, S. Dalstrom & W. Teague 14189, 14195, 14198, 14201 (MO).

Lepanthes pterygion has been collected on numerous occasions in Colombia.

This small species, with the peduncle ranging in length from four millimeters to as

long as the ovate leaf, produces a congested raceme of medium-sized flowers with

a comparatively large, decurved column embraced near the base by a pair of tiny

wings from the lip. The middle lobe of the lip is applied to the undersurface of the

column. Lepanthes yubarta E. Calderon shares this unusual decurved column

flanked at the base by the tiny lobes of the lip, but differs with a proportionally

broader dorsal sepal; petals with shorter, obtuse lobes; and a lip with shorter,

obtuse blades and a smaller, oblong, concave appendix.

Lepanthes pyramidalis Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 53(6): 607,

1984.

Ety.: From the Latin pyramidalis, “pyramid-shaped,” referring to the callus on the body of the lip.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose, roots filiform. Ramicauls slender, erect to suberect, 3-7.5 cm

long, enclosed by 5-9 close lepanthiform sheaths with microscopically scabrous, long-acuminate ostia.

Leaf spreading, coriaceous, suffused beneath with purple, ovate-acute, long-acuminate, 2-4 cm long, 1-

2 cm wide, the rounded base contracted into a petiole 1 mm long. Inflorescence a very congested, suc¬

cessively flowered raceme up to 10 mm long, borne on top of the leaf by a filiform peduncle 12-24 mm

long; floral bracts 0.6 mm long; pedicels 1.75-2 mm long; ovary 1.5 mm long; sepals bright rose,

glabrous, ovate, acute, margins denticulate, the dorsal sepal 3 mm long, 2 mm wide, 3-veined, connate

to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals diverging, connate 1.5 mm, 3 mm long, 2.75 mm wide

together, each 2-veined; petals orange-brown, pubescent, transversely oblong, 0.66 mm long, 3.2 mm

wide, with a filiform midlobe 0.5 mm long on the outer margin near the middle, the upper lobe oblong,

the truncate apex minutely erose, the lower lobe triangular, acute; lip red-orange, the blades glabrous,

broadly elliptical with rounded ends, 1 mm long, the connectives from the middle of the blades,

narrowly oblong, connate to the base of the column, the body transversely oblong with an erect, pyra¬

midal callus in the center behind the anterior margin with an equally broad, oblong, concave, ciliate

appendix with an oblong, pubescent apiculum; column 1 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma

ventral.

Antioquia: Frontino, Alto de Cuevas, alt. 2050 m, 4 May 1983, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar, A.

Pridgeon & E. Valencia 8964 (Holotype: SEL); same collection, flowered in cultivation at Colom-

borquideas, 3 Nov. 1983, R. Escobar 3165 (JAUM); same collection, flowered in cultivation at Colom-

borquideas, 18 Feb. 1984, R Escobar 3244 (JAUM, MO); epiphytic in cloud forest north of the pass

between Urrao and Carmen de Atrato, alt. 2700 m, 30 May 1995, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar, L.

Moreno de Posada, G. Arteaga, B. & F. Lopez 17658 (MO).

Choco: epiphytic in cloud forest south of the pass between Urrao and Carmen de Atrato, alt. 2680

m, 31 May 1995, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar, L. Moreno de Posada, G. Arteaga, B. & F. Lopez

17683, 17684 (MO).

Lepanthes pyramidalis produces a red flower on top of the spreading, long-

acuminate, ovate leaf, the raceme eventually reaching the apex of the leaf and fre¬

quently overhanging the edge. Often two flowering racemes of different lengths lie

on top of a leaf. The blades of the lip are supported by slender connectives; the

body is broad with a prominent, central, pyramidal callus; and the appendix is

equally broad, concave, and ciliate. The similar L. habenifera is distinguished by

flowers with glabrous petals and a lip with pubescent blades.

180

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Lepanthes quadricornis Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 19(2): 108, 1994.

Ety.: From the Latin quadricornis , “four-horned,” referring to the pair of forked petals.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls more or less horizontal, slender, 3 cm

long, enclosed by 5 densely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf spreading to pendent, coriaceous, margi-

nate, broadly elliptical, obtuse, 20 mm long, 17 mm wide, contracted below into a petiole 1 mm long.

Inflorescence a congested, distichous, successively few-flowered raceme 2 mm long, borne on top of

the leaf by a peduncle 14 mm long; floral bracts echinate, 1 mm long; pedicels 1 mm long; ovary 2 mm

long, ciliate-carinate; sepals glabrous, margins densely ciliate, echinate-carinate externally, gaping, the

dorsal sepal broadly to transversely ovate, the blade 10 mm long, 10 mm wide, 5-veined, the apex

obtuse, shortly acuminate into a slender cauda 2.5 mm long, connate to the lateral sepals for 4 mm, the

lateral sepals ovate-triangular, oblique, acute, acuminate, 11 mm long, 5 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 1

mm; petals glabrous, bilobed, forked from near the base, the lobes erect, oblong, subacute, carinate,

each 3 mm long, 0.8 mm wide, the base of the outer lobe acute below the insertion into the base of the

column; lip glabrous, bilobed-hippocrepiform, 1.75 mm long, the basal lobes obtuse, encircling the

column, the apex rounded, shallowly incised, the base connate to the base of the column; column

terete, 2.5 mm long, with the anther dorsal and the stigma subapical.

Narino: apparently collected near Ricaurte, flowered in cultivation at the La Planada Science

Station #48, 21 July 1989, C. H. Dodson, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 18060 (Holotype: MO), C. Luer

illustr. 16218; Ricaurte, trail from La Planada to Pielapi, wet lower montane cloud forest, alt. 1600-

1800 m, 22 July 1988, A. Gentry et al. 63602 (MO).

This species of Lepanthes subgen. Marsipanthes is distinguished by the

proportionally large flower borne on top of a spreading, broadly elliptical leaf. The

densely ciliate sepals form a broad, shallow cup, the dorsal sepal with a short tail,

the laterals acute. The erect lobes of the forked petals are oblong and sharply

carinate. The glabrous lip forms a “U,” with the basal lobes encircling the column.

The plant and flowers of L. carunculigera are similar, but the latter is distin¬

guished by petals forked above the middle.

Lepanthes quandi Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 53(9): 924, 1984.

Ety.: From the Arabic qandi , “cane sugar candy,” in allusion to the fancied appearance of the

flowers.

Plant small to medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 2-7

cm long, enclosed by 6-12 close, microscopically ciliate to scabrous lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect to

suberect, coriaceous, suffused with purple beneath, ovate to elliptical, 2.5-4.5 cm long, 1.2-2 cm wide,

the apex more or less obtuse, acuminate or abruptly contracted into a linear apical segment, tridentate,

the rounded base contracted into a petiole 2-3 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, successively flow¬

ered raceme up to 6 mm long, borne on top of the leaf by a filiform peduncle 3-10 mm long; floral

bracts 1 mm long; pedicels 1.5 mm long; ovary 1.5 mm long; sepals light orange, glabrous, margins

minutely denticulate, the dorsal sepal ovate-triangular, subacute, 4.25 mm long, 3 mm wide, 3-veined,

connate to the lateral sepals for 1 mm, the lateral sepals ovate, acute, shortly acuminate, diverging, 4

mm long, 1.9 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 1 mm; petals glabrous, orange suffused with red, trilobed, 1

mm long, 4 mm wide, the middle lobe setiform from the outer margin near the middle, the upper lobe

oblong, truncate, the lower lobe oblong, oblique, acute; lip orange, suffused with red, the blades

oblong, thin, membranous, microscopically cellular-pubescent, adherent medially over the column, 2

mm long, the ends rounded, ■ the connectives cuneate with a narrow body connate to the base of the

column, the appendix pubescent, oblong, with a glandular apex bilobed in the lateral view; column 2

mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Mun. Yarumal, epiphytic in cloud forest, Raton Pelado, alt. 2650 m, 1 May 1984, C.

Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 10059 (Holotype: MO), 10057, 10060 (MO); same collection,

flowered in cultivation by L. & J. Posada at Colomborquideas, El Retiro, 26 May 1984, R. Escobar

3248A, B, C & D (JAUM); same locality, 22 May 1983, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 2664 (SEL), C. Luer

illustr. 9109; same collection, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 5 Dec. 1983, R. Escobar

3181 (COL); Yarumal, epiphytic in forest remnant along the road to Briceno, Quebrada El Oro, alt.

1850 m, 16 March 1989, C. Luer, J. Luer, S. Dalstrom & W. Teague 14194 (MO); near the pass

between Urrao and Carmen de Atrato, 23 May 1995, C. Luer 17532 (MO).

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

181

Putumayo: San Francisco, Rio Blanco, alt. 2200 m, collected by R. Escobar, E. Valencia & H.

Voiles, June 1987, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 21 Dec. 1992, R. Escobar 5053 (MO).

This colorful species is similar to Lepanthes habenifera , but the leaves of L.

quandi are proportionally wider, abruptly acuminate and deep purple beneath.

Compared to L. habenifera , all three sepals rather than just the lateral sepals are

denticulate, and the lip with a considerably smaller appendix is connate to the

column above the base rather than connate to the base.

Lepanthes ramosii Luer, Orquideologia 22(1): 45-47, 2001.

Ety.: Named in honor of J. E. Ramos of the Universidad del Valle del Cauca, Cali, Colombia, co¬

collector of this species.

Plant very small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect, slender, 5-12 mm long,

enclosed by 4-5 microscopically ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical-ovate,

subacute to obtuse, mucronate, 8-9 mm long, 5-6 mm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole ca. 1 mm

long. Inflorescence a congested, distichous, successively several-flowered raceme up to 10 mm long,

borne beyond the leaf by a slender peduncle 8-10 mm long; floral bracts spiculate, 0.8-1 mm long;

pedicels 2-2.5 mm long; ovary 0.5 mm long; sepals yellow, purple toward the base, glabrous, margins

smooth, the dorsal sepal ovate, acute, concave, 3 mm long, 1.3 mm wide, 3-veined, free from the lateral

sepals, the lateral sepals ovate, oblique, diverging, acute, concave, 2.6 mm long, 1 mm wide, 2-veined,

barely connate at the base; petals forked above the base into 2 filamentous lobes diverging 180°,

shortly ciliate, the upper lobe 2.5 mm long, the lower lobe 1.5 mm long; lip purple, bilaminate, the

blades oblong, with subacute ends, 1.25 mm long, held above the column, the connectives broad, below

the middle of the blade, the body broad, connate to the column above the middle, the sinus filled with a

thick, protuberant, triangular appendix with a minute cavity beneath the subacute apex; column erect,

cylindrical-clavate, 1.5 mm long, the anther apical, the stigma ventral.

Choco: Mun. San Jose del Palmar, Cerro Torra, along Rio Negro, alt. 1800 m, 12 Aug. 1988, J. E.

Ramos & P. Silverstone-Sopkin 1176 (Holotype: CUCV; Isotype: MO), C. Luer illustr. 18457; cloud

forest above heliport, alt. 1920-1950 m, 8 Aug. 1988, P. Silverstone-Sopkin, J. E. Ramos, L. H. Ramos,

N. Paz, R. T. Gonzalez & A. Henao 4153 (CUVC).

This tiny species is apparently endemic on Cerro Torra in the Western Cordil¬

lera of Colombia. It is characterized by a dense, distichous raceme borne beyond

the elliptical leaf by a long peduncle; ovate sepals; and petals divided into two fila¬

mentous processes. The bilaminate lip with a broad body is connate to an erect,

cylindrical column above the middle. The appendix is thick and triangular with a

small, sharply defined cavity beneath the apex. The flowers of Lepanthes renzii

Luer share similar narrowly long-triangular petals and a lip with narrowly ovate

blades connate to an elongated column near the middle, but L. renzii is larger both

vegetatively and florally, with flowers with single-veined lateral sepals.

Lepanthes reburra Luer & Thoerle, Harvard Pap. Bot. 16(2): 333, 2011.

Ety.: From the Latin reburrus , “one with bristling hair,” referring to the coarse pubescence of the

lepanthiform sheaths.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 5-11.5 cm

long, enclosed by 7-8 coarsely pubescent lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, suffused with

purple, elliptical-ovate, acute, acuminate, 4-7 cm long, 1.5-2.8 cm wide, the base rounded, contracted

into a petiole 2-3 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, distichous, successively many-flowered raceme

up to 22 mm long, borne behind the leaf by a slender peduncle to 20 mm long; floral bracts 1 mm long;

pedicels 0.75 mm long; ovary 1.5 mm long; sepals greenish white, glabrous, carinate, the dorsal sepal

broadly ovate, the apex obtuse with the tip acuminate, reflexed, margins microscopically ciliate, 4 mm

long, 2.6 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for less than 1 mm, the lateral sepals ovate,

oblique, with the acuminate apices diverging, margins denticulate, 4.5 mm long, 2 mm wide, 1-veined,

connate less than 1 mm; petals white, minutely pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1 mm long, 2 mm

182

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

wide, the lobes oblong-triangular, obtuse, the upper lobe slightly larger than the lower lobe; lip rose,

bilaminate, pubescent, the blades elliptical-oblong, obtuse at the ends, 1.5 mm long, the connectives

cuneate from below the middle of the blade, the body broad, connate to the column at the base, the

sinus acute with the appendix short, thick, pubescent; column stout, 1.5 mm long, the anther apical, the

stigma ventral.

Norte de Santander: Paramo de Mefue, alt. 2600 m, 12 May 1982, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar &

E. Valencia 7801 (Holotype: SEL).

This species from the Eastern Cordillera is known from a single collection.

Florally, it is similar to Lepanthes lasiopetala with the recurved, acuminate tip of

the dorsal sepal and diverging lateral sepals, but the lateral sepals are denticulate

rather than smooth-margined. Instead of long-ciliate, the petals are minutely pu¬

bescent. The blades of the lip, the appendix, the column and ovary are similar. The

most notable differences are vegetative: L. reburr a is a much larger plant, with

ramicauls generally longer than five centimeters rather than shorter; the sheaths of

the ramicauls are coarsely pubescent rather than minutely ciliate; and the leaf is

elliptical-ovate with an acuminate apex, rather than elliptical-lanceolate.

Lepanthes refracta Luer, Orquideologia 22(1): 48-50, 2001.

Ety.: From the Latin refractus , “bent abruptly backward,” referring to the reflexed sepals and

petals.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect, slender, 4-7 cm long, enclosed

by 4-12 microscopically scabrous, acuminate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, reticulated,

subcircular, obtuse, shortly acuminate, 30 mm long, 24 mm wide, the rounded base abruptly contracted

into a petiole 2 mm long. Inflorescence a distichous, very congested, successively many-flowered

raceme, up to 6 mm long borne behind the leaf by a slender peduncle 11 mm long; floral bracts 1.5 mm

long; pedicels 1.75 mm long; ovary 1.5 mm long; sepals acutely reflexed, yellow, glabrous, margins

smooth, the dorsal sepal ovate, obtuse, 2 mm long, 1 mm wide, 3-veined at the base, free from the

lateral sepals, the lateral sepals free, oblong, oblique, diverging, obtuse, 1.8 mm long, 0.9 mm wide, 2-

veined; petals red, glabrous, transversely bilobed, 0.5 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, the upper lobe tri¬

angular, oblique, 1 mm long, the lower lobe triangular, obtuse; lip red, glabrous, transversely bilobed,

with the lobes embracing the column, 1 mm wide expanded, with the apex retuse, the lobes rounded at

the apex, the base triangular, obtuse, connate to the base of the column by a short, slender strap;

column terete, microscopically cellular, 1 mm long, the anther and stigma apical.

Valle del Cauca: without collection data, cultivated by Orquideas del Valle, Oct. 2000, A. Niessen

071A (Holotype: MO), C. Luer illustr. 19443.

Narino: collected by J. L. Aguirre, data unknown, flowered in cultivation at J & L Orchids,

Easton, Connecticut, 9 May 2001, J & L s.n. (MO), C. Luer illustr. 19916.

This small to medium-sized species is distinguished by nearly circular, usually

reticulated leaves with a linear acumen; and a shorter, successively flowered,

densely distichous inflorescence of very small flowers. The sepals are glabrous

with smooth margins and, with the petals, reflex acutely backward around the

column. The lip is smaller than the column, which it clasps with rounded lobes.

There are several other Colombian species that share the characteristic reflexed

sepals, e.g., Lepanthes pleurorachis , L. georgii , but none have similar leaves.

Lepanthes renzii Luer, Selby ana, 30(1): 13, 2009.

Ety.: Named in honor of Dr. Otto Renz of Basel, Switzerland, who collected this species.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 2-7 cm long, enclosed

by 3-5 pubescent and ciliate lepanthiform sheaths with dilated ostia. Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical to

elliptical ovate, acute, 2.5-3.5 cm long, 0.5-0.9 cm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole 1 mm long.

Inflorescence 1-3 densely and successively many-flowered racemes to 3.5 cm long, flowering from the

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

183

base; floral bracts 1 mm long, muricate; pedicels 1 mm long; ovary 1 mm long; sepals color unknown,

glabrous, membranous, margins sparsely microscopically denticulate, the dorsal sepal narrowly ovate,

acute, 4 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals

narrowly ovate, oblique, diverging, acute, 4 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, 1-veined; petals glabrous, trans¬

versely bilobed, 0.3 mm long, 4 mm wide, the lobes about equal, narrowly linear-triangular, acute, 2

mm long, 0.3 mm wide; lip bilaminate, the blades narrowly ovate on either side of the column with

rounded ends, glabrous, 1.3 mm long, the connectives broad, forming a broad body, connate to the

column near the middle, the sinus acute, with a minute, external, filamentous, recurved appendix;

column stout, 1.3 mm long, decurved, the anther and stigma apical.

Cundinamarca: without locality, alt. 3400 m, 24 Aug. 1941, O. Renz 3527 (Holotype: BAS;

Isotype: MO), C. Luer illustr. 21367.

This small species was collected by Jany Renz at a high altitude in the Eastern

Cordillera of Colombia. It is distinguished by densely, successively multiflowered

racemes about as long as the leaf. The sepals are acute, with the laterals single-

veined. The lobes of the petals are filamentous, about equal in length, and about as

long as a sepal. The blades of the lip flank a decurving column, forming a broad

body beneath, connate to the column near the middle, with a closed or very acute

sinus and an external, recurved, capillary appendix. The smaller Lepanthes ramosii

shares the narrowly long-triangular petals and lip with narrowly ovate blades con¬

nate to the column above the middle, but the peduncle is longer than the leaf,

bearing a distichous raceme with flowers with two-veined lateral sepals.

Lepanthes repens Luer, Phytologia 54(5): 368, 1983.

Ety.: From the Latin repens, “creeping,” referring to the repent rhizome.

Plant large, epiphytic to terrestrial, repent, the rhizome 1-3 cm long between ramicauls; roots

coarse. Ramicauls stout, ascending to erect, 15-33 cm tall, enclosed by 10-13 microscopically scabrous

lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, thinly coriaceous, ovate-elliptical, acute, acuminate, 8-11.5 cm long,

2-3.3 cm wide, the base broadly cuneate into a petiole 5-9 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, dis¬

tichous raceme up to 40 mm long, borne by a filiform peduncle 15-40 mm long, 1-3 racemes behind the

leaf; floral bracts 2.5 mm long; pedicels 3 mm long; ovary 3 mm long; sepals light yellow, glabrous,

ovate, acute, attenuate, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal 10 mm long, 6 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to

the lateral sepals for 2 mm, the lateral sepals oblique, diverging, 9.5 mm long, connate for 3 mm, 7.5

mm wide together, each 2-veined; petals yellow, edged in purple, transversely oblong, 1.9 mm long,

3.75 mm wide, the upper lobes triangular, obtuse, the outer margin rounded, the lower lobe smaller,

acute; lip orange, edged in purple, the blades trapeziform, 2.8 mm long, in apposition over the column,

the ends obliquely truncate, the apex weakly ciliate, the connectives short, cuneate, connate to the base

of the column, the appendix minute, pedunculate in the sinus; column 2 mm long, the anther apical, the

stigma ventral.

Narino: epiphytic in cloud forest around the crater lake of Volcan Galeras, alt. 3200 m, 21 Jan.

1979, C. Luer & J. Luer 3748 (SEL).

Ecuador (Carchi, Holotype, Luer et al. 6261 : SEL; Imbabura; Loja).

This robust species occurs at high altitudes where it grows either epiphytically

or terrestrially. Plants eventually form dense fascicles of ramicauls that may

exceed 30 centimeters in length, rising from ascending, long-creeping rhizomes.

The congested, distichous racemes are shorter than the shortly acuminate, elliptical

leaves; the sepals are broadly ovate and shortly acuminate; the petals are transverse

and broadly oblong. The trapezoid blades of the lip have long-ciliate apices and

close like doors over the column. The connectives are short with a minute,

pedunculated gland in the sinus. Lepanthes repens is the only large, repent species

known from Colombia.

184

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Lepanthes reticulata Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 53(6): 608,

1984.

Ety.: From the Latin reticulatus, “reticulate,” referring to the purple network-like pattern of veins

on the leaves.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls very slender, suberect, 2-6 cm long,

enclosed by 6-9 close lepanthiform sheaths, glabrous except for the microscopically ciliate ostia. Leaf

suberect, thinly coriaceous, intensely reticulated in purple, narrowly ovate, 3-4 cm long, 0.8-1.2 cm

wide, the apex acute, acuminate, tridenticulate, the base cuneate into a 1 mm long petiole. Inflores¬

cence a congested, distichous, successively flowered raceme up to 11 mm long, borne on top of the leaf

by a filiform peduncle up to 8 mm long; floral bracts 0.5 mm long; pedicels 2.5 mm long; ovary 2 mm

long; sepals orange-brown, glabrous, broadly ovate, obtuse, abruptly and shortly acuminate, margins

minutely denticulate, the dorsal sepal 3.75 mm long, 3.2 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral

sepals for 1 mm, the lateral sepals oblique, diverging, connate 2 mm, 3.33 mm long, 4.2 mm wide

together, each 2-veined; petals red-orange, microscopically pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1 mm

long, 3.5 mm wide, the upper lobe oblong with the end rounded, the lower lobe much smaller, narrowly

triangular, acute; lip orange-brown, pubescent, the blades oblong, 0.85 mm long, the ends obtuse, the

apices ciliate, the connectives cuneate, connate to the column at the base, the appendix pubescent,

ligulate, concave, hinged at the sinus; column 0.75 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Yarumal, Quebrada El Oro, alt. 1730 m, 21 May 1983, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 2650

(Holotype: SEL), C. Luer illustr. 9105; same area, alt. 1820 m, 14 Feb. 1984, R. Escobar & E. Valencia

5226 (COL, JAUM, MO); epiphytic in cloud forest along Rio El Oro, north of Yarumal, alt. 2700 m, 1

May 1984, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 10077 (MO); epiphytic in forest remnant along

the road to Briceno, Quebrada El Oro, alt. 1850 m, 19 Mar. 1989, C. Luer, J. Luer, S. Dalstrom & W.

Teague 14197 (MO).

Lepanthes reticulata is distinguished by the narrowly ovate, reticulated leaves

with acuminate, prominently three-toothed apices. The sepals are broadly ovate

and obtuse; the upper lobe of the petals is much larger than the lower lobe; and the

lip is very small and pubescent with a pubescent, tongue-like appendix. The flow¬

ers, with broadly ovate sepals and petals with large, obovate upper lobes like rab¬

bits’ ears, are reminiscent of L. cunicularis. Lepanthes cunicularis is larger

vegetatively and florally, with ramicauls to 15 centimeters long, broadly elliptical

leaves to six centimeters long, and flowers with sepals about five millimeters long.

Lepanthes rhombipetala Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 7: 98, tab.

33, n. 127, 1920.

Ety.: From the Latin rhombipetalus, “with rhomboid petals,” referring to the petals.

Plant large, epiphytic to terrestrial, caespitose; roots coarse. Ramicauls erect, stout, 10-18 cm long,

enclosed by 8-14 microscopically ciliate-scabrous lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, ovate,

acute, acuminate, 7-13 cm long, 2.5-5.5 cm wide, the base cuneate or rounded, contracted into a petiole

3-5 mm long. Inflorescence a progressively lengthening, loose, distichous raceme up to 15 cm long

including the peduncle 6-10 cm long, 2-3 flowers open simultaneously; floral bracts 2-2.5 mm long;

pedicels 2 mm long; ovary 1.5 mm long, with crested ribs; sepals purple, glabrous, carinate, margins

microscopically ciliate-denticulate, the dorsal sepal ovate-triangular, acute, acuminate, concave, 8-9.5

mm long, 4.5-5 mm wide, 3-veined, connate 1 mm to the lateral sepals, the lateral sepals narrowly

triangular, oblique, acute, acuminate, 5-8.5 mm long, connate 4-8 mm into a shortly bifid, triangular

synsepal, 4-5 mm wide with nearly approximate tips, each 2-veined; petals rose to dark red, minutely

pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1-1.25 mm long, 2-2.2 mm wide, the lobes subequal, broadly oblong,

broadly obtuse; lip dark red or purple, bilaminate, the blades oblong with rounded ends, 2.4 mm long,

microscopically pubescent, the connectives short, cuneate, the body connate to the base of the column,

the sinus obtuse, with the appendix minute, delicate, pedunculated, biglandular; column stout, 1.5 mm

long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Cauca: without locality, alt. 2000 m, collected by M. Madero s.n. (Holotype destroyed at B,

Lectotype designated here: tab. 33, n. 127 in Schlechter, 1920).

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

185

Narino: between La Cocha and Sibundoy, collected by E. Valencia, July 1989, flowered in

cultivation at Colomborquideas, 5-9 May 1993, C. Luer 16710 (MO).

Antioquia: Jardin, Alto de Ventanas, alt. 2800 m, 25 May 1983, R. Escobar, L. Posada, J. Posada,

et al. 2690 (MO), C. Luer illustr. 9114; Jardin, La Cifuentes, alt. 2350 m, collected by R. Escobar et al.,

July 1986, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 3 Jan. 1993, R. Escobar 5219 (MO).

Also Ecuador (Carchi, Napo).

Lepanthes rhombipetala , recognized by Schlechter as distinct from L.

nanegalensis Rchb. f., has been treated as a synonym of the latter (Luer 1996b),

but the two are sufficiently distinct to recognize both. This robust species occurs in

southern Colombia and northern Ecuador, while L. nanegalensis is not known out¬

side of Ecuador. Lepanthes rhombipetala is characterized by the large size; ovate,

acuminate leaves; and a gradually lengthening, long-lasting, loosely flowered

inflorescence that eventually far exceeds the leaf. The sepals of the dark-colored

flowers are acute and acuminate, the lateral sepals being deeply connate into a nar¬

rowly triangular, shortly bifid synsepal. The petals are small and rhomboid, with

the opposite lobes short and obtuse. The blades of the lip are narrowly ovate; the

connectives are short and cuneate; and the minute appendix is delicate and pedun¬

culate with a biglandular terminal segment. The flowers of Lepanthes deliciasensis

are also shaped like an elongated diamond, with the dorsal sepal and synsepal

nearly identical, but the latter is distinguished by its concave dorsal sepal, and

petals with the apex of the upper lobe narrowed and everted.

Lepanthes rhynchion Luer, Phytologia 54(5): 368, 1983.

Ety.: From the Greek rhynchion , “a little snout,” referring to the protruding stigma.

Plant medium to large, epiphytic, caespitose; roots coarse. Ramicauls stout, erect, 6-37 cm long,

enclosed by 7-15 glabrous to microscopically ciliate lepanthiform sheaths with oblique, non-dilated

ostia. Leaf erect, coriaceous, more or less suffused with purple beneath, elliptical-ovate, acuminate,

acute, 3-11 cm long, 1.5-3.5 cm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole 3-5 mm long. Inflorescence a

subdense, distichous, successively flowered raceme, up to 3 cm long, borne by a filiform peduncle up to

3 cm long, in a fascicle of up to 10 along the back of the leaf, occasionally 2 flowers open simulta¬

neously; floral bracts 1.5-2 mm long, more or less spiculate; pedicels 1-2 mm long; ovary 1.5-2 mm

long, more or less spiculate; sepals yellow, sometimes suffused with rose, glabrous, carinate-laciniate,

ovate, acute, shortly acuminate, margins denticulate, the dorsal sepal 4.5-5.75 mm long, 2.25-3.6 mm

wide, 3-veined, connate 0.5-1 mm to the lateral sepals, the lateral sepals oblique, diverging, 4-4.5 mm

long, 2-2.5 mm wide, 1-veined, connate 1 mm; petals yellow, sometimes edged in purple, transversely

bilobed, 1-1.25 mm long, 2.5-3 mm wide, the upper lobe broadly oblong, the apex rounded, the lower

lobe smaller, narrowly oblong with the apex rounded; lip orange to red, bilaminate, the blades narrowly

elliptical, 2 mm long, glabrous, the apices acute, the bases narrowly obtuse to round, the connectives

broadly cuneate, the body broad, connate to the column above the base, the appendix a minute, pubes¬

cent lobule; column 2 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma protuberant, apical, narrowly transverse.

Antioquia: epiphytic in cloud forest north of the pass between Urrao and Carmen de Atrato, alt.

2700 m, 30 May 1995, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar, L. Moreno de Posada, G. Arteaga, B. & F. Lopez

17654 (MO).

Choco: Carmen de Atrato, road to Guaduas, alt. 2000 m, November 1990, collected by E. Valen¬

cia, R. Escobar 5309, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 5-9 May 1993, C. Luer 16718 (MO).

Quindio: La Linea, alt. 3200 m, collected 17 May 1989, W. & H. Koniger & E. Valencia K-195B,

flowered in cultivation, R. Escobar 4014 (MO).

Narino: between Pasto and La Coche, alt. 3000 m, 21 Jan. 1979, C. Luer & J. Luer 3766 (SEL);

epiphytic in forest near the pass between Pasto and La Cocha, alt. 3150 m, 27 Jan. 1987, C. Luer, J.

Luer & C. H. Dodson 12553 (MO); Ricaurte, collected by E. Valencia, 1991, flowered in cultivation at

Colomborquideas, 21 Dec. 1992, R. Escobar 5054 (MO).

Putumayo: epiphytic in cloud forest between La Cocha and Sibundoy, alt. 2700 m, 30 July 1978,

C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar, et al. 3158 (SEL).

186

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Also Ecuador (Pichincha, Holotype, Luer et al. 3333: SEL; Carchi; Sucumblos; Imbabura; Napo;

Tungurahua; Zamora-Chinchipe).

This species is widely distributed in the Andes of Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.

It is one of the most beautiful in the genus, with colorful flowers borne in a short

but subdensely flowered raceme contrasting against the purple underside of the

leaves. The widely spread, denticulate lateral sepals are one-veined; the upper

lobes of the petals are large, more or less overlapping; and the blades of the lip are

glabrous and narrow with acute apices flanking the snout-like stigma.

Lepanthes rhynchion is most similar to L. speciosa Luer & Hirtz of northern

Ecuador. Lepanthes speciosa differs in its broadly ovate sepals, petals with the

upper lobe concave, and a lip with a protruding appendix.

Lepanthes ribes Luer, Selbyana, 3(1-2): 14, 1976.

Ety.: Named for the fancied resemblance of the flower to a gooseberry of the genus Ribes L.

Plant small to medium, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect, slender, 2.5-6 cm

long, enclosed by 6-9 microscopically scabrous lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical,

subacute, 20-33 mm long, 8-15 mm wide, cuneate below into a petiole 2-3 mm long. Inflorescence a

subdense, successively several-flowered raceme up to 25 mm long with the flower pendent, borne

beyond the leaf by a slender, arching peduncle 20-35 mm long; floral bracts 1.5-2 mm long; pedicels 3-

3.5 mm long; ovary papillose-crested, 5-6 mm long; sepals heavily mottled with red-purple, minutely

ciliate-carinate, the dorsal sepal ovate, concave, obtuse and apiculate at the apex, 13-15 mm long, 10

mm wide unexpanded, 5-veined, connate 6 mm to the lateral sepals to form an inflated, ovoid, saccate

tube, the lateral sepals ovate oblique, 10-12 mm long, 5-6 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 3 mm, with the

apices triangular, acute, reflexed; petals green, fleshy, semiterete or triquetrous above the middle, nar¬

rowly linear-oblong, erect, narrowly obtuse, glabrous, 6-7 mm long, 0.75 mm wide; lip light green,

glabrous, bilobed-horse shoe-shaped, with the apices rounded, surrounding the column, the lobes 1.3-

1.5 mm long, the apex round, notched, with a minute apiculum in the sinus, the base connate to the base

of the column; column 1.5 mm long, the anther dorsal with an elongate rostellum, the stigma ventral.

Valle del Cauca: Serrania de Carras Pattas, alt. 1800 m, collected by J. Aguirre, June 1996, flow¬

ered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, R. Escobar 8075 (JAUM).

Also from Ecuador (Pichincha, Holotype, C. Luer & R. Kent 233: SEL).

Lepanthes ribes is uncommon in southern Colombia and northern Ecuador.

Although vegetatively similar to many other species of the subgenus Marsi-

panthes , the large, pendent, saccate, purple-mottled flower is easily recognized.

The concave dorsal sepal is connate nearly half its length to the lateral sepals,

forming a gaping sepaline cup. The apices of the lateral sepals reflex below the

aperture. The long, green petals from deep within the cup reach to the opening.

The lip is small, horseshoe-shaped, and surrounds the column.

Lepanthes ricaurtensis Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 19(2): 111, 1994.

Ety.: Named for the town of Ricaurte in the department of Narino where this species occurs.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls suberect, slender, 1.5-5 cm long,

enclosed by 5-9 microscopically ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf suberect, coriaceous, narrowly

ovate, 2.5-4.5 cm long including a petiole 1 mm long, the blade 7-9 mm wide, the apex acute, acumi¬

nate, conspicuously tridentate, cuneate below into the petiole. Inflorescence racemose, a congested,

distichous, successively several-flowered raceme, up to 5 mm long, borne on top of the leaf by a slen¬

der peduncle 15 mm long; floral bracts oblique, muricate, 1 mm long; pedicels 1.5 mm long; ovary 1.5

mm long; sepals yellow-green, glabrous, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal broadly ovate, obtuse, 2.3

mm long, 2.3 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals broadly

ovate, oblique, connate into a transversely ovate, bifid synsepal with the apices obtuse, 2.3 mm long,

2.8 mm wide, each 2-veined; petals yellow-green, suffused with rose, transversely bilobed, 0.8 mm

long, 2.1 mm wide, the upper lobe oblong, truncate with the margin minutely irregular, the lower lobe

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

187

triangular, acute; lip green, bilaminate, the blades glabrous (at most cellular), oblong with rounded

ends, 1 mm long, the connectives cuneate, the body broad, thick, concave, connate to the base of the

column, the sinus broad, the appendix triangular, protruding from below the margin; column 0.8 mm

long, the anther apical, the stigma ventral.

Narino: epiphytic in forest near Ricaurte, alt. 1600 m, 3 Nov. 1979, C. Luer, J. Luer & A. Hirtz

4622 (Holotype: SEL).

This weak little species is superficially similar to the common Lepanthes

mucronata. Tiny flowers with green, irregularly truncate petals are borne on the

upper surface of narrowly ovate leaves. The lips of the two species, however, are

profoundly different. Instead of a large, oblong, concave appendix beneath thin,

membranous blades of the lip, the appendix of L. ricaurtensis is short and triangu¬

lar, and the blades of the lip are comparatively thick.

Lepanthes rodrigoi Luer, Orquideologia 20(2): 198-201, 1996.

Ety.: Named in honor of Rodrigo Escobar, co-collector of this species.

Plant medium to large in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls very slender, erect,

strict, elongated, 5-23 cm long, enclosed by 9-15 microscopically scabrous, tightly fitting lepanthiform

sheaths with acuminate apices. Leaf erect, thinly coriaceous, narrowly ovate, acute, long-acuminate, 3-

7 cm long, 0.9-1.6 cm wide, the base broadly cuneate, contracted into a petiole 2-3 mm long. Inflores¬

cence a congested, distichous, successively many-flowered raceme up to 10 mm long, borne on top of

the leaf by a filiform peduncle 15-35 mm long; floral bracts spiculate, 1.5 mm long; pedicels 2 mm

long; ovary 3-3.5 mm long; sepals orange-brown, suffused with purple medially, membranous, gla¬

brous, spiculate-carinate, widely spread, margins microscopically ciliate, the dorsal sepal broadly ovate,

obtuse, minutely short-acuminate, 6-10 mm long, 7-9 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals

for 3.5 mm, the lateral sepals broadly ovate, oblique, obtuse, 6-10 mm long, connate 4-5 mm into a

bifid synsepal 7-9 mm wide, each 2-veined; petals brown, finely microscopically pubescent,

transversely bilobed, 1-1.5 mm long, 4-4.5 mm wide, the lobes triangular, the upper lobe slightly larger;

lip brown, bilaminate, the blades microscopically pubescent, ovate, 2 mm long, with rounded ends, the

apex long-ciliate, the connectives broadly cuneate, the body broad, connate to the base of the column,

the sinus obtuse, filled with a broadly ovate, membranous appendix, with thickened, ciliate margins that

are approximate at the tip; column 1.5 mm long, the anther dorsal and the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Urrao, alt. 2700 m, 12 Dec. 1994, R Escobar, F. Lopez & W. Teague s.n. (Holotype:

JAUM); epiphytic in cloud forest north of the pass between Urrao and Carmen de Atrato, alt. 2700 m,

30 May 1995, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar, L. Moreno de Posada, G. Arteaga, B. & F. Lopez 17663

(MO).

Lepanthes rodrigoi is known only from one mountain pass in the Western

Cordillera of Colombia. It is characterized by long, straight, very slender ramicauls

bearing a narrowly ovate leaf with a long-acuminate apex. The narrow apical por¬

tion is about 40 percent of the length of the thin leaf. The congested raceme is

borne on top of the leaf by a long, filiform peduncle. The flower is brown and

comparatively large. The sepals are broadly ovate with the obtuse apices very

shortly acuminate. The lobes of the proportionally small, transverse petals are tri¬

angular, with the upper lobe slightly larger than the lower. The blades of the lip are

ovate with long-ciliate apices. The appendix is broad and membranous, with

thickened, pubescent margins that are approximate at the apex.

The large plant and flat, fully expanded flower are similar to those of

Lepanthes macrantha. The ramicauls of L. macrantha are tightly fitted with less

widely dilated lepanthiform sheaths; the leaf is nearly twice as broad, with a pro¬

portionally shorter, though still long, narrow acumen. The flowers of L. macrantha

differ, with petals with a truncate upper lobe and a setiform process between the

lobes, and a lip with semilunate, medially adherent blades.

188

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Lepanthes roezliana Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 17(3): 216, 1988.

Ety.: Named in honor of the orchid collector Benedict Roezl who visited the area of the silver

mines where this species was discovered.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 2-5.5 cm long, enclosed

by 3-6 narrow, minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, often suffused with purple

beneath, elliptical, obtuse to subacute, 15-30 mm long, 10-17 mm wide, the base cuneate into a 3 mm

long petiole. Inflorescence a congested, distichous, successively flowered raceme 6-7 mm long, borne

either on top of or beneath the leaf by a filiform peduncle 8-9 mm long; floral bracts 1.25 mm long,

scabrous; pedicels 2 mm long; ovary 1.5 mm long; sepals light yellow, glabrous, ovate, acute, carinate,

margins smooth, the dorsal sepal 3.5 mm long, 2 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for

0.5 mm, the lateral sepals oblique, diverging, 3 mm long, connate 1.25 mm, 2.75 mm wide together,

each 2-veined; petals light yellow, cellular-pubescent, transversely bilobed, 0.6 mm long, 3.75 mm

wide, the lobes subequal, narrowly oblong, obtuse; lip red, bilaminate, the blades glandular-pubescent,

thick, ovate, 1 mm long, the apex narrowly obtuse, the base broadly truncate, the connectives cuneate,

connate to the base of the column, the appendix minute, on the external surface of the body below the

sinus; column proportionally large, 1.25 mm long, the anther and stigma apical.

Antioquia: epiphytic in cloud forest near El Plateado above Frontino, alt. 2200 m, 12 May 1983,

C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar, A. Pridgeon & E. Valencia 9093 (Holotype: SEL).

Lepanthes roezliana was discovered in the forest near the old silver mine above

Frontino, an area known to many of the nineteenth-century plant collectors. Trails

leading to mining areas were among the few available to reach distant areas. Bene¬

dict Roezl discovered Masdevallia saltatrix Rchb. f. at this locality.

This small species is characterized by smooth-margined sepals; narrowly

oblong petals wider than the length of a sepal; and a lip with thick, pubescent

blades, parted to reveal the large, protruding, cylindrical column. Superficially, the

somewhat larger Lepanthes valenciae Luer & R. Escobar is similar both vege-

tatively and florally, but is distinguished by the lip with flat, glabrous, narrowly

elliptical blades that meet over the column and conceal most of its length.

Lepanthes rutrum Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 19(2): 112, 1994.

Ety.: From the Latin rutrum , “a spade,” referring to the appearance of the leaf.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect, slender, 7-12 cm long,

enclosed by 9-11 closely appressed, microscopically ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf suberect, coria¬

ceous, transversely cordate, obtuse, slightly acuminate, 3-4 cm long, 3-4 cm wide, the bilobed base

abruptly contracted into a petiole 1-2 mm long. Inflorescence a dense, distichous, successively many-

flowered raceme up to 5 mm long, borne on top of the leaf by a slender peduncle 8-15 mm long; floral

bracts pubescent, 1-1.5 mm long; pedicels 2-2.5 mm long; ovary 1 mm long; sepals yellow, carinate,

glabrous, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal ovate, subacute, 3.75 mm long, 3 mm wide, 3-veined,

connate to the lateral sepals for 0.25 mm to form a flat flower, the lateral sepals ovate, obtuse, oblique,

diverging, 3.5 mm long, 2 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 1 mm; petals orange with red margins,

microscopically pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1 mm long, 4.75 mm wide, 3-veined, the lobes

triangular-subfalcate, with the acute apices incurved, the upper lobe larger than the lower lobe; lip

bilaminate, with the blades deep purple, pink toward the apices, microscopically ciliate, narrowly

oblong, 2 mm long, the apices acute, the connectives broadly cuneate, the body broad, thick, connate to

the base of the column, the sinus broad with the appendix external, oblong, thick, oblong, arcuate,

retuse, short-pubescent, with a tuft of long hairs beneath; column 2 mm long, the anther and the stigma

apical.

Valle del Cauca: old road to Buenaventura, El Queremal, alt. 1350 m, 12 May 1989, R. Escobar,

W. &H. Koniger & E. Valencia 4005 (Holotype: MO; Isotype: JAUM), C. Luer illustr. 1492E

Vegetatively, this species is distinct. The slender ramicauls, clad in tightly fit¬

ting sheaths, bear a relatively large, transversely cordate leaf with an obtuse,

slightly acuminate apex. The base of the leaf is deeply bilobed. The leaf is more or

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

189

less spreading, with the short, congested raceme on top. The small flowers are dis¬

appointingly similar to many others that are borne in short, crowded, distichous

racemes. The sepals are obtuse; the petals are comparatively large with triangular

lobes; and the blades of the lip are oblong. Beneath the short, thick appendix,

located on the external surface of the body, there is a tuft of long hairs. The flow¬

ers of Lepanthes hirpex and L. larvina are very similar, but the leaves of the

former are ovate and the leaves of the latter are elliptical.

Lepanthes saccata Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 17(3): 220-223, 1988.

Ety.: From the Latin saccatus , “pouched,” referring to the deeply concave appendix.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls very slender, suberect, 3-10

cm long, enclosed by 5-10 thin, minutely scabrous lepanthiform sheaths with long-acuminate apices.

Leaf spreading, thinly coriaceous, elliptical, slightly conduplicate, acute, long-acuminate, 3-5 cm long,

1-1.5 cm wide, the base cuneate into the petiole 1 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, successively

flowered raceme up to 5 mm long, borne on top of the leaf by a filiform peduncle either ca. 3 mm long,

or ca. 10 mm long; floral bracts 1 mm long; pedicels 2.5 mm long; ovary 2 mm long; sepals light dull

orange, glabrous, the dorsal sepal broadly ovate, obtuse, low-carinate, 3 mm long, 2.25 mm wide,

margins smooth, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals ovate, oblique,

diverging, acute, margins denticulate, 3 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 1 mm; petals dark

orange-brown, shortly pubescent, transversely bilobed, 0.8 mm wide, 4 mm long, 3-veined, with a

small apiculum on the outer margin between the lobes, the upper lobes broadly oblong, overlapping,

obtuse, 1.75 mm wide, the lower lobe smaller, triangular, obtuse; lip dark orange-brown, bilaminate,

the blades thin, minutely pubescent, oblong, obtuse, 1.5 mm long, adherent medially over the column,

the connectives narrow, the body connate to the base of the column, the sinus bidentate above a hinged,

saccate, pubescent appendix; column 1.5 mm long, the anther apical, the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Mun. Jardin, Quebrada Cifuentes, alt. 2550 m, 28 Aug. 1984, R. Escobar, L. & J.

Posada, F. Lopez & J. Cardenas 3405 (Holotype: MO), C. Luer illustr. 11399.

Choco: epiphytic in cloud forest south of the pass between Urrao and Carmen de Atrato, alt. 2680

m, 31 May 1995, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar, L. Moreno de Posada, G. Arteaga, B. & F. Lopez 17685

(MO).

Lepanthes saccata is recognized by its weak habit with slender, wiry ramicauls

bearing thin, drooping, long-acuminate leaves. As is the case with L. mucronata ,

two racemes are commonly produced simultaneously in the fold on top of the leaf:

one very short, the other considerably longer. The dorsal sepal is broadly obtuse

with smooth margins while the laterals are acute and denticulate. The petals are

large and overlap each other above the column. The thin blades of the lip adhere

over the column. The appendix, saccate beneath the bidentate sinus of the body, is

the most distinctive floral feature, differentiating this species from a host of other

relatives of L. mucronata.

Lepanthes satyrica Luer & Hirtz, Lindleyana 2(3): 141, 1987.

Ety.: Named for the Greek mythological satyrs, woodland companions of the gods Pan and

Dionysus.

Syn.: Lepanthes auspicata Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 21(2): 138, 1999.

Ety.: From the Latin auspicatus , “fortunate,” referring to the fortunate retention of the appendix.

Plant small, weak, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls suberect, very slender, 1-5 cm

long, enclosed by 8-10 tightly fitting, minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf suberect, coriaceous,

striped in purple, very narrowly ovate, acute, 12-30 mm long, 4-5 mm wide, the sides more or less

decurved, the base cuneate into a petiole 1 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, successively few-flow¬

ered raceme up to 3 mm long, borne on top of the leaf by a filiform peduncle 4-5 mm long; floral bracts

0.75 mm long, minutely ciliate; pedicels 1.25 mm long; ovary 1 mm long; sepals red-orange, glabrous,

margins minutely cellular-denticulate, the dorsal sepal ovate, obtuse, deeply concave below the middle,

190

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

3 mm long, 2.5 mm wide unexpanded, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for less than 1 mm, the

lateral sepals connate into an ovate, obtuse synsepal 2.75 mm long, 2.25 mm wide, each 2-veined, the

apex shortly bifid, the apices approximate; petals yellow, transversely bilobed, 0.25 mm long, 3 mm

wide, with a minute apiculum on the margin between the lobes or a middle lobe small, erect, on the

outer margin opposite the base, the upper lobe oblong, obtuse, villous, the lower lobe longer, narrowly

linear-triangular, acute, short-pubescent; lip purple, minutely pubescent, bilaminate, the blades thick,

narrowly elliptical with the apices acute, 1.6 mm long, the connectives broadly cuneate, oblique,

connate above the base of the column, the body with an elongated, descending, triangular process with

an apical appendix vertically bilobed; column 1.5 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Valle del Cauca: Mun. El Cairo, Cerro del Ingles, Serrania de los Paraguas, epiphytic secondary

forest, alt. 2260-2300 m, 3 Jan. 1987, P. Silverstone-Sopkin, N. Paz, R. T. Gonzdlez, I. Cabrera, D.

Garces & A. Henao 2909 (holotype of L. auspicata: CUVC; isotype: MO); Alto de Los Galapagos, at

the pass between Valle del Cauca and Choco, 2050 m, 13 May 1993, C. Luer at al. 16806 (MO).

Narino: collected by J. L. Aguirre, flowered in cultivation by J & L Orchids, Easton, Connecticut,

31 May 1997, C. Luer 18513 (MO).

Also Ecuador (Imbabura, Holotype, Luer et al. 12430: MO; Esmeraldas; Carchi).

The very slender, almost hairlike ramicauls of this weak little species bend

with the weight of narrow, purple-striped leaves. The short peduncle bears flowers

with a characteristic deeply concave dorsal sepal and shortly bifid synsepal. The

bilobed petals are very slender and pubescent, with a third lobe ranging from a

small marginal angle to a more developed, erect lobe. The blades of the lip are

thickened margins of the broad, cuneate connectives; and a long, triangular process

descends from the body, with the appendix at the apex. The appendix is divided

vertically into two segments.

The lip of Lepanthes acrogenia is similar, with a thick, blunt, protuberant body

beneath the rostellar flap. In flowers of L. satyrica , the summit of this body bears a

minute, precariously attached appendix. Lepanthes acrogenia is larger vegetatively

and florally, with a long-pedicellate, distichous inflorescence bearing flowers with

nearly free lateral sepals, and petals with the upper lobe larger than the lower.

Lepanthes scalaris Luer, Phytologia 54(5): 369, 1983.

Ety.: From the Latin scalaris , “ladderlike,” referring to the prolific habit of growth.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, scandent; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, prolific, 5.5-9.5

cm long, enclosed by 5-7 close lepanthiform sheaths, minutely ciliate at the ostia. Leaf erect, coria¬

ceous, elliptical, acute, 20-36 mm long, 9-12 mm wide, cuneate below into a petiole 3-4 mm long.

Inflorescence a loose, successively flowered raceme up to 7 cm long, the peduncle filiform, ca. 3 cm

long; floral bracts 2.5 mm long; pedicels curved, E2 mm long; ovary E5 mm long; sepals glabrous,

rosy salmon in color, the veins prominent externally, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal ovate, 7 mm

long, 4.75 mm wide, 3-veined, the apex shortly acuminate, acute, the lateral sepals oblong, oblique,

diverging, 8 mm long, 6 mm wide together, each 2-veined, connate to near the middle, the apices

shortly acuminate; petals transversely oblong, E25 mm long, 5 mm wide, the upper lobe purple, the

lower lobe smaller, orange; lip rosy brown, bilaminate, the blades oblong-lunate, the ends rounded, 2.2

mm long, the connectives cuneate, the body broad, connate to the base of the column, the appendix

cup-shaped with a ciliate margin; column E5 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Narino: epiphytic in cloud forest, east slope of Volcan Galaris, alt. ca. 3200 m, 21 Jan. 1979, C.

Luer & J. Luer 3738 (SEL); collected by J. L. Aguirre, flowered in cultivation by J & L Orchids,

Easton Connecticut, 31 May 1997, C. Luer 18513 (MO).

Putumayo: Santiago, San Antonio de Bellavista, Paramo del Bordoncillo, alt. 3240 m, 19 Mar.

1999, S. M. Pasmino & M. R. Posso 26 (MO).

Also Ecuador (Carchi, Holotype, Luer et al. 6255: SEL).

This species is apparently endemic in high altitude cloud forests of southern

Colombia and northern Ecuador. It is identified by the prolific habit and loose

racemes that far exceed the leaf in length. The sepals are shortly acuminate; the

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

191

petals are oblong and obtuse; and the blades of the lip are ovate and obtuse. The

appendix, hinged in the sinus, is globular and concave with marginal tufts of hairs.

In habit, Lepanthes scalaris resembles L. superposita , also known from

southern Colombia. The latter is distinguished by flowers with reniform petals

with a small marginal angle between the lobes; ciliate blades of the lip with trun¬

cate apices; and a cymbiform appendix with a minutely bifurcate segment. The

other prolific Colombian species are differentiated by their larger leaves, supported

by stouter and usually longer ramicauls.

Lepanthes scopulifera Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 20(3): 310-311, 1997,

non Lepanthes scopulifera Luer.

Ety.: From the Latin scopulifer , “bearing a little brush,” referring to the appendix.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls very slender, weak, erect, 4.5-6.5 cm

long, enclosed by 8-10 microscopically scabrous, tightly fitting lepanthiform sheaths with acuminate

apices. Leaf suberect, thinly coriaceous, narrowly ovate, acute, acuminate, 25-30 mm long, 5-6 mm

wide, the base cuneate, contracted into a petiole less than 1 mm long. Inflorescence a congested,

secund, long-pedicellate, successively several-flowered raceme up to 3 mm long, borne on top of the

leaf by a filiform peduncle 11-14 mm long; floral bracts 1 mm long; pedicels 3 mm long; ovary sulcate,

0.6 mm long; sepals light brown, glabrous, membranous, carinate, widely spread, margins micro¬

scopically denticulate, the dorsal sepal narrowly ovate, obtuse, 3.3 mm long, 1.6 mm wide, 3-veined,

connate to the lateral sepals for 1 mm, the laterals broadly ovate, oblique, diverging, acute, 3 mm long,

1.3 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 1.3 mm; petals purple-brown, finely pubescent, transversely bilobed,

0.3 mm long, 3 mm wide, the upper lobe narrowly oblong, narrowly rounded at the tip, the lower lobe

similar, shorter, oblique; lip purple-brown, bilaminate, the blades microscopically cellular or glabrous,

narrowly elliptical-ovate, 1.6 mm long, with rounded ends, the apex minutely ciliate, the connectives

cuneate, the body connate to the base of the column, the sinus obtuse, with a small, transverse, densely

pubescent appendix; column 1 mm long, the anther dorsal and the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: epiphytic in cloud forest north of the pass between Urrao and Carmen de Atrato, alt.

2500 m, 30 May 1995, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar, L. Moreno de Posada, G. Arteaga, B. & F. Lopez

17664 (Holotype: MO).

This small species is similar to many other species with thin, weak ramicauls

and congested racemes shorter than narrowly ovate, acuminate leaves. Lepanthes

scopulifera is distinguished by the very congested, secund, long-pedicellate

raceme bearing small, brown, expanded flowers. The sepals are microscopically

denticulate; the narrowly oblong petals are finely pubescent. The narrowly ovate

blades of the lip are not remarkable, but the appendix is short, broad, and densely

pubescent, resembling a minute brush.

Lepanthes sericinitens Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 53(10): 1048,

1984.

Ety.: From the Latin serious, “made of silk,” and nitens, “shining,” hence satiny, referring to the

surface of the leaves.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 2-5 cm long, enclosed

by 4-6 minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, satiny dark green above, purple

beneath, broadly ovate, obtuse, 15-24 mm long, 10-19 mm wide, the rounded base contracted into a

petiole 3-4 mm long. Inflorescence a dense, distichous, successively flowered raceme up to 8 mm

long, borne behind the leaf by a filiform peduncle 5-10 mm long; floral bracts 1 mm long, echinate;

pedicels 1.75 mm; ovary 1 mm long; sepals rosy white, glabrous, ovate, obtuse, margins smooth, the

dorsal sepal 2.5 mm long, 2 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral

sepals oblique, diverging, 2.5 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 1 mm; petals bright red-

purple, microscopically pubescent, transversely bilobed, 0.8 mm long, 2.8 mm wide, the lobes narrowly

triangular, obtuse; lip bright red-purple, the blades ovate, pubescent, 1.2 mm long, more or less erose at

the obtuse apices, the bases round, the connectives short, cuneate, the body narrow, connate to the base

192

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

of the column, the appendix a small ovoid organ on the external surface of the body below the sinus;

column stout, 1.2 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Yarumal, El Manicomio, alt. 2500 m, collected by E. Valencia, 23 April 1984, C. Luer

10032 (Holotype: MO; Isotype: SEL); same collection, cultivated by L. & J. Posada at

Colomborquideas, El Retiro, flowered in cultivation 6 June 1984, R. Escobar 3254 (COL, JAUM).

This little species is characterized by the erect, broadly ovate, dark satiny green

leaves, purple on the back surface where the racemes are borne. The bilobed petals

of the colorful flowers are microscopically pubescent; the lip is coarsely pubescent

with ovate blades. The small appendix is situated on the external surface of the

body of the lip.

The similar Lepanthes atomifera is distinguished by an ovate, acute leaf

bearing a secund raceme. The sepals of another similar small species, Lepanthes

confusa , are denticulate; the petals are pubescent; and the lip has an obtuse sinus

with a relatively large, incurved, long-ciliate appendix.

Lepanthes setifera Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 53(8): 822, 1984.

Ety.: From the Latin setifer , “bristle bearing,” referring to the setiform appendix.

Plant medium to large, epiphytic, caespitose, roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 5-16 cm

long, enclosed by 9-18 minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, thinly coriaceous, often suf¬

fused with purple beneath, ovate, acute, slightly acuminate, 5-9.5 cm long, E8-3 cm wide, the base

cuneate or rounded, contracted into a petiole 2-4 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, distichous,

successively many-flowered raceme, up to 25 mm long, borne behind the leaf by a slender peduncle 10-

25 mm long; floral bracts 1-E5 mm long, muricate; pedicels 1 mm long; ovary E5-2 mm long; sepals

translucent greenish white, glabrous, margins smooth, the dorsal ovate, acute, slightly acuminate, 2.75-

3.5 mm long, E75-2.25 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals

ovate, oblique, diverging, acute, slightly acuminate, 2.75-3.25 mm long, connate E5-2 mm into a bifid

synsepal 2.75 mm wide, each 2-veined; petals pale green to white with purple upper margins, micro¬

scopically pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1-E25 mm long, 3-3.5 mm wide, the upper lobe oblong,

obtuse, the lower lobe triangular, obtuse; lip greenish purple to rose-brown, microscopically pubescent,

bilaminate, the blades ovate, concave, carinate along the inner margin, E5 mm long, the apex acute,

incurved, with a few longer hairs, the base rounded, the connectives broadly cuneate, the body connate

to the base of the column, the sinus protuberant with a small, erect, slender appendix; column terete, 1

mm long, the anther and stigma apical.

Antioquia: San Luis, Rio Caldera, alt. 1600 m, collected June 1983 by E. Valencia, flowered in

cultivation at Colomborquideas, 29 Apr. 1984, R. Escobar 3190 (JAUM, MO, SEL); Santo Domingo,

18 March 1989, C. Luer 14228 (MO).

Also Ecuador (Pichincha, Holotype, Luer et al. 9863 : MO; Esmeraldas; Imbabura; Bolivar).

This species is not uncommon in the Andes of Colombia and western Ecuador.

The small flowers are superficially similar to those of Lepanthes perdita. The plant

and flowers of L. setifera are usually larger, with translucent, acute sepals and

greenish petals bordered in purple, rather than yellow sepals and yellow petals

edged with red. The larger upper lobes of the petals of both species overlap above

the column, but the broadly ovate upper lobe of L. perdita is proportionally much

larger than the oblong lobe of L. setifera. The lip of L. setifera bears an appendix

that is a slender bristle, while the appendix of L. perdita is short and oblong.

Lepanthes silverstonei Luer, Orquideologia 22(1): 50, 2001.

Ety.: Named in honor of Dr. Philip Silverstone-Sopkin of the Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colom¬

bia, who discovered this species.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls suberect to horizontal, slen¬

der, 3-11 cm long, enclosed by 6-15 minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths with acuminate ostia. Leaf

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

193

more or less horizontal, more or less suffused with purple, thinly coriaceous, shallowly sulcate between

longitudinal veins, ovate, acute, long-acuminate, 4-9 cm long, 2-2.8 cm wide, the base cuneate into a

petiole 1 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, distichous, successively many-flowered raceme up to 8

mm or more long, borne on top of the leaf by a filiform peduncle 20-30 mm long; floral bracts 2 mm

long; pedicels 2 mm long; ovary 3.5 mm long; sepals green, suffused with purple, glabrous, margins

minutely ciliate, the dorsal sepal ovate, acute, slightly acuminate, 9 mm long, 3 mm wide, 3-veined,

connate to the lateral sepals for 1 mm, the lateral sepals ovate, oblique, diverging, acute, 9 mm long, 3

mm wide, 2-veined, connate 2 mm; petals yellow, transversely bilobed, cellular-pubescent, 1 mm long,

10 mm wide, the upper lobe narrowly linear, acute, erect, 8 mm long, the lower lobe narrowly tri¬

angular, acute, much shorter; lip yellow, glabrous, bilaminate, the blades oblong with the ends rounded,

2.5 mm long, the connectives thick, cuneate, elongate, the body connate to the base of the column, the

front surface of the sinus obtuse, filled by a triangular, pubescent membrane with a minute, flabellate

apical segment; column 2 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Valle del Cauca: El Cairo, Cerro del Ingles, Serrania de los Paraguas, alt. 2300 m, 1 Jan. 1987, P.

Silverstone-Sopkin 2864 (Holotype: CUVC; Isotype: MO), C. Luer illustr. 18470.

This species, known only from the original collection in the Western Cordillera

of Colombia, is characterized by the more or less horizontal leaf that is shallowly,

longitudinally grooved between prominent ribs. The congested, short-pedicellate

inflorescence bears a comparatively large flower that lies upon the leaf The sepals

are acute; the upper lobes of the petals are erect, narrow, and nearly as long as the

sepal underneath. The oblong blades of the lip are borne by thick, oblique con¬

nectives. The appendix is a triangular, pubescent membrane within the sinus. The

similar flowers of Lepanthes antennata are borne by longer pedicels, and the

blades of the lip are oblong with long-acuminate apices.

Lepanthes sinuosa Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 19(2): 113-115, 1994.

Ety.: From the Latin sinuosus , “very sinuous,” referring to the margin of the leaf.

Plant small, weak, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls very slender, suberect to hori¬

zontal, 1.5-6.5 cm long, enclosed by 6-10 microscopically ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf suberect to

spreading, thin, reticulate, with a sinuate margin, ovate, acute to subacute, 27-35 mm long, 12-18 mm

wide, the base broadly cuneate into a petiole ca. 1 mm long. Inflorescence a very congested, sub-

secund, successively many-flowered raceme, up to 10 mm long, borne on top of the leaf by a filiform

peduncle 10-20 mm long; floral bracts 0.5 mm long; pedicels overlapping, 2.5-3 mm long; ovary 1 mm

long; sepals light yellow-green, glabrous, subcarinate, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal subcircular, 3.4

mm long, 2.5 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals ovate,

oblique, diverging, subacute, connate 1.6 mm, 3.4 mm long, 3.4 mm wide together, each 2-veined;

petals purple on the outer and inner thirds, green on the middle third, minutely pubescent, transversely

bilobed, 1 mm long, 3.5 mm wide, 1-veined, the lobes diverging, oblong, truncate, with the upper edge

minutely erose, with a third lobe between the lobes, arcuate, slender, 1 mm long; lip greenish brown,

thin, bilaminate, the blades microscopically pubescent, flat, falcate, adherent below the middle over the

column, 1.6 mm long, the connectives broadly cuneate, the body broad, connate to the base of the

column, the sinus obtuse with the appendix oblong, cymbiform, pubescent, with an apical bifid gland;

column 1 mm long, with the anther dorsal and the stigma ventral.

Risaralda: above Pueblo Rico, epiphytic in wet forest along the road to the TV antenna, alt. 1630

m, 14 May 1993, C. Luer, J. Luer, A. de Wilde & J. Gomez 16846 (Holotype: MO).

This species, known only from one area in the Western Cordillera, is similar to

the common Lepanthes mucronata , but the leaves are distinctive. The thin leaves

are ovate, acute, slightly acuminate, and reticulate with markedly sinuate margins.

The flower lies upon the dorsum. The truncate apices of the lobes of the petals are

erose, and a slender middle lobe about one millimeter long curves downward. The

thin, flat blades of the lip are falcate and adhere to each other below the middle

over the column. The appendix is boat-shaped and pubescent, with a bifid gland at

the apex.

194

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Lepanthes skeleton Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 53(7): 722,

1984.

Ety.: From the Greek skeletos , “a skeleton or a bony framework,” alluding to the long-pedicellate

racemes.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls very slender, erect, 3-5.5 cm long,

enclosed by 10-13 nearly glabrous lepanthiform sheaths with dilated ostia. Leaf erect, coriaceous, retic¬

ulate beneath, elliptical, acute, 15-18 mm long, 7-8 mm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole 1-1.5 mm

long. Inflorescence a congested, long-pedicellate, distichous, successively many-flowered raceme up to

5 mm long, borne behind the leaf by a filiform peduncle 10-15 mm long; floral bracts 1 mm long,

sparsely spiculate; pedicels 5-6 mm long; ovary crested, 1 mm long; sepals yellow, glabrous, den¬

ticulate on the margins and carinae, the dorsal sepal ovate, acute, concave, 3.75 mm long, 2.5 mm wide

unexpanded, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals connate to near the

apex into an ovate synsepal 3.5 mm long, 2.25 mm wide, each 2-veined; petals minutely pubescent,

tripartite, the segments narrowly linear, the upper segment yellow, the middle segment yellow, 1.25

mm long, the lower segment orange, 1.5 mm long; lip red, pubescent, bilaminate, the blades narrowly

oblong as thickened margins of broad, cuneate connectives, 1.2 mm long, the body broad, connate to

the column above the base, the appendix large, narrowly triangular, pubescent, 0.8 mm long, protruding

downward; column terete, 1.5 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Yarumal, above Quebrada El Oro, alt. 1850 m, 14 Feb. 1984, R. Escobar & E. Valen¬

cia 3231 (Holotype: MO; Isotypes: COL, JAUM, SEL), C. Luer illustr. 9506; epiphytic in cloud forest

along Rio El Oro, north of Yarumal, alt. 2700 m, 1 May 1984, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valen¬

cia 10083 (MO); epiphytic in cloud forest remnant above El Cedro, alt. 2000 m, 16 Mar. 1989, C. Luer,

J. Luer, S. Dalstrom & W. Teague 14204 (MO); cloud forest near Quebrada El Oro, alt. 1850 m, 16

Mar. 1989, C. Luer, J. Luer, S. Dalstrom & W. Teague 14203 (MO).

This species is similar to Lepanthes heptapus , but it is distinguished from the

latter by broader leaves; very long-pedicellate, distichous racemes, rather than

long-pedicellate, secund racemes; almost completely connate rather than free lat¬

eral sepals; and a lip with a thick appendix shorter than the blades, rather than a

filament longer than the blades. The petals of both species divide into three

diverging, pubescent, filiform segments.

Lepanthes smaragdina Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 19(2): 115, 1994.

Ety.: From the Latin smaragdinus , “emerald green,” referring to the color of the petals.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 8-10 cm long,

enclosed by 13-14 lepanthiform sheaths with dilated, ciliated ostia. Leaf suffused with purple, glabrous

or minutely pubescent, concave-sulcate, spreading, coriaceous, ovate, acute, 4-6.5 cm long, E8-3.2 cm

wide, the base rounded, contracted into a petiole 2 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, secund,

successively many-flowered raceme, up to 10 or more mm long, borne in the sulcus on top of the leaf

by a slender peduncle 10-15 mm long; floral bracts 1 mm long; pedicels 1 mm long; ovary 2.5 mm

long; sepals purple-brown with a thin yellow edge, flat, glabrous, margins minutely denticulate, the

dorsal sepal transversely ovate, obtuse, minutely apiculate, 4 mm long, 4.25 mm wide, 3-veined,

connate to the lateral sepals for 1 mm, the lateral sepals ovate, oblique, acute, 4 mm long, connate E5

mm into a transversely ovate synsepal, 4.75 mm wide, each 2-veined, with the acute, slightly acuminate

apices in apposition with the tips overlapping; petals bright emerald green, minutely pubescent, trans¬

versely bilobed, 1 mm long, 3.5 mm wide, the upper lobe oblong, obtuse, the lower lobe triangular,

narrowly obtuse; lip purple, glabrous, bilaminate, 2.5 mm long, the blades narrowly oblong, with the

ends narrowly rounded, the connectives short, cuneate, the body narrow, connate to the base of the

column, the appendix short, triangular; column 2 mm long, with the anther dorsal and the stigma

ventral.

Antioquia: Dabeiba, Chimiado, alt. 1700 m, collected by H. Angarita, July 1991, flowered in culti¬

vation at Colomborquideas, 27 Dec. 1992, R. Escobar 5083 (Holotype: JAUM; Isotype: MO), C. Luer

illustr. 16572.

This species is similar to the relatively frequent and widely distributed

Lepanthes manabina , but the dorsal sepal of L. smaragdina is broadly ovate,

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

195

obtuse, tailless, and not concave. The lateral sepals are connate into a transversely

ovate synsepal with an acute, split apex. Similar to L. manabina , the petals are

emerald green, contrasting against dark, dull-colored sepals. The blades of the lip

are round at the ends, and the appendix is triangular. Lepanthes smaragdina also

resembles L. ortiziana , but the lateral sepals of the latter are spreading rather than

approximate, and the petals are wider with more or less broadly uncinate, incurved

upper lobes. The lips are similar with a minute, triangular appendix.

Lepanthes solicitor Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 54(1): 58, 1985.

Ety.: From the Latin solicitor , “an enticer,” referring to the large, intricate appendix, certainly an

enticement for the pollinator.

Plant small to medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 4-11

cm long, enclosed by 8-11 close, microscopically ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, thinly coria¬

ceous, purple beneath, ovate, from 20 mm long and 14 mm wide to 60 mm long and 15 mm wide, the

apex long-acuminate, the base round or cuneate, contracted into a petiole 2-3 mm long. Inflorescence a

congested, distichous, successively flowered raceme up to 8 mm long, borne on top of or beyond the

leaf by a filiform peduncle up to 30 mm long; floral bracts 1.5 mm long; pedicels 1.5 mm long; ovary

1.5 mm long; sepals red-purple to orange-brown, glabrous, ovate, acute, slightly acuminate, carinate,

margins minutely denticulate, the dorsal sepal 8 mm long, 5 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral

sepals for 2 mm, the lateral sepals oblique, diverging, 8 mm long, connate 3.5 mm, 6 mm wide

together, each 2-veined; petals orange, suffused with red-brown, microscopically pubescent, trans¬

versely bilobed, 1 mm long, 4.5 mm wide, with a short, acuminate point on the lateral margin between

the lobes, the upper lobe oblong, obliquely truncate, the lower lobe narrowly linear, acute, subsigmoid;

lip rose, microscopically pubescent, the blades elliptical with rounded ends, 1.66 mm long, elevated by

broad, oblong connectives from the lower half of the blade, the broad body concave, the margin broadly

hinged to a sigmoid, saccate, pubescent appendix, the apex with tufts of hairs; column 1.5 mm long, the

anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Norte de Santander: Toledo, epiphytic in cloud forest, Alto de Santa Inez, alt. 1850 m, 13 May

1984, C. Luer, J. Luer, E. Escobar & E. Valencia 10328 (Holotype: MO; Isotype: JAUM); epiphytic in

cloud forest, Alto de Santa Inez, alt. 2100-2250 m, 13 May 1984, C. Luer, J. Luer, E. Escobar & E.

Valencia 10319, 10328 (MO); same area, alt. 1880 m, 23 May 1982, C. Luer, R. Escobar & D. Portillo

7954 (SEL); same collection, flowered in cultivation by L. & J. Posada at Colomborquideas, El Retiro,

5 July 1984, R. Escobar 3281 (COL, JAUM).

This species is characterized by the ovate, long-acuminate leaves usually sur¬

passed by the inflorescence. The congested raceme is borne by a hairlike peduncle

often as long as the leaf, so that the large flower hangs over the apex of the leaf.

The flower is most remarkable for the large, intricate, pubescent appendix hinged

from the sinus. This appendix is sigmoid in the lateral view, saccate with three

terminal tufts of hairs.

Lepanthes spelynx Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 54(5): 586, 1985.

Ety.: From the Greek spelynx , “a cave,” referring to the deep cavity in the body of the lip.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect to suberect, slender, 6-

16 cm long, enclosed by 10-15 ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf purple beneath, spreading, coriaceous,

narrowly ovate, acute, acuminate, 4-7.5 cm long, 1-1.8 cm wide, the rounded base contracted into a

petiole 1.5-2 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, distichous, successively many-flowered raceme up

to 15 mm long, borne above or below the leaf by a filiform peduncle up to 5 cm long; floral bracts 2

mm long; pedicels 2.5-3.5 mm long; ovary 3 mm long, with cellular-erose margins of the ribs; sepals

orange-brown, suffused with brown along the veins, glabrous, ovate, acute, slightly acuminate, carinate,

margins minutely ciliate, the dorsal sepal 10 mm long, 5.5 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral

sepals for 2 mm, the lateral sepals diverging slightly, connate 5 mm, 10 mm long, 7 mm wide together,

each 2-veined; petals brown, microscopically pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1 mm long, 5.25 mm

wide, with a 1 mm long setiform middle lobe on the outer margin between the major lobes, the upper

lobe oblong, obliquely truncate with acute angles, the lower lobe narrowly triangular, acute; lip yellow

196

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

with brown margins and central stripe, microscopically pubescent, the blades lunate, 2.4 mm long, the

apices rounded, the bases incurved and convex, concave below, the connectives cuneate, the body

connate to the base of the column, saccate centrally with the appendix hinged from the anterior lip, the

appendix ovoid, ciliate-margined, convex centrally, 1 mm long; column 2 mm long, the anther dorsal,

the stigma ventral.

Norte de Santander: Toledo, epiphytic in cloud forest, Alto de Santa Inez, alt. 2250 m, 13 May

1984, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 10329 (Holotype: JAUM; Isotype: MO); same collec¬

tion, flowered in cultivation by L. & J. Posada at Colomborquideas, El Retiro, 9 July 1984, R. Escobar

3292 (COL, JAUM).

Also Venezuela (Merida).

The large, brownish flowers of this species open singly in a very dense raceme

borne by a long, capillary peduncle to overhang or exceed the acuminate apex of

the leaf The deep cavity of the body of the lip is reminiscent of the sympatric

Lepanthes foveata , which is distinguished by sepals with smooth margins; petals

with an oblong-ovate upper lobe; and a lip with oblong, concave blades.

Lepanthes stelidilabia Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 18(2): 146-148, 1991.

Ety.: Named for the similarity of the lip to a lip of a species of Stelis.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots comparatively coarse. Ramicauls erect, slender, 2-3.5 cm

long, enclosed by 6-10 microscopically ciliate, long-acuminate lepanthiform sheaths with dilated ostia.

Leaf erect, coriaceous, ovate, acute, slightly acuminate, 15-25 mm long, 9-11 mm wide, the base

cuneate, contracted into a petiole 1 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, distichous, successively

many-flowered raceme up to 8 mm or more long, borne on top of the leaf by a filiform peduncle 8-10

mm long; floral bracts 0.75 mm long, minutely echinate; pedicels 1.5 mm long; ovary 1.25 mm long;

sepals yellow, suffused with orange, glabrous, carinate, broadly ovate, acute, the dorsal sepal 3 mm

long, 2.5 mm wide, margins smooth, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral

sepals oblique, diverging widely, margins denticulate, 3.5 mm long, 2 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 1

mm; petals transversely bilobed, pubescent, 1 mm long, 3.75 mm wide, the lobes about equal, ovate,

oblique, obtuse, the upper lobe dull greenish orange, the lower lobe red-purple; lip bright red-orange,

pubescent, thick, pyramid-shaped, triangular in outline from top, side or front views, concave beneath a

transverse, shelf-like callus, the lateral angles finger-like, to either side of the column, the anterior lobe

obtuse, minutely retuse, the base cuneate, connate to the base of the column; column terete, 1 mm long,

the anther apical, the stigma subapical.

Antioquia: Sonson, Alto de Guayaquil, alt. 2430 m, July 1985, collected by R. Escobar & E.

Valencia, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 18 Mar. 1989, C. Luer 14229 (Holotype: MO).

Superficially, this species is unremarkable, with its small size; ovate leaves; a

short, congested inflorescence on top of the leaf; and flowers with smooth-

margined, broadly ovate sepals and transverse, pubescent petals. The Stelis-like

lip, however, seems unique in the genus. It is shorter than the column, thick, and

triangular when viewed from the top, side or front. Beneath a transverse, shelf-like

callus across the middle under the column, the lip is deeply concave. The lateral

lobes flank the column like short, blunt fingers. The lip of Lepanthes strumosa

Luer & R. Escobar is similarly small and nearly invisible beneath the column, but

the sepals are ovate and shortly acuminate with smooth margins, and the dorsal

sepal is concave.

Lepanthes stellaris Luer & Hirtz, Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 115:

249, 2009.

Ety.: From the Latin stellaris , “with stars,” alluding to the star-like flowers.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose, roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 4-6 cm long, enclosed

by 5-6 ribbed, oblique, dilated, microscopically ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous,

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

197

ovate, acute, 2.5-3 cm long, 1.5 cm wide, the base broadly cuneate into a petiole ca. 3 mm long.

Inflorescence 1-2 very congested, distichous, successively many-flowered racemes, up to 20 mm long,

borne behind the leaf by a peduncle eventually 8-10 mm long; floral bracts ciliate, 1 mm long; pedicels

2-2.5 mm long; ovary 1 mm long; sepals yellow, glabrous, carinate externally, margins smooth, the

dorsal sepal narrowly ovate, acute, 8 mm long, 2.25 mm wide, 3-veined, barely connate to the lateral

sepals, the lateral sepals narrowly ovate, oblique, diverging, acute, 8 mm long, 2 mm wide, 2-veined,

connate less than 1 mm; petals yellow-orange, glabrous, transversely bilobed, 1 mm long, 4.5 mm

wide, the lobes triangular, obtuse, the upper lobe slightly larger than the lower lobe, with the outer mar¬

gin incurved at the midvein; lip purple, glabrous, bilaminate, the blades oblong with both ends rounded,

1.2 mm long, the connectives narrowly cuneate, the body narrow, connate to the base of the column,

with the appendix erect, narrowly linear, pubescent at the tip; column 1.5 mm long, the anther apical,

the stigma ventral.

Valle del Cauca: Mun. Yotoco, Alto de Minas, 17 Aug. 2009, O. Perez, A. Canizales & E.

Sanchez 240 (VALLE).

Also Ecuador (Zamora-Chinchipe, Holotype, A. Hirtz 8270 : MO).

Until recently, Lepanthes stellaris was known only from southeastern Ecuador.

The flowers, with narrowly ovate, acute, free sepals; petals with both lobes similar,

the upper lobe only slightly larger than the lower; and a lip with a long, slender,

protruding appendix, are distinctive.

Similar species can be found both to the north and south of Colombia.

Lepanthes thylax Luer & Hirtz, known only from southeastern Ecuador, is smaller

vegetatively, with an inflorescence with a shorter peduncle bearing flowers

approximately half the size, with a lip with a minute, oblong, hollow appendix.

Lepanthes acuminata Schltr., known only from Mesoamerica and Mexico, differs

in the broader petals and a lip with a minute, incurved, conical appendix.

Lepanthes steyermarkii Foldats, Acta Bot. Venez. 3: 346, 1968.

Ety.: Named in honor of Dr. Julian A. Steyermark, renowned botanist, who collected this species

as well as many thousands of others.

Plant large, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect, slender, 8-20 cm long, enclosed

by 9-16 microscopically ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical-ovate, acute,

acuminate, 6.5-10 cm long, 2.5-4 cm wide, the rounded base contracted into a petiole 5 mm long. Inflo¬

rescence a very congested, distichous, successively many-flowered raceme up to 15 mm long, borne

beneath the leaf by a filiform peduncle 15-20 mm long; floral bracts imbricating, 1.5 mm long; pedicels

1.25 mm long; ovary 1.5 mm long; sepals light yellow, glabrous, subcarinate, ovate, acute, acuminate,

margins smooth, the dorsal sepal 9 mm long, 3.75 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for

1.5 mm, the lateral sepals oblique, diverging, 9.5 mm long, 3.25 mm wide, each 2-veined, connate 2

mm; petals yellow with red-brown upper edge, glabrous (at most microscopically pubescent), trans¬

versely bilobed, 1 mm long, 5 mm wide, with the lobes opposite, oblong, the upper lobe widest toward

the obliquely truncate apex, the lower lobe smaller but similar; lip yellow, suffused with red centrally,

microscopically pubescent, bilaminate, the blades subelliptical with thickened edges and with a central,

longitudinal carina resembling the thickened edges, 1.6 mm long, subacute at the apices, round at the

bases, held high above the column by thick, oblong connectives, the body connate to the column near

the base, the sinus protuberant, obtuse, held beneath the stigma; column stout, semiterete, 1.5 mm long,

the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Norte de Santander: north of Toledo, Alto de Mefue, epiphytic in cloud forest, alt. 2600 m, 12

May 1984, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 10297 (MO).

Also from Venezuela (Tachira, J. A. Steyermark, G. C. K. & E. Dunsterville 98381: VEN).

This large species occurs in the far eastern mountains of the Eastern Cordillera

of Colombia and adjacent Venezuela. It is characterized by a congested raceme of

successive, large flowers borne behind the leaf. The sepals are acute, and the petals

are transversely oblong with widened ends. The blades of the lip are most distinc¬

tive, each with a central carina resembling the thickened margins, and held high

198

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

above the column by thick, oblong connectives. Two other large Colombian spe¬

cies with mostly yellow flowers share a lip with blades that are thick between

poorly defined calli: Lepanthes orion and L. auriculata. In both, the lateral sepals

diverge widely and the lip bears an appendix in contact with the stigma.

Lepanthes strumosa Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 16(2): 151, 1984.

Ety.: From the Latin strumosus , “with a goiter,” in allusion to the fancied appearance of the

transverse lip beneath the column.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots thick. Ramicauls slender, erect, 0.5-5 cm long, enclosed

by 3-7 microscopically ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, suffused with purple, ovate,

acute, acuminate, 10-22 mm long, 5-10 mm wide, the base cuneate, contracted into a petiole 1 mm

long. Inflorescence a congested, successively few-flowered raceme up to 5 mm long, borne behind the

leaf by a filiform peduncle 4-10 mm long; floral bracts 1 mm long; pedicels 2 mm long; ovary 0.5 mm

long, with low, irregular wings; sepals translucent light yellow or white, glabrous, ovate, carinate,

acute, shortly acuminate, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal concave, 2.5 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, 3-

veined, the lateral sepals oblique, diverging, 2.5 mm long, 1 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 1 mm; petals

brown or orange, microscopically pubescent, transversely bilobed, 0.3 mm long, 1.6 mm wide, the

lobes opposite, narrowly triangular, narrowly obtuse, the upper lobe slightly larger than the lower lobe;

lip magenta, cellular-glandular, transversely cordate or lunate, 0.4 mm long, 0.75 mm wide, the apex

broadly rounded, the lateral angles narrowly obtuse, the base connate to the undersurface of the

column; column stout, terete, 0.5 mm long, with the anther and stigma apical.

Antioquia: Briceno-Valdivia, alt. 1820-1880 m, 20 May 1983, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 2625

(Holotype: SEL), C. Luer illustr. 9102.

Although first discovered in the Central Cordillera of Colombia, this little spe¬

cies has been found locally on the both the eastern and western slopes of the Andes

of Ecuador. It is characterized by a small, weak habit with ovate, acuminate leaves;

and a somewhat shorter inflorescence of a few small flowers. Most distinctive is

the tiny, transverse lip almost hidden beneath a larger column, like a bow tie

beneath a fat chin. The lip of Lepanthes stelidilabia is similarly small and hidden

beneath the column, but the latter species is distinguished by a congested inflo¬

rescence bearing flowers with broadly ovate, acute, denticulate sepals.

Lepanthes stupenda Luer, Phytologia 54(5): 372, 1983.

Ety.: From the Latin stupendus , “stupendous,” referring to the size of the flower.

Plant medium to large in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots thick, coarse. Ramicauls slender, erect,

5-28 cm long, enclosed by 8-14 lepanthiform sheaths with microscopically ciliate ostia. Leaf erect,

thinly coriaceous, reticulated, ovate, acute, acuminate, 5-15 cm long, 2-5.5 cm wide, the broadly

cuneate to rounded base contracted into a petiole 4-5 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, distichous,

successively many-flowered raceme up to 30 mm long, borne by a filiform peduncle 15-28 mm long

behind the leaf; floral bracts 2 mm long; pedicels 1.5 mm long; ovary 2 mm long, narrowly winged;

sepals light yellow to greenish white, papillose-pubescent below the middle, margins smooth, the

dorsal sepal ovate, acute, acuminate, 16 mm long, 6.5-8 mm wide, 3-veined, connate basally to the

lateral sepals for 2.5 mm, the lateral sepals ovate, oblique, diverging, acute, acuminate, connate 6-8

mm, 16 mm long including the 4-mm long caudae, 10 mm wide together, each 2-veined; petals yellow,

edged in purple, transversely elliptical, bilobed, 1.66-2 mm long, 3-3.2 mm wide, the lobes triangular-

ovate, obtuse, the lower lobe much shorter; lip white, edged in purple, bilaminate, the blades ovate-

oblong, narrowly obtuse to acute, microscopically pubescent, 2.5-3 mm long, the connectives broadly

cuneate, the body broad, connate to the base of the column, the sinus obtuse, protuberant and mem¬

branous, bearing a minute, pedunculate, pubescent, bifid appendix; column 2 mm long, the anther

dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Santander: El Taladro, near Virolin, alt. 2400 m, collected by E. Valencia, February 1991, flow¬

ered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 12 Dec. 1992, R. Escobar 5023 (MO).

Also Ecuador (Imbabura, Holotype, Luer et al. 6042: SEL; Pichincha).

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

199

This large species occurs locally in forests on the western slopes of the Andes

of northern Ecuador, with a single collection known from north central Colombia.

It is identified by the congested raceme much shorter than the large leaf with an

acuminate apex. The flowers are large, more than three centimeters in length

between the tips of the dorsal and lateral sepals. The sepals are pubescent within

below the middle; the petals are small and obtuse; and the blades of the lip are

ovate. It is distinguished from the other mostly yellow-flowered, large species by

the size and pubescence of the acuminate sepals, the laterals with short caudae.

In the type description, the appendix was thought to be the membranous protru¬

sion of the sinus, but later collections reveal that the appendix is a minute, pedun¬

culate organ at the apex of this membrane. The appendix no doubt had been lost

from the flower originally described.

Lepanthes subulata Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 53(6): 609,

1984.

Ety.: From the Latin subulatus, “awl-shaped,” referring to the apices of the leaves.

Plant weak, small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots filiform. Ramicauls suberect, very slender, 4-10.5

cm long, enclosed by 7-11 thin, close, microscopically scabrous lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect to

suberect, thinly coriaceous, reticulated, elliptical-ovate, 3.5-5 cm long, 1.1-1.6 cm wide, the acute apex

contracted into a narrow, linear segment 12-18 mm long, tridenticulate, the middle tooth longest, the

base cuneate into a 0.5 mm long petiole. Inflorescence a very congested, successively flowered raceme

up to 8 mm long, borne on top of the leaf by a filiform peduncle 6-17 mm long; floral bracts 0.75 mm

long, minutely scabrous; pedicels 2 mm long; ovary 2 mm long; sepals translucent light orange with

purple veins at the base, glabrous, margins minutely denticulate, the dorsal sepal broadly ovate, obtuse,

3.5 mm long, 3.5 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1 mm, the lateral sepals diverging

slightly, connate 1.5 mm into a bifid synsepal similar in size and shape to the dorsal sepal, each 2-

veined; petals bright orange, suffused with red, microscopically pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1.5

mm long, 3.75 mm wide, with a minute angle on the outer margin between the subequal lobes, the

upper lobe broadly triangular, oblique, obtuse, the lower lobe oblong, obtuse; lip purple, the blades

semicircular, 1.66 mm long, thin, membranous, microscopically ciliate, adherent medially over the col¬

umn, the connectives from the bases, erect, narrowly oblong, the body rounded with an obovate,

pubescent appendix hinged from the center; column 1.5 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Mun. Yarumal, above Quebrada El Oro, alt. 1850 m, 20 May 1983, R. Escobar & E.

Valencia 2624 (Holotype: SEL), C. Luer illustr. 9101; same locality, 14 Feb. 1984, R. Escobar & E.

Valencia 3237 (JAUM, MO, SEL, COL); Yarumal, epiphytic in forest remnant along the road to Bri-

ceno, Quebrada El Oro, alt. 1850 m, 16 March 1989, C. Luer, J. Luer, S. Dalstrom & W. Teague 14183

(MO).

This weak little species is similar to many others, especially those with very

slender ramicauls bearing leaves with an elongated, subulate apex, including the

widespread Lepanthes mucronata. The short, congested raceme bears small

flowers with obtuse, denticulate sepals; bilobed petals with a tiny angle between

the lobes; and a lip with thin, adherent blades borne above the column by narrow

connectives connate to the bases. The flowers of the similar L. palaga also have

colorful petals overlying pastel, broadly ovate sepals, but are distinguished by

smooth-margined sepals and petals with the upper lobe oblong.

Lepanthes superposita Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Beih. 7: 100, tab. 34, n.

129, 1920.

Ety.: From the Latin super , “above,” and positus , “situated,” referring to the prolific habit.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, scandent; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, prolific, 6-9 cm

long, enclosed by 5-7 lepanthiform sheaths, minutely ciliate at the ostia. Leaf erect, coriaceous,

200

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

elliptical, acute, 2-4 cm long, 0.7-1.30 cm wide, cuneate below into a petiole 3-4 mm long. Inflores¬

cence a lax, successively flowered raceme up to 15 cm long, the peduncle filiform, ca. 3-4 cm long;

floral bracts 1.75 mm long; pedicels 0.75 mm long; ovary 1.5 mm long; sepals light tan in color,

glabrous, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal ovate, acute, slightly acuminate, 9.5 mm long, 4.5 mm wide,

3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for ca. 1 mm, the lateral sepals connate 5 mm into an ovate syn-

sepal with the apices acute, slightly acuminate, diverging, 10 mm long, 5.75 mm wide, each 2-veined;

petals red, transversely oblong, ends rounded, 1.25 mm long, 5 mm wide, the lobes subequal in size,

with a small marginal angle between the lobes; lip red, bilaminate, the blades shortly pubescent, ovate,

the apices obliquely truncate, the bases rounded, 2 mm long, the connectives cuneate, connate to the

base of the column, the sinus broad with the appendix external, on the body, ciliate, cymbiform with a

minutely bifurcate terminal segment; column 1.5 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Cauca: without collection data, collected by M. Madero s.n. (Holotype destroyed at B, Lectotype

designated here: tab. 34, n. 129 in Schlechter, 1920); Paramo de Purace, alt. 3200 m, 14 Nov. 1982, C.

Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 8389 (SEL); Purace, alt. 2800-2900 m, collected by E.

Valencia, May, 1992, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 2 Jan. 1993, R. Escobar 5204 (MO).

Cundinamarca: Chingasa, alt. 3000 m, date unknown, collected and flowered in cultivation by

Arturo Carrillo, June 2009, L. Thoerle 124 (MO).

Narino: epiphytic in scrub forest in the paramo between La Cocha and Putumayo, alt. 3000 m, 26

Jan. 1987, C. Luer, J. Luer, C. H. Dodson, O. de Benavides, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 12523 (MO).

This species is known from high altitude cloud forests in southern and central

Colombia. It is identified by its prolific habit and loose racemes far exceeding the

leaf in length. The sepals are slightly acuminate; the petals are reniform, with lobes

that are oblong and obtuse with a small marginal angle between; and the blades of

the lip are ovate and obtuse with truncate apices. The appendix, on the body

external to the sinus, is oblong and concave with a bifid terminal segment.

Lepanthes superposita most closely resembles L. scalaris , which is also known

from southern Colombia. The latter is distinguished by flowers with transversely

oblong petals without a marginal angle; the lip with narrow connectives attached

near the bases of the glabrous blades; and a cuplike appendix. The other prolific

Colombian species are differentiated by their larger leaves, supported by stouter

and usually longer ramicauls.

Lepanthes tachirensis Foldats, Acta Bot. Venez. 3: 348, 1968.

Ety.: Named for the Venezuelan state of Tachira, where the species was collected.

Plant medium to large, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender to stout, erect, 5-35

cm tall, enclosed by 10-18 pale tan, glabrous lepanthiform sheaths with non-dilated ostia. Leaf erect,

coriaceous, narrowly ovate-elliptical, acute, 5-9 cm long, 1-2.5 cm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole

3-4 mm long. Inflorescence a subcongested, distichous few- to many-flowered raceme up to 30 mm

long, borne by a slender peduncle 10-35 mm long, borne behind the leaf; floral bracts 1.5-2 mm long;

pedicels 1.5-2 mm long; ovary 2-2.5 mm long; sepals light yellow, light tan, to white, glabrous, ovate,

subacute, slightly acuminate, margins minutely denticulate, the dorsal sepal 4.5-5 mm long, 2-3 mm

wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5-1 mm, the lateral sepals oblique, diverging 180°,

4.5-5 mm long, 2-3.75 mm wide, 1-veined, connate for 1 mm; petals orange with purple margin, trans¬

versely bilobed, 1-1.5 mm long, 3-4.5 mm wide, the upper lobe oblong, subtruncate, with a prominent,

fingerlike lobule on the inner apical angle, overlapping, the lower lobe smaller, triangular; lip usually

red or purple, bilobed with blades narrowly elliptical for the basal two-thirds, the apical third obtuse

without forming a blade, the base narrowly obtuse, 2-2.25 mm long, the connectives short, broadly

cuneate, the body broad, connate to the base of the column, the appendix small, ovoid, pubescent in the

sinus; column 2 mm long, the anther dorsal, elongate, stigma apical.

Antioquia: north of Santa Rosa de Osos, above Estadero Manicomio, alt. 2850 m, 14 Mar. 1989,

C. Luer, J. Luer, S. Dalstrom & W. Teague 14140 (MO).

Norte de Santander: epiphytic in cloud forest, Alto de Mefue, north of Toledo, alt. 2600 m, 12

May 1984, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 10302 (MO).

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

201

Choco: epiphytic in cloud forest south of the pass between Urrao and Carmen de Atrato, alt. 2680

m, 31 May 1985, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar, et al. 17682 (MO).

Quindio: road to Tocha from Salento, alt. 2300 m, 10 May 1993, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar &

A. de Wilde 16745(MO).

Narino: epiphytic in scrub forest in the paramo between La Cocha and Putumayo, alt. 3000 m, 26

May 1987, C. Luer, J. Luer, C. H. Dodson, O. de Benavides, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 12521 (MO).

Also Ecuador (Carchi, Imbabura, Pichincha, Morona-Santiago, Loja, Tungurahua, Zamora-Chin-

chipe), Venezuela (Tachira, Holotype, J. A. Steyermark, G. C. K. & E. Dunsterville 98524: YEN).

This species is frequent and widely distributed at high altitudes through the

Andes from Venezuela to southernmost Ecuador. The ramicauls are tall and clad in

pale, glabrous, nondilated sheaths. The inflorescence bears colorful flowers in a

subdense raceme that may equal the slender leaf in length. The sepals are acute

and minutely denticulate, with the laterals single-veined and spreading in opposite

directions. The characteristic petals are provided with fingerlike lobules on the

upper inner margin of the upper lobes, which overlap one another. The blades of

the lip are narrow, with the acute apices devoid of blade. Lepanthes speciosa , from

northwestern Ecuador, is another large species with predominantly yellow flowers

with single-veined lateral sepals and a similar lip, but the denticulate lateral sepals

diverge less widely, about 90 degrees; and the upper lobe of the petals is

subcircular and concave.

Lepanthes tamaensis Foldats, Acta Bot. Venez. 3: 351, 1968.

Ety.: Named for Tama, the area where this species was originally collected.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect, slender, 1-3.5 cm long, enclosed

by 3-4 minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical, obtuse, 8-20 mm long,

6-8 mm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole 2 mm long. Inflorescence an erect, lax, distichous, flex-

uous, successively many-flowered raceme up to 8 cm long, borne by a filiform peduncle 1-1.5 cm long;

floral bracts minutely spiculate, 1.5 mm long; pedicels 1.5 mm long; ovary costate, 1 mm long; sepals

yellow, or yellow suffused with light brown, glabrous, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal ovate, sub¬

acute, slightly acuminate, 5-7 mm long, 2.25-4.25 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals

about a fourth the length, the lateral sepals ovate, oblique, diverging, acute, 5.25-7 mm long, 2-veined,

connate about half the length into an ovate, bifid synsepal, 5-8.5 mm wide; petals purple to yellow with

red medially, transversely bilobed, microscopically pubescent, 1 mm long, 1.8-3.5 mm wide, the lobes

similar, oblong-triangular, narrowed above the base, obtuse; lip red-purple, pubescent, bilaminate, the

blades oblong with the ends obtuse, 1.5-2 mm long, the connectives cuneate, the body connate above

the base of the column, the appendix small, oblong to triangular, pubescent; column 1.5 mm long, the

anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Alto de Polio, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 5 Mar. 1989, C. Luer 14099

(MO); Urrao, Rogelia, alt. unknown, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, JM #93, 18 March

1989, C. Luer 14226 (MO); without collection data, flowered in cultivation by Martha and Oscar

Robledo at La Ceja, 19 Mar. 1989, C. Luer 14268 (MO).

Norte de Santander: epiphytic in cloud forest below Paramo de Jurisdicciones, between Ocana

and Pamplona, alt. 2600 m, Nov. 10-11 1981, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & D. Portillo 6625, 6639

(SEL); Alto de Mefue, epiphytic in cloud forest, alt. 2600 m, 12 May 1982, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Esco¬

bar & E. Valencia 7804 (SEL); same area, alt. 2500 m, 12 May 1984, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E.

Valencia 10287 (MO); Paramo de Jurisdicciones, alt. 2650 m, collected Apr. 1982, flowered in cultiva¬

tion at Colomborquideas, 26 Apr. 1983, C. Luer 8849 (SEL); epiphytic in cloud forest below the

Paramo de Jurisdicciones, alt. 2600 m, 10 May 1984, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia

10216, 10217 (MO); Alto de San Francisco above Villacaro, alt. 2850 m, 11 May 1984, C. Luer, J.

Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 10268 (MO).

Also Venezuela (Tachira, Holotype, J. A. Steyermark, G. C. K. & E. Dunsterville 98658: VEN).

This little species is restricted to westernmost Venezuela and adjacent eastern¬

most Colombia. The elliptical leaves are surpassed by a lax, flexuous raceme of

small, successive flowers with ovate sepals; and petals with subequal, oblong-

202

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

triangular lobes narrowed above the bases. The sepals and petals of Lepanthes

marthae are similar, but it is readily distinguished by the petals connate to the

column above the dilated base.

Lepanthes tanekes Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 18(2): 148, 1991.

Ety.: From the Greek tanekes , “long-pointed,” referring to the long-acuminate apex of the leaf.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots fine. Ramicauls very slender, suberect, 3-6.5 cm long,

enclosed by 6-7 closely applied, microscopically scabrous lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf suberect to

spreading, veined in purple, thinly coriaceous, ovate, acute, long-acuminate, 25-35 mm long including

the long-acuminate apex 12-15 mm long, 10-15 mm wide, the base rounded, contracted into a petiole

about 1 mm long. Inflorescence a very congested, distichous, successively many-flowered raceme up

to at least 5 mm long, borne on top of the leaf by a slender peduncle 10-12 mm long; floral bracts 0.5-

0.75 mm long; pedicels 0.5-0.75 mm long; ovary 0.75 mm long; sepals translucent orange, glabrous,

margins smooth, the dorsal sepal broadly ovate, subacute, 2.33 mm long, 2.33 mm wide, 3-veined, con¬

nate to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals connate into a broadly ovate synsepal, shortly

bifid into 2 acute apices, 2.5 mm long, 2.33 mm wide, each 2-veined; petals yellow, microscopically

pubescent, transversely bilobed, 0.9 mm long, 3.4 mm wide, the upper lobe ovate, narrowly obtuse, the

lower lobe equally long, narrowly triangular, acute; lip red, bilaminate, the blades narrowly elliptical,

the apices subacute, the bases narrowly rounded, 1.2 mm long, the connectives broadly cuneate, the

body broad, connate to the column above the base, the sinus occupied by a thick, ovoid, bisegmented,

minutely pubescent appendix; column 1.5 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Narino: epiphytic in cloud forest above Ricaurte, alt. 1600 m, 3 Nov. 1979, A. Hirtz, C. Luer, J.

Luer, A. Hirtz & K. Walter 4625 (Holotype: SEL); trail from La Planada to Pielapi, wet lower montane

cloud forest, alt. 1600-1800 m, 22 July 1988, A. Gentry, O. de Benavides, C. Samper, P. Velasquez &

B. Ramirez 63656 (MO).

Vegetatively, this species is distinguished by the long-acuminate apex of the

leaves, a character shared by many species affiliated with Lepanthes mucronata\

the very congested, distichous raceme borne on top of the leaf; a broadly ovate

dorsal sepal and synsepal; bilobed petals with a narrowly acute lower lobe; and a

lip with a thick, ovoid, bisegmented appendix. Unusually for this group, the petals

of L. tanekes are wider than a sepal is long.

Lepanthes telipogoniflora Schuit. & A. de Wilde, Orquideologia 20(1): 27, 1996.

Ety.: Named for the superficial similarity of the flower to one of the genus Telipogon Kunth.

Plant very small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots fine. Ramicauls slender, erect, 9-11 mm long,

enclosed by 4-5 microscopically ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical, obtuse,

8-10 mm long, 7-7.5 mm wide, the base broadly cuneate into a petiole less than 1 mm long. Inflores¬

cence a lax, successively few-flowered raceme with flowers ca. 2 mm apart, borne by a slender

peduncle 10-15 mm long; floral bracts 1 mm long; pedicels 1 mm long; ovary 1.5 mm long; sepals

orange to red-brown with narrow, yellow margins, glabrous, carinate, smooth-margined, 3-veined, the

dorsal sepal transversely ovate, broadly obtuse, 7 mm long, 11 mm wide, connate to the lateral sepals

for 5 mm to create a subcircular, flat flower, the lateral sepals transversely ovate, broadly obtuse, 6.5

mm long, 7 mm wide, connate 4 mm into a flat synsepal 14 mm wide; petals orange, 3-lobed, 2.75 mm

wide, the lobes slender, linear ca. 1-1.5 mm long, the upper and middle lobes minutely ciliate, the lower

lobe long-ciliate, slightly longer than the upper lobes; lip orange, glabrous, 3-lobed, 2 mm wide across

the lateral lobes expanded, the lateral lobes bilobed, 1.5 mm long, the upper parts ovate, subacute,

embracing the column, the lower parts narrowly triangular, extending forward, the bases (connectives)

of the lateral lobes broadly cuneate, forming a broad body, connate to the undersurface of the column

above the base, the appendix (middle lobe) filiform, 2.3 mm long, protruding forward; column slender,

1.75 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Risaralda: Western Cordillera, ridge between Rio San Juan and Rio Agiiita, alt. 500 m, Apr. 1995,

A. de Wilde, A. Schuiteman, et al. 5010 (Holotype: JAUM), C. Luer illustr. 18096.

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

203

This rare, little species is distinguished by its minute size with ramicauls about

one centimeter long and elliptical leaves barely as long, dwarfed by a colorful and

comparatively immense flower. The sepals are transversely ovate, obtuse, and

deeply connate into a flat, subcircular, orange to red-brown flower nearly one and

one-half centimeters in diameter. The petals are tripartite with filiform lobes. The

ovate upper portions of the blades of the lip surround the column while the lower

portions are narrowly triangular. The appendix is represented by a protruding,

filiform process nearly two and one-half millimeters long.

Lepanthes tetracola Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 19(2): 116, 1994.

Ety.: From the Greek tetrakolos , “with four legs,” referring to the long lobes of the petals.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 5-8 cm long, enclosed

by 7-9 microscopically ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical, subacute, 30-35

mm long, 9-12 mm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole 1 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, dis¬

tichous, subsecund, successively several-flowered raceme, up to 5 mm long, borne in front of the leaf

by a filiform peduncle 3-5 mm long; floral bracts 1 mm long; pedicels 2 mm long; ovary 2 mm long;

sepals yellow, glabrous, margins cellular-denticulate, the dorsal sepal ovate, acute, 4.5 mm long, 2.5

mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals ovate, oblique,

diverging, obtuse, very shortly acuminate, 3.8 mm long, 2.4 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 1 mm; petals

orange, microscopically pubescent, transversely bilobed, 0.75 mm long, 8.5 mm wide, the lobes

opposite, linear, acute, about equal in size, the lower lobe ciliate; lip red-purple, bilaminate, the blades

glabrous, narrowly oblong, oblique, 2 mm long, with the rounded apices minutely ciliate, the con¬

nectives broadly cuneate, the body broad, connate to the base of the column, the sinus obtuse, with the

appendix membranous, mucinous, in contact with an appendage from the stigma; column 1.5 mm long,

with the anther dorsal and the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Abejorral, collected by M. Zapata, Nov. 1992, flowered in cultivation at Colombor-

quideas, 19 May 1993, C. Luer 16875 (Holotype: MO); epiphytic in cloud forest north of the pass

between Urrao and Carmen de Atrato, alt. 2500-2700 m, 30 May 1995, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar, L.

Moreno de Posada, G. Arteaga, B. & F. Lopez 17656, 17659, 17661 (MO).

This species is distinguished by exceedingly long, narrow petals that are longer

than the length of the dorsal and lateral sepals combined. The margins of the sepals

are cellular-denticulate. The blades of the lip are glabrous except for the minutely

ciliate apices. The appendix is reduced to a bit of amorphous membrane associated

with a short, cylindrical process from the stigma. Lepanthes petalolenta , also

known from Antioquia, has similar petals but with an indentation between the

lobes, and a lip with blades that are ovate and pubescent.

Lepanthes tibouchinicola Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 52(12):

1269, 1983.

Ety.: Named for Tibouchina Aubl., a genus of small melastomaceous trees, one species of which is

apparently the specific host for this species of Lepanthes.

Plant small to medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots fine. Ramicauls slender, erect, 1-3 cm

long, enclosed by 3-4 close, microscopically scabrous lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous,

narrowly elliptical, acute, 2-3.5 cm long, 0.3-0.5 cm wide, narrowly cuneate below to the subpetiolate

base. Inflorescence a progressively lengthening, secund, sublaxly many-flowered raceme up to 23 cm

long including the comparatively stout peduncle 5-7 cm long, 2-3 flowers open simultaneously; floral

bracts 3 mm long; pedicels 1.5 mm long; ovary 1.5 mm long; sepals bright yellow to orange, often suf¬

fused with brown toward the base, margins minutely irregular, the dorsal sepal glabrous, transversely

ovate, the obtuse apex acuminate into a slender cauda, 13 mm long including the cauda, 6 mm wide, 3-

veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 2.5 mm, the lateral sepals minutely pubescent, connate 5 mm

into a concave, ovate, acute, bifid synsepal, 16 mm long including the approximate, long-acuminate

apices, 7 mm wide, each 2-veined; petals minute, orange, transversely bilobed, 0.5 mm long, 1.5 mm

wide, with a minute tooth on the outer margin, the upper lobe oblong, broadly obtuse, the lower lobe

204

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

smaller, triangular, narrowly obtuse; lip dull purple, the blades narrowly ovate, 1 mm long, convex,

minutely pubescent, the ends rounded, the connectives narrowly cuneate, short, the narrow body

connate to the base of the column, the appendix oblong, apiculate, glabrous; column stout, 1 mm long,

the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Yarumal, Raton Pelado, alt. 2700 m, 22 May 1983, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 2660

(Holotype: SEL), C. Luer illustr. 9107; same locality, Nov. 1975, R. Escobar et al. s.n. (JAUM); same

area, alt. 2650 m, 1 May 1984, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 10053 (MO); Caldas, Alto

de San Miguel, alt. 2730 m, 27 Jan. 1974, R. Escobar et al. 1117 (JAUM); Jardin, Alto de Yentanas,

alt. 2850 m, 26 May 1983, R. Escobar, L. & J. Posada, et al. 2716 (SEL); Jardin, alt. 2700-2790 m, 29

Oct. 1988, J. L. Zarucchi, G. McPherson & F. J. Roldan 6923 (HUA).

Caldas: Jardin-Riosucio, in disturbed montane forest, Alto de Yentanas, alt. 2700-2790 m, 29 Oct.

1988, J. L. Zarucchi, G. McPherson & F. J. Roldan 6923 (HUA).

According to Sr. Rodrigo Escobar, this species grows exclusively on Tibou-

china lepidota trees, known locally as “Sietecueros.” Lepanthes tibouchinicola

produces an elongating raceme of numerous large, bright yellow to orange flowers,

two or three open simultaneously, with a flower fading below and several buds

forming above. The minute petals are half hidden behind the lobes of the lip.

Lepanthes tomentosa Luer, Lindleyana 6(2): 76, 1991.

Ety.: From the Latin tomentosus , “covered with rather rigid, short hairs,” referring to the

integument of the mature leaves.

Syn.: Lepanthes dapaensis P. Ortiz, O. Perez & E. Parra, Orquidelogia 28(1): 23.

Ety.: Named for Dapa, in the municipality of Yumbo, where it was collected.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect to horizontal to

pendent, slender, 2-12 cm long, enclosed by 5-15 thin, minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths with

dilated ostia. Leaf erect, coriaceous, reticulated or suffused with purple, juvenile leaves glabrous,

mature leaves glabrous to shortly pubescent, elliptical-ovate, acute, slightly acuminate, sometimes

concave and sulcate, 2-5 cm long, 1-2 cm wide, with the base cuneate into a petiole 2-4 mm long.

Inflorescence a congested, secund, successively many-flowered raceme up to 3 cm long, borne on top

of the leaf by a peduncle 10-12 mm long; floral bracts minutely scabrous, 1-2 mm long; pedicels 1-2

mm long; ovary 2 mm long; sepals rose to purple brown, often with green margins, glabrous, carinate,

margins denticulate, the dorsal sepal triangular to ovate, acute, 6.5-8 mm long, 3-5 mm wide, 3-veined,

the apex acuminate into a slender cauda, connate to the lateral sepals for 1 mm, the lateral sepals ovate,

oblique, acute, 7 mm long, connate 2 mm into an ovate synsepal 3.5-5.5 mm wide together, each 2-

veined, acuminate into slender caudae with apices approximate to diverging, 2-3 mm long; petals yel¬

low-green to reddish orange-brown, microscopically pubescent, transversely bilobed, 0.5-1.2 mm long,

3.3-6 mm wide, the lobes similar, subfalcate with the apices acute to obtuse, incurved upper lobe

slightly broader than lower; lip yellow-green to brown, often white toward the center of the blades, gla¬

brous to microscopically pubescent, bilaminate, with the blades oblong-ovate, flat with the apices

narrowly obtuse, 2-2.5 mm long, with the connectives short, cuneate, with the body connate to the base

of the column, with the appendix 3-lobed, sometimes in contact with the margin of the stigma; column

1.5 mm long, with the anther apical and the stigma ventral.

Cundinamarca: “San Miguel,” probably collected by Janet Kuhn, J & L #1, obtained from J & L

Orchids, Easton, Connecticut, by P. & A. Jesup, flowered in cultivation in Bristol, Connecticut, 5 May

1990, C. Luer 13786 (Holotype: MO).

Valle del Cauca: Munic. Yumbo, Dapa, alt. 2100 m, ca. 9 May 2010, O. Perez & E. Parra 751

(holotype of Lepanthes dapaensis : CUVC).

Cauca: Volcan Purace, data unknown, flowered in cultivation by Arturo Carrillo, June 2009, L.

Thoerle 105 (MO).

Lepanthes tomentosa , once thought to be rare in nature, has recently been iden¬

tified in Valle del Cauca and Cauca, and seems to be widespread and frequently

encountered. The immature leaves of Lepanthes tomentosa are completely gla¬

brous, but the mature leaves are covered by a short pubescence. The subdense

racemes begin to flower while they are still much shorter than the leaf, but

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

205

eventually approach the length of the leaf. The sepals are denticulate and caudate.

The lobes of the petals are falcate; the blades of the lip are glabrous to microscopi¬

cally pubescent; and the tridentate appendix is short, sometimes reduced to a small,

transverse strip with the lobes barely discemable.

Lepanthes dapaensis was described as differing vegetatively in its pendent

growth habit and the presence of a membranous margin along the apical portion of

the leaves. The former is dependent upon age and orientation, while the latter is

unremarkable and not unusual in the genus. Floral size and color are variable, par¬

ticularly when comparing a plant in the wild with a cultivated specimen; it is not

surprising that the flowers of L. dapaensis are slightly larger than those of the

cultivated type specimen. Another criterion used to discriminate between the two

species was the presence of a “foot-like appendix” descending from the column of

L. dapaensis. This is the protruding lower margin of the extended stigmatic cavity

in profile, present in the type specimen of L. tomentosa but not illustrated in the

original drawing. The amended drawing included in this volume clearly shows the

prominent lower margin of the concave stigma.

Lepanthes tracheia Rchb. f., Flora 69: 557, 1886.

Ety.: From the Greek tracheia , “the trachea,” possibly alluding to the lepanthiform-sheathed

ramicaul.

Syn.: [= Lepanthes caucana Schltr., nom. illeg., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 27: 159,

1924],

Ety.: Named for the department of Cauca where the species was collected.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect, slender, 1.5-7 cm long, enclosed

by 8-12 minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, rigidly coriaceous, suffused with purple,

broadly ovate to subcircular, obtuse, slightly convex, 10-20 mm long, 7-19 mm wide, the base rounded

to cordate, contracted into a petiole 1-2 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, distichous, successively

several-flowered raceme up to 10 mm long, borne behind the leaf by a filiform peduncle 8-12 mm long;

floral bracts muricate, 1 mm long; pedicels 0.75 mm long; ovary 1 mm long; sepals yellow, orange to

dull red, glabrous, margins denticulate, the dorsal sepal broadly ovate, obtuse, 3 mm long, 2.3 mm

wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.75 mm, the lateral sepals broadly ovate, oblique,

diverging widely, acute, 2.6 mm long, 3 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 0.5-1 mm; petals red-orange, or

orange with red border, microscopically pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1 mm long, 3.75 mm wide, the

upper lobe oblong-falcate with the acute apex everted, the lower lobe red-orange, oblong-triangular,

obtuse; lip red-orange to purple, microscopically pubescent, bilaminate, the blades elliptical, concave,

with narrowly rounded ends, 1.75 mm long, the connectives cuneate, forming a narrow body, connate

to the column above the base, the sinus filled with a large, oblong, 1-mm long, pubescent appendix with

a terminal pubescent segment; column stout, 2 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Cauca: Popayan, Feb. 1882, F. C. Lehmann 3562 (Holotype unspecified, Lectotype here

designated: W 54518); F. C. Lehmann 3562 (holotype of L. caucana'. W).

Also Venezuela (Tachira); Ecuador (Carchi, Sucumbios, Pichincha, Napo, Tungurahua, Morona-

Santiago, Zamora-Chinchipe); Peru (Cuzco).

This species is widely distributed in the Andes from Venezuela into Peru. A

congested raceme of colorful flowers is borne beneath the small, rigid, purplish,

broadly ovate, obtuse leaf. The sepals are coarsely denticulate. The upper lobes of

the petals are uncinate, the apices pointing outward. The blades of the lip are ovate

and concave; and the large, pubescent, oblong appendix bears a terminal gland.

Two other small Colombian species share the broadly ovate, obtuse leaf and

small, colorful flowers borne in a short, congested raceme: Lepanthes confusa and

L. sericinitens. Both have petals with obliquely triangular upper lobes, rather than

the characteristic uncinate, everted lobes of L. tracheia.

206

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Although Reichenbach did not provide a type citation, the specimen Lehmann

3562 is exhaustively described, adequately illustrated, and labeled as “Lep.

tracheia” in Reichenbach’s own hand. We follow Reichenbach’s intentions and

designate this collection as the lectotype. Several decades later, Schlechter cited

this same specimen as the type for his Lepanthes caucana , an illegitimate name.

Lepanthes transparens Luer, Phytologia 54(5): 374, 1983.

Ety.: From the Latin transparens , “transparent,” referring to the thin, membranous blades of the

lip.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls suberect, slender, 5-12 cm

long, enclosed by 9-11 close, ciliate lepanthiform sheaths with markedly dilated ostia. Leaf suberect,

thinly coriaceous, reticulate, ovate, acuminate, acute, 3.5-5 cm long, 1.8-2.5 cm wide, the rounded base

abruptly contracted into a petiole 2-3 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, distichous, successively

several-flowered raceme up to 5 mm long, borne by a filiform peduncle up to 12 mm long on top of the

leaf; floral bracts 1.5 mm long; pedicels 1 mm long; ovary 2.5 mm long; sepals light greenish tan,

glabrous, carinate, margins denticulate-serrulate, the dorsal sepal triangular, 6 mm long, 4.5 mm wide,

3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1.5 mm, the acute apex shortly acuminate, the lateral sepals

connate 2 mm into an ovate, acute, bifid synsepal, 5.75 mm long, 4.75 mm wide, the shortly acuminate

apices approximate, each 2-veined; petals yellow, suffused with purple, microscopically pubescent,

transversely oblong, 1.2 mm long, 4.25 mm wide, the upper lobe oblong, truncate, the lower lobe

smaller, narrowly falcate, acute; lip brown, bilaminate, the blades lunate, thin, membranous, trans¬

parent, minutely ciliate, 2 mm long, 0.75 mm wide, the connectives narrow, erect, elevating the blades

over the column, the body more or less rounded, with a slender, basal claw parallel to the column and

connate at the base, the appendix oblong, shortly pubescent, associated with an appendage from the

stigma; column slender, clavate, 2 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Cauca: epiphytic in cloud forest, Paramo de Barbillas, alt. 3150 m, 13 Nov. 1982, C. Luer & R.

Escobar 8381 (SEL).

Narino: road from La Coche to Putumayo, alt. 3000 m, 6 June 2009, L. Thoerle, L. E. Alvarez, A.

Carillo, P. Ortiz, J. Pfahl 113A (MO).

Also Ecuador (Pastaza, Holotype, C. Luer et al. 6260: SEL; Carchi).

This species, found occasionally on the eastern slopes of the Andes from south¬

ern Colombia to northern Ecuador, is similar to the frequently encountered and

widely distributed Lepanthes contingens. The two concepts are very similar and

might be merely two variations of one species, but the lips are either notched or

entire without intermediates. Lepanthes transparens is distinguished by entire,

lunate blades of the lip, instead of the narrowly oblong blades strongly angled on

the inner margins below the apex that characterize L. contingens. Both species

share a lip attached to the column by a long, slender claw; and an appendix that is

in contact with an appendage from the stigmatic cavity.

Lepanthes trichocaulis Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 17(3): 224-226, 1988.

Ety.: From the Greek trichocaulos , “hairy stemmed,” referring to the long-ciliate lepanthiform

sheaths.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots filiform. Ramicauls slender, erect, 4-7.5 cm

long, enclosed by 10-14 long-ciliate lepanthiform sheaths with dilated ostia. Leaf erect, coriaceous,

broadly elliptical, 3.5-4 cm long including the petiole 4-5 mm long, 2 cm wide, the obtuse apex

abruptly acuminate, the base cuneate or rounded, contracted into the petiole. Inflorescence a congested,

distichous, successively several-flowered raceme up to 5 mm long, borne behind the leaf by a filiform

peduncle 15-20 mm long; floral bracts 1.5 mm long, echinate; pedicels 1.5 mm long; ovary 3 mm long;

flower colors unknown, sepals glabrous, carinate, margins microscopically ciliate, the dorsal sepal

broadly ovate, obtuse, 3.25 mm long, 3 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.75 mm,

the lateral sepals broadly ovate, oblique, diverging widely, obtuse, 3 mm long, 2.2 mm wide, 2-veined,

connate 1.75 mm; petals microscopically pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1.4 mm long, 3.4 mm wide,

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

207

the upper lobe subcircular, the lower lobe smaller, oblong, obtuse; lip cellular-pubescent, subcordate-

bilobed, 1.8 mm long, the lobes with round, erect, basal angles embracing the column, connate to the

base of the column, the obtuse apex minutely cleft; column 1 mm long, the anther and stigma apical.

Antioquia: Yarumal, Briceno, Quebrada El Oro, alt. 1820 m, collected by R. Escobar & E. Valen¬

cia, 14 February 1984, flowered in cultivation by L. & J. Posada at Colomborquideas, 26 March 1984,

R. Escobar 3245 (Holotype: MO), C. Luer illustr. 11535.

This handsome species is identified by the dilated, long-ciliate cauline sheaths;

broadly oblong, obtuse leaves with abruptly acuminate apices; and short inflores¬

cences bearing a succession of flowers. The upper lobes of the petals are large and

rounded; the cordate lip is only minutely cleft at the obtuse apex. Lepanthes

trichocaulis is distinguished from other Colombian species with similarly broadly

ovate sepals and petals with a rounded upper lobe much larger than the lower,

more or less triangular lobe by its bladeless, cordate, cleft lip.

Lepanthes trifurcata Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 19(2): 119, 1994.

Ety.: From the Latin trifurcatus , “trifurcate,” in reference to the petals.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 5-6 cm long, enclosed

by 7 microscopically scabrous lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, ovate, acute, 3.5 cm long,

1.4 cm wide, the base cuneate into the petiole 2 mm long. Inflorescence a subcongested, distichous,

successively few-flowered raceme, 3-5 mm long, borne behind the leaf by a filiform peduncle 5-7 mm

long; floral bracts slightly muriculate, 1.5 mm long; pedicels 1 mm long; ovary 2 mm long; sepals

yellow-white, glabrous, the dorsal sepal subelliptical, acute, slightly acuminate, margins smooth, 6.5

mm long, 3.3 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals narrowly

ovate, oblique, diverging slightly, margins denticulate, 6.5 mm long, 2 mm wide, 1-veined, barely con¬

nate at the base; petals white with the tips of the lobes yellow, crimson at the base, minutely pubescent,

deeply trilobed, the lobes similar, diverging, narrowly triangular, acuminate, about 1 mm long, about 2

mm long to the tip of the middle lobe, 4 mm wide between the tips of the upper and lower lobes; lip

rose, pubescent, deeply bifid, the lobes falcate, 1.3 mm long, embracing the column, with connectives

short and narrow, barely converging to form a narrow body, connate to the middle of the column, the

appendix external, recurved, narrowly oblong, sparsely pubescent; column semiterete with a large cli-

nandrium, 2 mm long, with the anther and the stigma apical.

Probably Antioquia: without collection data, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 5 May

1993, C. Luer 16720 (Holotype: MO).

Antioquia: Mun. Urrao, Vereda la Honda, Paramo del Sol, bosque bien conservado en el camino

para subir al paramo, alt. 3400 m, Jul. 27 2011, A Vieira 0008 (JAUM).

Lepanthes trifurcata is characterized by an ovate, acute leaf with much shorter,

few-flowered inflorescences. The relatively large flower has acute sepals with the

laterals single-veined and denticulate. The petals are three-pronged, with the

prongs narrowly acuminate and diverging. The lip is deeply bifurcated into falcate

lobes that do not form blades. The narrow connectives form a narrow body that is

connate about midway to the undersurface of the column. The slender appendix

recurves from the outside of the body. The petals of another small Colombian

species with single-veined lateral sepals, L. linealis , are similarly three-lobed, but

with obtuse rather than acute lobes, and the lip has well developed blades.

Lepanthes trimerinx Luer, Phytologia 54: 374, 1983.

Ety.: From the Greek tri , “three,” and merinx , “a bristle,” referring to the three slender tails of the

flower.

Plant minute, epiphytic, caespitose; roots proportionally fleshy. Ramicauls 1-2 mm long, enclosed

by 2 imbricating sheaths with sparsely ciliate ribs and margins. Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical,

obtuse, 6-8 mm long, 4 mm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole 1 mm long. Inflorescence a

208

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

congested, few-flowered raceme borne by a filiform peduncle up to 10 mm long; floral bracts 0.5 mm

long; pedicels 2 mm long; ovary 0.75 mm long, ribbed; sepals yellow, glabrous, ovate, 2 mm long, 1.5

mm wide, connate basally, margins serrulate-ciliate, the acute apices contracted into slender caudae,

1.5-5 mm long, 1-veined, laterals diverging widely; petals yellow, suffused with red, minutely pubes¬

cent, transversely bilobed, 0.5 mm long, 1.75 mm wide, the upper lobe narrowly triangular, obtuse, the

lower lobes smaller, triangular, acute; lip red with yellow margins, minutely pubescent, 4-lobed (El-

shaped), 1.5 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, the halves transversely oblong or bilobed with rounded anterior

and posterior lobes, the posterior lobes embracing the column, the base between them connate to the

undersurface of the column near the middle, with a minute apiculum in the sinus between the anterior

lobes; column 0.75 mm long, the anther and stigma apical.

Valle del Cuauca: epiphytic on Rapanea Aubl., Restrepo, Vereda de Roman, cerca a Rio Grande,

vertientes de Rio Grande; bosque de neblina, alt. 1800 m, 22 May 1988, J. E. Ramos, C. Reyna & A.

Reyna 954 (MO).

Also Ecuador (Pastaza, Holotype, Luer 1019 : SEL; Pichincha).

This tiny species is rare, having been found only a few times in isolated collec¬

tions in Ecuador and Colombia. Lepanthes trimerinx is distinguished by the abbre¬

viated ramicauls; a few-flowered raceme longer than the minute leaf; long-tailed,

fringed sepals; and an H-shaped lip without blades. The tiny plant with a spidery,

long-caudate flower resembles Lepanthes limbata in both respects, but the flowers

of the latter have two-veined lateral sepals, a lip with oblong blades, and nestle

underneath the centers of the leaves.

Lepanthes trinaria Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 20(3): 311, 1997.

Ety.: From the Latin trinarius , “with three parts,” referring to the petals.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 2.5-4 cm long, enclosed

by 8-10 minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths with oblique apices. Leaf erect, coriaceous, cordate-

ovate, subacute, 16-22 mm long, 10-16 mm wide, the base broadly cuneate to subcordate, contracted

into a petiole 1 mm long. Inflorescence a sublax, successively 2- to 3-flowered raceme up to 2 mm

long, borne on top of the leaf by a filiform peduncle 10-14 mm long; floral bracts 1 mm long; pedicels

3-3.5 mm long; ovary 1.5 mm long; sepals translucent yellow-green, glabrous, membranous, carinate,

widely spread, the dorsal sepal ovate, subacute, 4 mm long, 2.5 mm wide, margins sparsely minutely

ciliate, 3-veined, barely connate to the lateral sepals, the lateral sepals ovate, oblique, diverging,

subacute, 3.5 mm long, 1.8 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 1 mm, margins smooth; petals brown,

trifurcate, the upper lobe forked into a filiform inner segment 2 mm long, and a slender, outer segment

3 mm long, with the distal half ciliate, the lower lobe narrowly triangular, 1.5 mm long; lip purple,

bilaminate, the blades glabrous (microscopically cellular-pubescent), flat, elliptical, horizontal, 1.6 mm

long, with the ends obtuse, the connectives broad, the body broad, connate to the column near the

middle, the sinus obtuse, with the appendix oblong, pubescent, bilobed at the apex; column slender, 2

mm long, the anther dorsal with the anther-cap apparently not deciduous, the stigma subapical.

Antioquia: epiphytic in cloud forest north of the pass between Urrao and Carmen de Atrato, alt.

2700 m, 12 Dec. 1994, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 23 May 1995, C. Luer 17530

(Holotype: MO), 17529 (MO).

This species is known only from one mountain pass in the Western Cordillera

of Colombia. The plant is small, with subcordate leaves and a shorter, few-

flowered inflorescence. The sepals are ovate. The petals are deeply trifurcate with

the central segment the largest and longest, and this segment is ciliate on the outer

half. The rest of the petal is glabrous. The blades of the lip are held transversely

over a protruding column. The connectives are broad, forming a broad body con¬

nate to the column near the middle. The appendix is oblong and protruding with a

bilobed apex. The petals of the similar Lepanthes alcicornis have a forked rather

than entire lower lobe.

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

209

Lepanthes troglodytes Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 54(3): 320-

321, 1985.

Ety.: From the Greek troglodytes , “a cave dweller,” referring to the tiny, hinged appendix which

may be reflexed forward or retracted backward into a cavity in the lip.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, suberect to ascend¬

ing, 5-14 cm long, enclosed by 9-12 ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, thinly coriaceous, ovate,

acute, slightly acuminate, 5-8 cm long, 2-3.5 cm wide, the sides more or less deflexed below the mid¬

dle, the base cuneate, contracted into a twisted petiole 1-1.5 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, dis¬

tichous, successively flowered raceme up to 18 mm long, borne beneath the leaf by a filiform peduncle

15-30 mm long; floral bracts 1 mm long; pedicels 1.5 mm long; ovary 1.5 mm long; sepals yellow,

glabrous, ovate, acute, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal 4.5 mm long, 3 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to

the lateral sepals for 1 mm, the lateral sepals oblique, diverging, connate 2 mm, 4.5 mm long, 4 mm

wide together, each 2-veined; petals yellow-orange, suffused with purple, microscopically pubescent,

transversely reniform, 1.5 mm long, 3.5 mm wide, 3-veined, the lobes ovate with rounded apices, the

upper lobe much larger; lip orange, suffused with purple, glabrous, the blades flat, 2 mm long, acute at

the apices, obtuse at the bases, the connectives very broadly cuneate, the body broad and thick, with a

cavity on the anterior surface into which the hinged, oblong, pubescent appendix fits when retracted,

connate to the base of the column; column 2 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Briceno, Rio Espiritu Santo, Quebrada Negra, alt. 500 m, collected by E. Valencia, 28

April 1984, C. Luer 10031 (Holotype: JAUM; Isotype: MO); same collection, flowered in cultivation

by J. & L. Posada at Colomborquideas, El Retiro, 19 June 1984, R. Escobar 3269 (COL, JAUM).

Choco: epiphytic in wet forest, Rio Ura, alt. 50-100 m, collected by H.-G. Seeger, September

1986, flowered in cultivation at B.G. Heidelberg 0-1918, 1 Sep. 1987, C. Luer 12901 (MO); “Epifita

del estrato arboreo altas en ramas delgadas. Planta poco frecuente de 0 a 100 mts. sobre el nivel del

mar,” August 1991, G. Misas Urreta 294 (HPUJ).

The thin leaves of this species are more or less deflexed toward the base. Most

remarkable is the thick body of the lip with a small anterior cavity into which the

little appendix may swing out of sight. The appendix may be withdrawn by retract¬

ing the tip outward. The appendix of Lepanthes oscillifera is similarly mobile, but

the sepals are translucent purple with minutely ciliate margins, and the sides of the

usually smaller leaf are not deflexed at the base.

Lepanthes troglodytes is similar to the Panamanian L. pachyglossa Luer and

the western Colombian and Ecuadorian L. vellicata Luer & Hirtz. All three species

are usually found at relatively low altitudes and share a leaf with deflexed sides at

the base, imparting a pinched appearance. Lepanthes vellicata is distinguished by

ciliate sepals, while L. pachyglossa is distinguished by petals with the lower lobe

broadly uncinate, and a lip with blades shorter than and flanking the column.

Lepanthes troxis Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 18(2): 150-152, 1991.

Ety.: From the Greek trox , “a caterpillar,” alluding to the seemingly gnawed petals and the

presence of the caterpillar-like appendix.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots coarse. Ramicauls slender, erect, 3-10 cm long,

enclosed by 8-12 coarsely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths with dilated apices. Leaf dark purple, coria¬

ceous, the immature leaves ovate, acute, flat, 2-4 cm long, 1.2-1.7 cm wide, the mature leaves spread¬

ing, narrowly ovate, acute, acuminate, 4-7.5 cm long, 1-1.5 cm wide, the margins revolute and

undulate, the midrib prominent beneath, the rounded base convex, contracted into a petiole 2 mm long.

Inflorescence a subdense, successively flowered raceme up to 8 mm long, borne on top of the leaf by a

filiform peduncle 8-10 mm long; floral bracts 1.5 mm long; pedicels 1 mm long; ovary 2.5 mm long;

sepals dark rose with broad yellow borders, glabrous, ovate, acute, carinate, margins minutely den¬

ticulate, the dorsal sepal 5 mm long, 3.75 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1 mm,

the lateral sepals oblique, diverging, 5 mm long, 2.25 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 1.5 mm; petals

yellow, suffused with rose on the margins, microscopically pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1 mm long,

3.25 mm wide, the upper lobe oblong, oblique, with the apex truncate and coarsely erose, the lower

lobe triangular, acute; lip rose, the blades very thin, glabrous, elliptical, with the apices angled on the

inner margin, 2 mm long, the connectives and body narrow, connate to the base of the column by a

210

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

long, slender claw, the appendix vermiform, ciliate, in contact with a vermiform appendage from the

stigma; column very slender, clavate, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Cundinamarca: epiphytic in cloud forest above Gutierrez, alt. 2700 m, 19 May 1984, C. Luer, J.

Luer & R. Escobar 10366 (Holotype: MO; Isotype: JAUM); same collection, flowered in cultivation by

L. & J. Posada at Colomborquideas, El Retiro, 19 June 1984, R. Escobar 3265 (COL, JAUM).

Risaralda: Belen de Umbria, alt. 2700 m, flowered in cultivation at El Jordan, 12 Sep. 1992, A. de

Wilde 3967 (MO).

This species resembles the commonly encountered Lepanthes contingens ,

which is found in both Colombia and Ecuador. The leaf of L. troxis is distinctive,

with recurved, undulate margins. The flowers of L. contingens have entire rather

than erose petals, with the upper lobe longer than the lower lobe; and a lip with an

appendix that is relatively short and oblong, rather than slender, long-ciliate, and

wormlike. The species share thin blades of the lip notched in front; a long, slender

claw connecting the lip to the base of a very slender column; and a peculiar

fingerlike appendage from the stigma.

Lepanthes tsubotae Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 19(1): 30, 1993.

Ety.: Named in honor of Shigenobu Tsubota of Pereira, Colombia, who discovered this species.

Plant very small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect, slender, 5-7 mm long,

enclosed by 2-3 microscopically ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical, sub¬

acute to obtuse, 11-13 mm long including the petiole, 6-7 mm wide, cuneate below into a petiole 1-E5

mm long. Inflorescence a congested, distichous, successively several-flowered raceme up to 6 mm

long, borne beyond the leaf by a slender peduncle 15 mm long; floral bracts echinate, E5 mm long;

pedicels E5 mm long; ovary 1 mm long, the ribs with a few spicules; sepals red, carinate, flat, gla¬

brous, with minutely irregular margins, the dorsal sepal transversely ovate, 5 mm long, 5.5 mm wide, 3-

veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 2.5 mm, the apex obtuse, contracted into a filiform cauda 4 mm

long, the lateral sepals broadly ovate, oblique, diverging widely, connate 2 mm, 6 mm long, 5 mm

wide, 2-veined, the apices obtuse, contracted into filiform caudae 3 mm long; petals red, glabrous

(microscopically cellular-pubescent), transversely bilobed, 4 mm long, 2 mm wide, the lobes equal in

size and shape, triangular, acute; lip red, bilaminate, essentially glabrous, elliptical and slightly concave

below the narrowly obtuse apices, 2 mm long, the connectives narrow, the body connate to the base of

the column, the sinus broad, concave, with a thick, ovoid, pubescent appendix; column 1 mm long, the

anther apical, 1 mm long, the stigma subapical.

Valle del Cauca: epiphytic in forest above Lago Calima, alt. 1950 m, collected by S. Tsubota,

1985, flowered in cultivation at Ran Nursery, near Pereira, 15 March 1991, C. Luer 15261 (Holotype:

MO).

This tiny species is distinguished by the peduncle longer than the leaf, bearing

a comparatively very large (as large as the leaf), flat, red flower successively in a

congested raceme. The sepals are broad, obtuse, and contracted into short, fine

tails. The petals are diamond-shaped, with each lobe an equilateral triangle. The

blades of the lip are shallowly concave below a narrowly obtuse apex; the connec¬

tives are narrow; and the appendix is thick and pubescent. The protruding apical

anther is relatively large.

Lepanthes umbonata Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 53(10): 1050,

1984.

Ety.: From the Latin umbonatus, “bossed,” referring to the low convexities on the outer surface of

the body of the lip.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 7-9 cm long,

enclosed by 10-11 close, glabrous to microscopically scabrous lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf spreading to

deflexed, thinly coriaceous, elliptical-ovate, 20-41 mm long, 11-19 mm wide, the apex obtuse, abruptly

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

211

contracted into a linear segment, the rounded base abruptly contracted into a petiole ca. 1 mm long.

Inflorescence a distichous, very congested, successively flowered raceme up to 13 mm long, borne on

top of the leaf by a filiform peduncle 3-7 mm long; floral bracts 0.75 mm long, pedicels 1.25 mm long,

ovary 1.5 mm long; sepals yellow, glabrous, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal triangular, acute, 4 mm

long, 2.5 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1 mm, the lateral sepals ovate, oblique,

diverging, acute, 3.75 mm long, 1.6 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 1.25 mm; petals yellow-orange,

suffused with red toward the base, glabrous to microscopically cellular-pubescent, transversely bilobed,

1 mm long, 4.5 mm wide, 3-veined, with or without with a minute marginal lobule between the lobes,

the upper lobe triangular, acute, the lower lobe similar but smaller; lip yellow, suffused with red, gla¬

brous, the blades oblong, 1.75 mm long, with the ends rounded, adherent medially over the column, the

connectives narrowly oblong from above the middle of the blades, the body more or less bossed

inferiorly and to either side of the sinus, connate to the base of the column, the sinus obtuse, the

appendix broadly strap-shaped, concave, pubescent, with a thickened, prow-like apex; column 1.5 mm

long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Frontino, Alto de Cuevas, alt. 2000 m, 14 May 1983, collected by R. Escobar & E.

Valencia, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, El Retiro, 22 Jan. 1984, R. Escobar 3206 (Holo-

type: MO; Isotype: JAUM), C. Luer illustr. 9497.

Narino: epiphytic in cloud forest above Ricaurte, alt. 1600 m, 3 Nov. 1979, C. Luer, J. Luer & A.

Hirtz 4623 (SEL).

This species with deflexed, abruptly long-acuminate leaves is similar to

Lepanthes mucronata. Lepanthes umbonata is distinguished by petals with upper

lobes acute rather than truncate, and a lip supported by connectives originating

above the middle rather than at the base. The bossing on the lower side of the body

of the lip and to either side of the sinus is most distinctive.

Lepanthes uncifera Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 53(5): 480,

1984.

Ety.: From the Latin unciferus, “hook bearing,” referring to the lower lobes of the petals.

Plant large, epiphytic, caespitose; roots coarse. Ramicauls stout, erect, 25-29 cm tall, enclosed by

17-18 microscopically ciliate-scabrous lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, thinly coriaceous, oblong, 10-

11 cm long, 3.5-3.8 cm wide, the apex acute, acuminate, the base rounded, abruptly contracted into a

petiole 4 mm long. Inflorescence a very congested, distichous, successively flowered raceme up to 15

mm long, borne behind the leaf by a filiform peduncle 40-50 mm long, the flowers large; sepals lemon-

yellow, glabrous, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal triangular-ovate, 13 mm long, 5 mm wide, 3-veined,

connate basally to the lateral sepals for 1.5 mm, the lateral sepals ovate, oblique, diverging, acute,

acuminate, connate 5 mm, 11.5 mm long, 8.5 mm wide together, each 2-veined; petals yellow with red

margins, long-pubescent, transversely bilobed, 2.5 mm long, 5 mm wide, the upper lobe obliquely trian¬

gular, obtuse, the lower lobe broadly oblique and abruptly contracted into an acute, recurved, uncinate

apex; lip yellow-orange, suffused with red, essentially glabrous, the blades ovate, 3.8 mm long, the

apices acute, the bases rounded, the connectives broadly cuneate, connate to the column above the base,

the appendix minute, pedunculated, pubescent, more or less quadrangular, hinged at the obtuse sinus;

column 3 mm long, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Yarumal, Raton Pelado, alt. 2700 m, 22 May 1983, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 2668

(Holotype: SEL), C. Luer illustr. 9110; same collection, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, El

Retiro, 22 Jan. 1984, R. Escobar 3209 (JAUM, MO); same area, alt. 2650 m, 1 May 1984, C. Luer, J.

Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 10052 (MO).

Choco: epiphytic in cloud forest south of the pass between Urrao and Carmen de Atrato, alt. 2680

m, 31 May 1995, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar, L. Moreno de Posada, G. Arteaga, B. & F. Lopez 17680

(MO).

This robust species is distinguished from other large species with mostly

yellow flowers borne on short, congested racemes by the long-pubescent petals

with an uncinate lower lobe. The uncinate lower lobe of the petals of the equally

large Lepanthes nicolasii also curves outward, but both the upper and lower lobes

are slender and effectively glabrous.

212

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Lepanthes uribei Luer, Revista Soc. Boliv. Bot. 4(1): 11, 2003.

Ety.: Named in honor of Juan Carlos Uribe, in whose collection this species is cultivated.

Plant large, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls stout, erect, 15 cm long, enclosed by

12-13 microscopically scabrous lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical-ovate, obtuse,

slightly acuminate, 6.5 cm long, 3.75 cm wide, the base rounded, contracted into a petiole ca. 2 mm

long. Inflorescence a congested, distichous, successively many-flowered raceme, up to 10 mm long,

borne behind the leaf by a slender peduncle 25 mm long; floral bracts oblique, acute, echinate, 2-3 mm

long; pedicels 2-2.75 mm long; ovary 1.75 mm long; sepals carinate, glabrous, ovate, obtuse, shortly

acuminate, the dorsal sepal 5 mm long, 4 mm wide, 3-veined, margins smooth, connate to the lateral

sepals for 1.5 mm, the lateral sepals minutely ciliate on the outer margins, oblique, diverging widely, 5

mm long, 3.5 mm wide, connate 1.75 mm, 2-veined; petals microscopically cellular, unequally trans¬

versely bilobed, 4 mm wide, 1-veined, the upper lobes subquadrate, truncate, 3 mm long, 2.75 mm

wide, slightly overlapping, the lower lobes triangular, acute, 1 mm long, less than 1 mm wide; lip

bilobed, faintly forming blades, microscopically pubescent, 1.5 mm long, the lobes oblong, acute at the

apex, rounded at the base, with the connectives broad, oblique, the body connate to the base of the

column, with the appendix small, pubescent, bilobed, in the obtuse sinus; column stout, 1.5 mm long,

the anther dorsal and the stigma apical.

Valle del Cauca: collecting data unknown, flowered in cultivation at Orquideas del Valle, January

2001, A. Niessen & J. C. Uribe 095 (Holotype: MO), C. Luer illustr. 19901.

This species is characterized by its large size and a congested, successively

flowered raceme shorter than the elliptical leaf. The sepals are obtuse and shortly

acuminate. The upper lobes of the petals are proportionally large and subquadrate;

the much smaller lower lobes are acutely triangular. The lobes of the lip are oblong

and merely flank the column without forming well-defined blades. The appendix is

small, pubescent, and bilobed. The even larger Lepanthes gargantua shares simi¬

larly sized flowers with broadly ovate sepals with diverging, acuminate apices, but

with the dorsal sepal deeply connate to the smooth-margined lateral sepals, and

petals with the larger upper lobe oblong and rounded.

Lepanthes valenciae Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 53(8): 825,

1984.

Ety.: Named in honor of Eladio Valencia of Medellin, Colombia, who discovered this species.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls suberect, slender, 5-8 cm

long, enclosed by 6-7 close, glabrous to microscopically scabrous lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf more or

less brownish, erect in relationship to the stem, fleshy or thickly coriaceous, ovate, subacute, 4-5 cm

long, 2.5-3.3 cm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole 2-3 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, disti¬

chous, successively flowered raceme up to 5 mm long, borne on top of the leaf by a filiform peduncle

12-13 mm long; floral bracts pubescent, 2.5 mm long; pedicels 2 mm long; ovary 1.5 mm long; sepals

translucent yellow, glabrous, ovate, acute, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal 5.5 mm long, 2.5 mm wide,

3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.75 mm, the lateral sepals diverging, 4.75 mm long, 2 mm

wide, 2-veined, connate 1 mm; petals orange, red centrally, glabrous or cellular, transversely narrowly

oblong with obtuse ends, 1 mm long, 6.5 mm wide, the lobes about equal in length, the upper lobe sub¬

erect in the natural position; lip red, glabrous, the blades flat, narrowly elliptical, 2.5 mm long, the ends

acute, the connectives short, cuneate, originating with the base of the column, the sinus narrow with a

minute, oblong, pubescent appendix; column slender, 2.5 mm long, the anther and stigma apical.

Antioquia: Frontino, El Plateado, alt. 2200 m, collected by E. Valencia, 12 May 1984, flowered in

cultivation at Colomborquideas, El Retiro, 20 May 1984, R Escobar 3185A (Holotype: MO), C. Luer

illustr. 10390; Pabon, epiphytic in forest remnant along the road to Santa Ana, alt. 2050 m, 31 May

1995, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar, L. Moreno de Posada, G. Arteaga, B. & F. Lopez 17675 (MO).

This species is characterized by the congested inflorescence borne on top of a

thick, brownish leaf. The sepals are translucent and acute; the narrow, transverse

petals are suberect; and the blades of the lip are narrowly elliptical, flat, and

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

213

glabrous. The similar though somewhat smaller Lepanthes roezliana is distin¬

guished by a lip with thick, pubescent blades that expose most of the large,

protruding, cylindrical column.

Lepanthes vellicata Luer & Hirtz, Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 61(3):

177, 1996.

Ety.: From the Latin vellicatus , “pinched,” referring to the appearance of the deflexed base of the

blade of the leaf.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots numerous, slender. Ramicauls stout, erect, 5-15

cm long, enclosed by 8-15 ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, thinly coriaceous, elliptical, acute,

the blade deflexed above the base, 5-8 cm long, 1.5-2.5 cm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole 2-2.5

mm long. Inflorescence a congested, distichous, successively many-flowered raceme up to 15 mm

long, borne behind the leaf by a filiform peduncle 20-25 mm long; floral bracts 2-2.5 mm long, ciliate;

pedicels 2-2.5 mm long; ovary 1.5 mm long; sepals yellow-white, glabrous, ovate, acute, margins

ciliate, the dorsal sepal 5-8 mm long, 3.75 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1 mm,

the lateral sepals oblique, diverging widely, 5-8 mm long, 2.75 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 2 mm;

petals orange with a red border, or green with a purple border, minutely pubescent, transversely

bilobed, 1.25 mm long, 3.5 mm wide, the upper lobe subcircular, the lower lobe obliquely broadly tri¬

angular, obtuse; lip white, suffused with rose below the middle, thick, bilobed, the lobes broadly

rounded, embracing the column, 1.8 mm long, the body fleshy, connate to the base of the column, the

sinus protuberant with a small, deflexed, ovoid, pubescent appendix; column 1.5 mm long, the anther

dorsal, the stigma apical.

Choco: El Carmen, Carmen de Atrato, road to Guaduas, alt. 2000 m, collected by E. Valencia,

November 1990, flowered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 5-9 May 1993, C. Luer 16735 (MO).

Also Ecuador (Esmeraldas, Holotype, Luer et al. 12419\ MO).

This species is similar to the Panamanian Lepanthes pachyglossa and the

western Colombian L. troglodytes. All three are usually found at relatively low

altitudes and share a leaf with deflexed sides of the base, imparting a pinched

appearance. Lepanthes vellicata differs by having ciliate sepals; the sepals of the

others are smooth-margined.

Lepanthes venusta Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 19(2): 120, 1994.

Ety.: From the Latin venustus, “beautiful,” in reference to a flowering specimen.

Syn.: Lepanthes arethusa Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 21(2): 135-137, 1999.

Ety.: Named for Arethusa, the beautiful mythological wood nymph.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 1.5-6.5 cm long,

enclosed by 5-9 microscopically ciliate lepanthiform sheaths with acuminate apices. Leaf suberect to

erect, purple or rose-gray to green, coriaceous, ovate, subacute to acute, 13-30 mm long, 8-18 mm

wide, the base rounded or broadly cuneate, contracted into a petiole 2-3 mm long. Inflorescence a con¬

gested, distichous, successively many-flowered raceme, up to 2 cm long, borne behind the leaf by a fili¬

form peduncle 3-15 mm long; floral bracts slightly muriculate, 1 mm long; pedicels 1.5 mm long; ovary

1.5-2 mm long; sepals microscopically cellular-glandular, subcarinate, margins denticulate, the dorsal

sepal dull yellow, often suffused with purple, broadly ovate, subacute, acuminate into a subulate apex, 7

mm long, 4 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1 mm, the lateral sepals yellow or

purple with darker purple on the inner halves, broadly ovate, oblique, diverging widely, 6.5-8.8 mm

long including the caudae, 2.75-3.3 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 2 mm, the apices subacute, abruptly

contracted into slender caudae 2-3 mm long; petals bright orange, microscopically pubescent, trans¬

versely bilobed, convex, 1.5 mm long, 3.5-4 mm wide, 1-veined, the lobes opposite, subtriangular to

ovate, obtuse, oblique, the upper lobe larger; lip bright orange to rose-purple, bilaminate, the blades

thick, convex, microscopically pubescent, oblong with rounded ends, 1.5-2 mm long, the connectives

short, broadly cuneate, the body narrow, connate to the base of the column, the sinus acute with the

appendix small, triangular, pubescent; column 1-2 mm long, the clinandrium large with the anther

apical and the stigma ventral.

214

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Risaralda: above Pueblo Rico, epiphytic in cloud forest below the TV antenna, alt. 2400 m, 14

May 1993, C. Luer, J. Luer, A. de Wilde & J. Gomez 16839 (Holotype: MO).

Antioquia: epiphytic in cloud forest north of the pass between Urrao and Carmen de Atrato, alt.

2700 m, 30 May 1995, C. Luer, J. Luer, R Escobar, L. Posada, B. Lopez, F. Lopez & G. Arteaga

17633 (holotype of L. arethusa : MO), 17657 (MO); Mun. Sonson, Tres Cruces, alt. 2750 m, 30 Apr.

1983, C. Luer, R. Escobar, et al. 8894 (SEL); near the pass between Urrao and Carmen de Atrato, alt.

2700 m, collected by R. Escobar, W. Teague, et al. 12 December 1994, flowered in cultivation at

Colomborquideas, 23 May 1995, C. Luer 17528 (MO).

This beautiful little species is apparently endemic in the Western Cordillera. It

is distinguished by small, purple or rose-gray to green, subacute leaves; and a

shorter inflorescence bearing relatively large, colorful, showy flowers. The broad

sepals are finely toothed, with the dorsal sepal acuminate and the laterals

contracted into slender caudae; the bright orange, winglike petals are unequally

bilobed with the upper lobe larger; and the blades of the lip are oblong with a

narrow body and a small, triangular appendix with long, apical cilia. Although all

these features are seen in other species, it is their unique combination into this

particularly pretty plant that seems specific.

Lepanthes viahoensis Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 20(3): 311-313, 1997.

Ety.: Named for the region around Rio Viao where the species was discovered.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 25-35 mm long,

enclosed by 6-7 microscopically ciliate lepanthiform sheaths with oblique ostia. Leaf erect, thickly

coriaceous, very narrowly ovate, acute, 28-32 mm long, 5 mm wide, the cuneate base contracted into a

petiole 2 mm long. Inflorescence a distichous, congested, successively many-flowered raceme up to 10

mm long, borne behind the leaf by a filiform peduncle 4-6 mm long; floral bracts muriculate, 0.5 mm

long; pedicels 0.75-1 mm long; ovary 1 mm long; sepals yellow-green, glabrous, membranous, 3-

veined, carinate, reflexed, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal ovate, acute, 2.5 mm long, 1.25 mm wide,

barely connate to the lateral sepals, the lateral sepals obovate, oblique, diverging, obtuse, shortly

acuminate, 2.25 mm long, 1.2 mm wide, barely connate basally; petals yellow-orange, microscopically

pubescent, transversely bilobed, 0.75 mm long, 2.25 mm wide, the upper lobe erect, obliquely

triangular, narrowly rounded at the apex, the lower lobe oblong, shorter, oblique at the apex; lip purple,

microscopically ciliate, subcordate, with the apex broadly rounded, shortly incised, with a microscopic

lobule in the sinus, with the basal lobes embracing the column, 1 mm long, 1.2 mm wide, connate to the

base of the column; column stout, 0.75 mm long, the anther and stigma apical.

Antioquia: Cocorna, Rio Viao, alt. ca. 2000 m, collected by Jorge Lopez, flowered in cultivation

at Colomborquideas, 3 June 1995, C. Luer 17719 (Holotype: MO).

This species, apparently endemic in the Central Cordillera of Colombia, is

similar to Lepanthes petalopteryx from the Western Cordillera. Both species are

characterized by narrowly ovate leaves longer than the congested, distichous

racemes bearing the small flowers. The sepals of L. viahoensis are smooth-

margined, the laterals three-veined; those of L. petalopteryx are minutely den¬

ticulate and two-veined. The petals of L. petalopteryx are most distinctive, with

obliquely truncate upper and lower lobes. Except for that of L. viahoensis being

much smaller, the broadly cordate lips of the two species are the same.

Lepanthes vibrissa Luer & Hirtz, Lindleyana 2(3): 155, 1987.

Ety.: From the Latin vibrissa , “a whisker,” referring to the long, pointed lobes of the petals.

Plant large, epiphytic, caespitose; roots coarse. Ramicauls stout, erect, 15-20 cm long, enclosed by

12-14 long-ciliate lepanthiform sheaths with dilated ostia. Leaf erect, thinly coriaceous, ovate, acute,

acuminate, 9-10.5 cm long, 4.5-5 cm wide, the rounded base contracted into a petiole 3 mm long. Inflo¬

rescence a congested, distichous, successively many-flowered raceme up to 4 cm long, borne behind

the leaf by a slender peduncle 3-4 cm long; floral bracts 2 mm long; pedicels 1.5 mm long; ovary 2 mm

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

215

long; sepals yellow, glabrous, carinate, ovate, acute, acuminate, margins minutely denticulate, the

dorsal sepal 9 mm long, 4 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1.5 mm, the lateral

sepals oblique, diverging, 9 mm long, 3 mm wide, 2-veined, connate 3 mm; petals red-purple,

microscopically pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1 mm long, 7 mm wide, the lobes obliquely and

narrowly triangular, acute, the upper lobe much longer; lip red-purple, bilaminate, the blades shortly

pubescent, subovate, convex, obtuse, 1.9 mm long, the connectives cuneate, connate to the base of the

column, the sinus obtuse with an oblong, ciliate appendix with a bilobulate apex; column 2 mm long,

the anther apical, the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Urrao, Parque Nacional Natural “Las Orquideas,” Sector Calles, margen derecha del

Rio Calles, alt. 1320-1390 m, 24 Mar. 1988, A. Cogollo, J. G. Ramirez & O. Alvarez 2526 (MO); same

area, alt. 1240 m, 29 May 1988, A. Cogollo & J. G. Ramirez 3052 (MO); same area, alt. 1250-1375 m,

31 May 1988, A. Cogollo & J. G. Ramirez 3116 (MO); same area, alt. 1390-1420 m, 12 Feb. 1989, A.

Cogollo, D. Cardenas & O. Alvarez 3919 (MO); Alto de Cuevas, E. Valencia, December 1990, flow¬

ered in cultivation at Colomborquideas, 16-19 May 1993, C. Luer 16888 (MO); epiphytic in cloud

forest north of the Urrao-Carmen de Atrato pass, alt. 2700 m, 30 May 1995, C. Luer et al. 17666 (MO).

Also Ecuador (Napo, Holotype, Luer et al. 11263 : MO).

Among several species with petals with long-pointed lobes, the upper lobe

much longer than the lower lobe, Lepanthes vibrissa differs in its large size and

congested racemes. The relatively large, ovate sepals are minutely denticulate with

acuminate apices. The minutely pubescent blades of the lip are longitudinally con¬

vex. The appendix is pubescent and minutely bilobulate at the apex.

Lepanthes vieirae Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 17(3): 228-231, 1988.

Ety.: Named in honor of Don Luis Carlos Vieira of Medellin, Colombia, discoverer of this species.

Plant very small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 8-15 mm long,

enclosed by 4-5 scabrous lepanthiform sheaths, shortly ciliate on the margins of the ostia. Leaf erect,

coriaceous, ovate, acute, 12-17 mm long, 7-11 mm wide, the broadly cuneate base contracted into a

petiole 1 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, distichous, successively flowered raceme up to 5 mm

long, borne behind the leaf by a filiform peduncle 3 mm long; floral bracts scabrous, 0.5 mm long;

pedicels 0.5 mm long; ovary 0.75 mm long; sepals dull red-purple, glabrous, ovate, acute, carinate,

margins ciliate, the dorsal sepal 3.5 mm long, 2 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5

mm, the lateral sepals diverging, 3 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, connate 1 mm, 1-veined; petals red-purple,

yellow toward the base, pubescent, narrowly transversely elliptical, 0.5 mm long, 3 mm wide, 3-veined,

the lobes triangular, acute, the upper lobe 3 times longer than the lower lobe; lip red-purple, bilaminate,

pubescent, the blades elliptical, obtuse, 0.9 mm long, the connectives broadly cuneate, the broad body

connate to the base of the column-foot, the sinus obtuse with a pedunculate, pubescent appendix

slightly bifid at the apex; column 1 mm long, the anther apical, the stigma ventral.

Choco: epiphytic in forest, Bahia Solano, alt. 200 m, Dec. 1982, collected and cultivated by L. C.

Vieira, flowered in cultivation, 21 May 1984, C. Luer 10393 (Holotype: MO); “planta epifita del estrato

arboreo mas alto en ramas muy delgadas relativamente frecuente 50 a 100 mts.,” July 1988, G. Misas

Urreta 75a (HPUJ).

This little species is one of a very few that grow in the hot lowlands of Colom¬

bia. It is recognized by its small size; ciliate sepals, the laterals with only one vein;

proportionally long, pointed, pubescent petals; and ovate, pubescent blades of the

lip with a pedunculated, pubescent appendix. The often equally minute Lepanthes

pinnatula from much higher elevations is similar, but the flowers differ with sepals

with short-acuminate apices and a lip with decurved bases.

Lepanthes volvox Luer & R. Escobar, Amer. Orchid Soc. Bull. 53(5): 481, 1984.

Ety.: From the Latin volvox, “a caterpillar,” in allusion to the appearance of the lobes of the petals.

Plant medium to large in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots relatively coarse. Ramicauls moderately

stout, erect, 12-17 cm long, enclosed by 13-14 ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, thinly

216

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

coriaceous, multiveined, the veins ciliate beneath, ovate, acute, acuminate, 7-9 cm long, 2.5-2.8 cm

wide, the base rounded, abruptly contracted into a petiole 5-6 mm long. Inflorescence a congested,

secund, successively flowered raceme up to 5 mm long or longer, borne behind the leaf by a filiform

peduncle 3-4 cm long; floral bracts 2 mm long; pedicels 1 mm long; ovary 1.5 mm long; sepals trans¬

lucent light rose, glabrous, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal triangular, acute, 8 mm long, 4 mm wide,

3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals for 1.5 mm, the lateral sepals ovate, acute, diverging slightly,

shortly acuminate, longitudinally concave centrally, connate 3 mm, 7.5 mm long, 6 mm wide together,

each 2-veined; petals yellow, transversely bilobed, pubescent, 1.5 mm long, 6.5 mm wide, the lobes

subequal, obliquely ovate basally with slender, attenuated apices; lip red-orange, the blades subcircular,

2.75 mm long, glabrous, the apices abruptly acuminate, the bases rounded, the connectives broadly

oblong to form a broad, rounded body, connected to the base of the column, the rounded sinus with a

small, sigmoid, pubescent, oscillating appendix bilobed at the apex; column 2 mm long, the anther

dorsal, the stigma ventral.

Antioquia: Jardin, Alto de Yentanas, alt. 2800 m, 26 May 1983, collector unknown, flowered in

cultivation at Colomborquideas, El Retiro, 13 Jan. 1984, R. Escobar SI94 (Holotype: MO; Isotypes:

JAUM, SEL), C. Luer illustr. 9492.

This large species is characterized by the congested inflorescence shorter than

the leaf that is ciliate along the veins beneath. The lobes of each petal are long,

slender, and pubescent. The rounded blades of the lip have narrowly acuminate

apices, and the appendix is a small, oscillating organ. The pubescent petals with an

everted lower lobe; and the lip with blades with broadly rounded, concave bases

and acute apices are reminiscent of Lepanthes uncifera. The flowers of L. uncifera

are larger and borne in a very congested, distichous raceme, with petals with the

upper lobe obliquely, obtusely triangular.

Lepanthes wageneri Rchb. fl, Bonplandia 3: 70, 1855.

Ety.: Named in honor of the traveler Hermann Wagener who first collected this species.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect, slender, 10-30 mm long,

enclosed by 4-8 minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, suffused with purple, thickly

coriaceous, elliptical, subacute to obtuse, 15-20 mm long, 8-13 mm wide, the base broadly cuneate into

a petiole 1 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, successively several-flowered raceme up to 3 mm

long, borne behind the leaf by a slender peduncle 3 mm long; floral bracts 1-E25 mm long; pedicels 1-

E25 mm long; ovary 1-E5 mm long; sepals yellow, occasionally nearly white, variously suffused with

red, glabrous, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal ovate to obovate, obtuse, sometimes shortly acuminate,

3.5-5 mm long, E5-2.5 mm wide, 3-veined, barely connate to the lateral sepals, the lateral sepals ovate,

oblique, acute to subacute, sometimes shortly acuminate, apices approximate to diverging, 2.5-4.5 mm

long, E5-2 mm wide, 2-veined, connate about 0.5 mm; petals yellow or orange, variously suffused

with red, minutely pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1-E3 mm long, 2.25-4 mm wide, the upper lobe

ovate-triangular to broadly oblong, obtuse, sometimes acute, the lower lobe usually similar; lip orange

to red, cellular-pubescent, bilaminate, the blades more or less oblong, longitudinally concave, E5 mm

long, with everted or revolute, truncate apices and rounded bases, the connectives posterior, obliquely

cuneate, the body narrow but with an external, cymbiform appendix that protrudes forward beyond the

sinus; the body connate to the base of the column; column E5 mm long, the anther apical, the stigma

ventral.

Norte de Santander: Aspasica, Ocana, April 1854, H. Wagener s.n. (Holotype: W); epiphytic in

cloud forest, Alto de Santa Inez, alt. 2100-2250 m, 13 May 1984, C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E.

Valencia 10320, 10321, 10330, 10344 (MO).

Antioquia: epiphytic in forest above the Miraflores Dam northeast of Santa Rosa de Osos, alt.

2050 m, 15 May 1985, C. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 11373 (MO); epiphytic in forest remnant

about 10 km north of Santa Rosa de Osos, alt. 2650 m, 14 March 1989, C. Luer, J. Luer, S. Dalstrom &

W. Teague 14134 (MO); La Union, epiphytic in trees along a stream 5 km west of Mesopotamia, alt.

2400 m, 8 Apr. 1988, C. Luer, J. Luer & R. Escobar 13073, 13078 (MO); epiphytic in forest between

Barbossa and Concepcion, alt. 2380 m, 10 Apr. 1988, C. Luer 13175A (MO); Retiro, epiphytic in forest

above Colomborquideas, alt. 2400 m, collected by W. Teague, 17 Apr. 1988, C. Luer 13220 (MO);

Mun. El Carmen, above San Lorenzo, alt. 2500 m, 21 March 1989, C. Luer, J. Luer & W. Teague

14340 (MO).

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

217

Santander: epiphytic in cloud forest west of Velez, road to Landazuri, alt. 2150 m, 4-5 May 1984,

C. Luer, J. Luer, R. Escobar & E. Valencia 10129 (MO).

Boyaca: Chiquinquira, in city park ‘Juan Pablo II,’ in shrubs, alt. 2600 m, 2 Jan. 1993, A. de Wilde

4427 (MO).

Cundinamarca: “Andes of Bogota,” probably Cundinamarca, alt. unknown, June 1923, Pring 264

(MO); Guatarita, alt. 2800 m, 2007, collected and flowered in cultivation by Luis Eduardo Alvarez,

June 2009, L. Thoerle 135 (MO).

Putumayo: east of San Francisco, alt. 2500-2700 m, 8 June 2009, L. Thoerle 119 (MO).

Also Ecuador (Napo, Tungurahua, Pastaza, Morona-Santiago, Azuay, Loja, Zamora-Chinchipe),

Bolivia (La Paz, Cochabamba), Venezuela (Aragua, Falcon, Mireda, Sucre, Yaracuy).

This species is frequent and locally common in its wide distribution in the

Andes from Venezuela into Bolivia. Although it is variable both vegetatively and

florally, it is usually easily recognized. The leaves are small, thick, elliptical, and

suffused with purple. The inflorescence is short and behind the leaf. The flowers

are colorful with various combinations of yellow, orange, red, and purple. The

sepals are very shallowly connate, and sometimes shortly acuminate. The petals

are very variable in size and shape, in no two populations being the same. The lip,

however, is easily recognized by the oblong blades that are longitudinally chan¬

neled or concave with the obtuse or truncate apex more or less recurved. The

appendix is longitudinal and boat-shaped on the external surface of the body, and

extends forward beyond the sinus. It can be recognized from a lateral view when

the blade of the lip is lifted.

Lepanthes dalstroemii Luer was reduced to synonymy as a vegetatively larger

variant of L. wageneri (Luer 1996b). Re-examination of these two taxa shows

discrete differences that support maintaining both species. Lepanthes dalstroemii is

very similar to L. wageneri , but differs with longer, narrowly elliptical leaves

borne by longer ramicauls; flowers with petals oblong with a small marginal angle

between the lobes, rather than usually broadly oblong without a marginal angle;

and a lip with blades with margins irregular rather than minutely pubescent, and an

appendix ligulate rather than triangular.

Lepanthes yubarta E. Calderon, Orquideologia 27(2): 200, 2010.

Ely.: From yubarta, the local name for the humpback whale, in reference to the curved column and

the fluke-like lateral lobes of the lip.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls erect to suberect, slender, 3-5 cm long,

enclosed by 5-8 microscopically ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf suberect, coriaceous, ovate, acute,

more or less acuminate, 1.5-3 cm long, 0.9-1.1 cm wide, contracted below into a petiole 1 mm long.

Inflorescence a congested, more or less secund, successively many-flowered raceme to 7 mm long,

borne before the leaf by a peduncle 5-9 mm long; floral bracts 0.8 mm long; pedicels 2 mm long; ovary

1.5 mm long, subcarinate with the ribs microscopically irregular; sepals bright yellow to orange,

glabrous, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal ovate, subacute, 4 mm long, 3.5 mm wide, 3-veined, con¬

nate to the lateral sepals for ca. 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals connate 3 mm into a broadly ovate, bifid syn-

sepal, 4 mm long, 4.5 mm wide, each 2-veined, the apices subacute to obtuse, diverging slightly, free

for 1 mm; petals orange, cellular-pubescent, bilobed, 0.8 mm long, 2.5 mm wide, the lobes similar,

more or less oblong, rounded at the ends; lip cellular-pubescent, bilaminate, the blades obliquely

triangular, antrorse, rounded at the apex, each ca. 0.6 mm long, erect to either side of the column, the

body 0.5 mm long and wide, held beneath the column, the appendix minute, pubescent, protruding,

oblong, concave; column rose, semiterete, curved 180° downward, 1.5 mm long, ca. 0.7 mm wide, 2-

winged at the apex, with the anther and the stigma ventral.

Valle del Cauca: El Cairo, Serrania de los Paraguas, alt. 1900 m, flowered in cultivation at

Reserva Natural El Refugio, Aug. 2010, E. Calderon 602 (Holotype: HPUJ); Alto de Los Galapagos,

below the pass between Valle del Cauca and Choco, alt. 1900 m, 13 May 1993, C. Luer et al. 16818

(MO); without collection data, cultivated by Andrea Niessen de Uribe at Orquideas del Valle, Cali,

Nov. 2000, A. Niessen 038 (MO), C. Luer illustr. 19442.

218

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Risaralda: above San Jose del Palmar, Alto de Galapagos, alt. 2100 m, collected by A. de Wilde,

flowered in cultivation at his home above Pereira, 10 May 1993, C. Luer 16741 (MO).

Also possibly Ecuador: without collecting data, cultivated by Ecuagenera, Gualaceo, Ecuador, 5

Mar. 2001, C. Luer 19716 (MO).

This species of southern Colombia and perhaps Ecuador resembles Lepanthes

pterygion from the northern Western Cordillera. The two species share flowers

with a terete, decurved column, flanked at the base by the minute, winglike lobes

of the lip. The flowers of L. yubarta differ with a proportionally broader, less acute

dorsal sepal; petals with shorter, obtuse lobes rather than narrowly triangular, acute

lobes; and a lip with shorter obtuse blades and a smaller, oblong, concave appen¬

dix rather than triangular blades and a ligulate appendix. The ovary of L. yubarata

is minutely and irregularly ribbed rather than smoothly sulcate.

Lepanthes zapatae Luer & R. Escobar, Orquideologia 19(2): 121, 1994.

Ety.: Named in honor of M. Zapata who collected this species.

Plant small, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls comparatively stout, erect, 4-7 cm

long, enclosed by 7-8 minutely ciliate lepanthiform sheaths. Leaf erect, coriaceous, elliptical, subacute,

20-27 mm long, 11-14 mm wide, the base cuneate into a petiole 2 mm long. Inflorescence a congested,

distichous, successively several-flowered raceme, up to 5 mm long, often bearing 2 flowers simulta¬

neously, borne behind the leaf by a filiform peduncle 8-10 mm long; floral bracts muriculate, 1.5 mm

long; pedicels 2-2.5 mm long; ovary 2 mm long; sepals rose with red along the veins, slightly reflexed,

glabrous, margins smooth, the dorsal sepal ovate, acute, 4 mm long, 2.6 mm wide, 3-veined, connate to

the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm, the lateral sepals ovate, oblique, diverging, acute, 4 mm long, 1.75 mm

wide, 2-veined, connate 1 mm; petals red, microscopically pubescent, transversely bilobed, convex,

1.25 mm long, 4.25 mm wide, the lobes obscurely ovate-triangular, narrowly obtuse, the apices of the

upper lobes overlapping; lip red-orange, bilaminate, the blades microscopically pubescent, narrowly

oblong, 2 mm long, with the apices narrowed, elongated, recurved, overlapping beneath the column, the

connectives broadly cuneate, the body broad, connate to the base of the column, the sinus obtuse, with

the appendix external, minute, ciliate; column 1.5 mm long, with the anther and the stigma apical.

Antioquia: Hda. El Mono de Frontino, collected by M. Zapata, Dec. 1992, flowered in cultivation

at Colomborquideas, 5 May 1993, C. Luer 16724 (Holotype: MO).

This little species from the Western Cordillera around Frontino is distinguished

by relatively small, elliptical leaves borne by considerably longer ramicauls. The

distichous raceme with long pedicels, borne along the back side of the leaf, often

bears two flowers, one on either side of the raceme. The sides of the ovate sepals

recurve as the sepals slightly reflex. The large petals are convex with apices over¬

lapping as they lie against the sepals. The blades of the lip are oblong, with elon¬

gated apices that recurve beneath the column. The connectives are very wide, with

the sinus at their junction above the minute, external appendix. The superficially

similar Lepanthes hubeinii is distinguished by sepals with the dorsal obtuse and

broadly ovate, the laterals ovate and connate more than half their length; and a lip

with a long, conspicuous, pendent, ciliate appendix.

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

219

Doubtful and Excluded Species

The following species remain poorly understood and are excluded from this

treatment:

Lepanthes antioquiensis Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Yeg. Beih. 7: 95, 1920.

Lepanthes dolichopus Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Yeg. Beih. 7: 96, 1920.

Lepanthes lehmannii Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 27: 160, 1924.

Lepanthes marginata Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 7: 96, 1920.

Lepanthes nubicola Rchb. f., Xenia Orchidacea 1: 146, 1856.

Lepanthes schnitteri Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 27: 160, 1924.

Lepanthes stenoscleros Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. Beih. 7: 99, 1920.

Farfan et al. 2003 lists a number of species for which we find no vouchered

occurrences in Colombia:

Lepanthes crista-piscis Luer & R. Vasquez, Phytologia 54(5): 337. 1983. Endemic to Bolivia.

Lepanthes pteropogon Rchb. f., Xenia Orchidacea 1: 146. 1856, seems to be based on a specimen of

L. dunstervilleorum (C. Luer 05243, SEL).

Lepanthes schizix Luer, Phytologia 54(5): 370. 1983. Endemic to Ecuador.

Lepanthes speciosa Luer & Hirtz, Die Orchidee 43(2): 67. 1992. Endemic to Ecuador.

Foldats (1970) includes Colombia in his distribution for Lepanthes lindleyana

Oerst. & Rchb. f. Xenia Orchidacea 1: 149, t. 50, 1858, but we find no vouchered

occurrences in Colombia.

220

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Fig. 3. Lepanthes aciculifolia

Fig. 4. Lepanthes acrogenia

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

221

'ig. 7. Lepanthes affinis

Fig. 8. Lepanthes aggeris

222

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Fig. 9. Lepanthes agglutinata

Fig. 11. Lepanthes alcicornis

Fig. 12. Lepanthes alkaia

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

223

224

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Fig. 19. Lepanthes anemica

Fig. 20. Lepanthes anserina

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

225

Fig. 23. Lepanthes aperta

Fig. 24. Lepanthes aquila-borussiae

226

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

227

Fig. 31. Lepanthes auditor

Fig. 32. Lepanthes aures-asini

228

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Fig. 35. Lepanthes barclaya

Fig. 36. Lepanthes beatrizae

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

229

Fig. 39. Lepanthes binaria

Fig. 40. Lepanthes bipinnatula

230

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

231

Fig. 47. Lepanthes calimae

Fig. 48. Lepanthes callisto

232

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Fig. 5E Lepanthes carrilloi

Fig. 52. Lepanthes carunculigera

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

233

234

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Fig. 59. Lepanthes chocoensis

Fig. 60. Lepanthes cincinnata

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

235

236

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

237

238

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Fig. 75. Lepanthes cuneiformis

Fig. 76. Lepanthes cunicularis

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

239

Fig. 79. Lepanthes darioi

Fig. 80. Lepanthes dasyura

240

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Fig. 81. Lepanthes debedoutii

Fig. 83. Lepanthes declivis

Fig. 84. Lepanthes deficiens

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

241

Fig. 87. Lepanthes deutera

Fig. 88. Lepanthes dewildei

242

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Fig. 91. Lepanthes didactyla

Fig. 92. Lepanthes discolor

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

243

Fig. 95. Lepanthes dryades

Fig. 96. Lepanthes dumbo

244

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Fig. 98. Lepanthes echidion

Fig. 99. Lepanthes ectopa

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

245

Fig. 102a. Lepanthes elata

Fig. 102b. Lepanthes elata

246

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

247

Fig. 109. Lepanthes escobariana

Fig. 110. Lepanthes eucerca

248

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Fig. 113. Lepanthes ferax

Fig. 114. Lepanthes fibulifera

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

249

Fig. 117. Lepanthes fonnegrae

Fig. 118. Lepanthes forceps

250

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Fig. 121. Lepanthes furcata

Fig. 122. Lepanthes garg&fua

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

251

Fig. 123. Lepanthes gelata

Fig. 125. Lepanthes georgii

Fig. 126. Lepanthes giraldoi

252

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Fig. 129. Lepanthes guanacasensis

Fig. 130. Lepanthes gustavoi

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

253

Fig. 132. Lepanthes habenifera

254

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Fig. 137. Lepanthes heteroloba

Fig. 138. Lepanthes hexapus

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

255

Fig. 141. Lepanthes hirtzii

Fig. 142. Lepanthes hortensis

256

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

5 cm

3 mm

Fig. 143. Lepanthes hubeinii

Fig. 145. Lepanthes hyphosa

Fig. 146. Lepanthes ictalurus

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

257

Fig. 149. Lepanthes imposita

Fig. 150. Lepanthes impotens

258

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Fig. 153. Lepanthes ionoptera

Fig. 154. Lepanthes isochila

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

259

260

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Fig. 16 E Lepanthes lacera

Fig. 162. Lepanthes larvina

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

261

Fig. 165. Lepanthes lilliputae

Fig. 166. Lepanthes limbata

262

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

263

264

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

265

Fig. 181. Lepanthes micellilabia

Fig. 182. Lepanthes micronyx

266

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Fig. 185. Lepanthes mirador

Fig. 186. Lepanthes monitor

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

267

268

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Fig. 193. Lepanthes nematostele

Fig. 194. Lepanthes nicolasii

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

269

Fig. 197a. Lepanthes norae

Fig. 197b. Lepanthes norae

270

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Fig. 200. Lepanthes octavioi

Fig. 20 E Lepanthes octopus

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

271

272

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

273

Fig. 212. Lepanthes oxypetala

Fig. 213. Lepanthes pachoi

274

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Fig. 216. Lepanthes parmata

Fig. 217. Lepanthes pastoensis

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

275

Fig. 220. Lepanthes petalolenta

Fig. 221. Lepanthes petalopteryx

276

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Fig. 224. Lepanthes pilosiaures

Fig. 225. Lepanthes pinnatula

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

277

Fig. 228. Lepanthes pleurorachis

Fig. 229. Lepanthes pleurothallopsis

278

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

279

Fig. 236. Lepanthes pterygion

Fig. 237. Lepanthes pyramidalis

280

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

281

282

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Fig. 248. Lepanthes ribes

Fig. 249. Lepanthes ricaurtensis

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

283

Fig. 251. Lepanthes roezliana

Fig. 252. Lepanthes rutrum

Fig. 253. Lepanthes saccata

284

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Fig. 255. Lepanthes scalaris

Fig. 256. Lepanthes scopulifera

Fig. 257. Lepanthes sericinitens

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

285

Fig. 260. Lepanthes sinuosa

Fig. 261. Lepanthes skeleton

286

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Fig. 264. Lepanthes spelynx

Fig. 265. Lepanthes stelidilabia

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

287

Fig. 268. Lepanthes strumosa

Fig. 269. Lepanthes stupenda

288

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Fig. 272. Lepanthes tachirensis

Fig. 273. Lepanthes tamaensis

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

289

Fig. 276. Lepanthes tetracola

Fig. 277. Lepanthes tibouchinicola

290

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Fig. 280. Lepanthes transparens

Fig. 281. Lepanthes trichocaulis

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

291

Fig. 284. Lepanthes trinaria

Fig. 285. Lepanthes troglodytes

292

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Fig. 288a. Lepanthes umbonata

Fig. 288b. Lepanthes umbonata

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

293

294

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

295

Fig. 299. Lepanthes yubarta

Fig. 300. Lepanthes zapatae

296

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Selected References

Blanco, M. A. & G. Barboza. 2005. Pseudocopulatory pollination in Lepanthes (Orchidaceae: Pleuro-

thallidinae) by fungus gnats. Ann. Bot. (Oxford) 95: 763-772.

Dunsterville, G. C. K. & L. A. Garay. 1959-1976. Venezuelan Orchids Illustrated: 1-6. London, A.

Deutsch.

Escobar, R. R. (Ed.). 1991-1994. Native Colombian orchids: 2, 5. Medellin: Editorial Colina.

Farfan, J., J. Tupac Otero, C. A. Luer. 2003. Especies de Lepanthes (Orchidaceae) de Colombia. Biota

Colombiana4(l): 33-47.

Foldats, E. 1970. Orchidaceae. In T. Lasser, Ed., Flora de Venezuela 15 (2): 453-523. Instituto

Botanico, Caracas.

Luer, C. A. 1996a. Systematics of Lepanthes subgenus Marsipanthes. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot.

Gard. 61(2): 1-12.

Luer, C. A. 1996b. The genus Lepanthes subgenus Lepanthes in Ecuador. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri

Bot. Gard. 61(3): 1-255.

Luer, C. A. 2010. Corrigenda. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 120: 154.

Luer, C. A. & L. Thoerle. 2010. Lepanthes of Bolivia. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 120: 1-

64.

Luer, C.A. & L. Thoerle. 2011. Lepanthes. In Persson, C. & B. Stahl, Eds., Flora of Ecuador 88: 13-

405. Goteborg: Botanical Institute, Goteborg University.

Misas U., G. 2005. Orchids from the Serrania del Baudo, Choco, Colombia. Corp. Capitalina de Orqui-

deologia, Bogota.

Reichenbach F., H. G. 1854. Xenia Orchid. 1.

Schlechter, R. 1920. Die Orchideenfloren der sudamerikanischen Kordillerenstaten II: Colombia.

Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Beih. 7.

Schlechter, R. 1924. Beitrage zur Orchideenkunde von Colombia. Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Beih. 27.

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the herbaria for sharing their collections, especially AMES, SEL, MO, and

HPUJ. Many individuals contributed specimens or allowed access to their collections, notably the

Posada family of Colomborquideas, Andrea Niessen and Juan Carlos Uribe of Orquideas del Valle,

Alexander Hirtz, and the late Padre Ortiz Valdivieso, S. J. The names of others are credited in the

citations of collections. From the Missouri Botanical Garden, Robert Magill provided data from

TROPICOS; Sara Fuentes and Victoria Hollowell devoted many hours to improving the manuscript.

Gustavo Romero of AMES and Rudolf Jenny of the Swiss Orchid Foundation provided documentation

from their archives. Coastal Printing, Inc. has been tremendously helpful in producing the first largely

electronic volume of the leones. Members of the Pleurothallid Alliance supported Stig Dalstrom’s

inking of many of the illustrations. The editors of the following journals granted permission to reprint

descriptions and illustrations: the American Orchid Society Bulletin, Harvard Papers in Botany,

Orquideologia, Selbyana, Die Orchidee, and the Orchid Digest. Last but not least, our respective

spouses, Jane Luer and Steven Lubar, supported this effort in innumerable ways.

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

297

INDEX OF SCIENTIFIC NAMES

Brachycladium 5

Epidendrum ovale 4, 5, 6

Lepanthes 1, 3, 4, 13, 43, 78, 112, 114, 127, 175

subgen. Lepanthes 4, 5

sect. Diplocheilus 5

sect. Fawcelepanthes 5

sect. Haplocheilus 5

sect. Lepanthes 5

subsect. Bilabiatae 4, 6

subsect. Breves 6, 13, 79, 135, 148, 154

subsect. Lepanthes 6, 13, 15

sect. Macrocladae 5

sect. Rendlelepanthes 5

subgen. Marsipanthes 4, 6, 13, 103, 180, 186

sect. Caprimulginae 4, 6

sect. Felinae 5, 6, 13, 66

sect. Marsipanthes 6, 13

Lepanthes abortiva 9, 16, 34, Fig.l.

acarina 9, 17, 34, 35, 123, Fig. 2.

aciculifolia 9, 20, 25, 35, 64, 114, Fig. 3.

acrogenia 9, 25, 36, 190, Fig. 4.

actias-luna 51

acuminata 197

acutissima 9, 32, 36, 49, Fig. 5.

aduncata 9, 30, 37, Fig. 6.

affinis 9, 29, 32, 37, 38, Fig. 7.

aggeris 9, 14, 38, Fig. 8.

agglutinata 9, 11, 23, 38, 39, 45, 61, 129, 158,

167, 172, 176, Fig. 9.

aguirrei 9, 20, 21, 39, 40, 117, Fig. 10.

alcicornis 9, 21, 40, 41, 79, 158, 208, Fig. 11.

alkaia 9, 25, 41, Fig. 12.

alvarezii 9, 32, 41, 42, 128, Fig. 13.

amplior 9, 17, 42, 59. 141, Fig. 14.

amplisepala 9, 16, 42, 43, Fig. 15.

anatina 9, 30, 43, 46, Fig. 16.

anchorifera 9, 27, 43, Fig. 17.

andrenoglossa 9, 21, 44, 150, Fig. 18.

anemica 9, 23, 45, Fig. 19.

anserina 9, 26, 43, 45, 46, Fig. 20.

antennata 9, 28, 46, 193, Fig. 21.

antennifera 9, 25, 47, 164, Fig. 22.

antioquiensis 219

aperta 9, 27, 47, Fig. 23.

aquila-borussiae 9, 11, 28, 48, 101, 143, 171,

Fig. 24.

arbuscula 9, 16, 48, Fig. 25.

arethusa 9, 12, 213, 214

argentata 9, 19, 49, Fig. 26.

aries 9,31,32, 50, 76, Fig. 27.

aristata 9, 22, 50, Fig. 28.

athena 9, 32, 51, Fig. 29.

atomifera 9, 27, 52, 192, Fig. 30.

auditor 9, 27, 52, Fig. 31.

aures-asini 9, 26, 53, Fig. 32.

auriculata 9, 32, 53, 54, 161, 198, Fig. 33.

auspicata 9, 12, 189, 190

ballatrix 9, 29, 31, 54, 54, 57, Fig. 34.

barclaya 9, 15, 54, Fig. 35.

beatrizae 9, 17, 55, 59, 106, 115, 116, Fig. 36.

bifurcata 9, 10, 110

Lepanthes biglomeris 9, 18, 55, 117, Fig. 37.

biloba 9, 11, 19, 56, 57, 59, 98, 164, Fig. 38.

binaria 9, 29, 31, 57, Fig. 39.

bipinnatula 9, 23, 58, Fig. 40.

bitriangularis 9, 19, 58, 59, Fig. 41.

blephariglossa 131

boyacensis 9, 18, 59, Fig. 42.

brevipedicellata 9, 17, 59, 60, Fig. 43.

brevipetala 5

cacique-tone 9, 29, 60, Fig. 44.

cactoura 9, 23, 61, Fig. 45.

caesariata 9, 29, 61, Fig. 46.

caetanoae 9, 84

calimae 9, 17, 62, 104, Fig. 47.

callisto 9, 23, 62, Fig. 48.

calocodon 42

calodictyon 9, 20, 24, 35, 63, 64, Fig. 49.

canaliculata 9, 20, 22, 35, 64, Fig. 50.

capitanea42, 167

carrilloi 9, 19, 64, Fig. 51.

carunculigera 1,9, 13, 65, 66, 180, Fig. 52.

caucana 9, 12, 205, 206

caudata 9, 17, 66, Fig. 53.

caudatisepala 9, 33, 59, 66, 67, 178, Fig. 54.

cerambyx 9, 26, 67, 90, 91, Fig. 55.

cercion 9, 28, 68, Fig. 56.

chelonion 9, 16, 68, 99, 120, 152, Fig. 57.

chimaera 9, 16, 18, 30, 31, 69, Fig. 58.

chocoensis 9, 24, 70, Fig. 59.

cincinnata 9, 20, 28, 70, 71, 139, Fig. 60.

cingens 9, 33, 71, 86, 87, Fig. 61.

clausa 9, 18, 71, 78, Fig. 62.

climax 9, 16, 72, Fig. 63.

cocculifera 9, 30, 73, Fig. 64.

cogolloi 9, 26, 73, Fig. 65.

conchyliata 9, 18, 74, 125, Fig. 66.

concinna 4

confusa 9, 25, 74, 192, 205, Fig. 67.

contingens 9, 30, 75, 206, 210, Fig. 68.

cordata 9, 26, 75, 106, Fig. 69.

cornualis 9, 15, 50, 76, Fig. 70.

corrugata 9, 20, 22, 77, Fig. 71.

costata 1, 141

cotyledon 77

crista-piscis 219

cuatrecasasii 9, 15, 77, Fig. 72.

cucullata 9, 13, 72, 78, Fig. 73.

culex 9, 26, 41, 78, 79, 111, Fig. 74.

cuneiformis 9, 14, 79, Fig. 75.

cunicularis 9, 30, 80, 184, Fig. 76.

cyclochila 9, 21, 80, 81, 170, Fig. 77.

cymbium 9, 16, 81, 101, 120, Fig. 78.

dalstroemii 217

dapaensis 9, 12, 204, 205

darioi 9, 32, 81, Fig. 79.

dasyura 9, 26, 82, Fig. 80.

debedoutii 9, 17, 82, Fig. 81.

debilis 9, 25, 83, Fig. 82.

declivis 9, 30, 84, Fig. 83.

deficiens 9, 24, 28, 84, 85, Fig. 84.

deformis 9, 24, 85, Fig. 85.

298

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Lepanthes deliciasensis 10, 19, 86, 185, Fig. 86.

deutera 10, 33, 86, 87, Fig. 87.

dewildei 10, 29, 87, Fig. 88.

diabolica 10, 21, 22, 87, Fig. 89.

dicyrtopetala 10, 28, 88, Fig. 90.

didactyla 10, 18, 88, Fig. 91.

discolor 10, 27, 89, Fig. 92.

dodsonii 10, 20, 24, 90, Fig. 93.

dolabrata 10, 24, 68, 90, 91, Fig. 94.

dolichopus 148, 219

dryades 10, 21, 22, 41, 91, 108, Fig. 95.

dumbo 10, 25, 91, Fig. 96.

dunstervilleorum 10, 28, 31, 37, 38, 60, 92, 93,

105, Fig. 97a., 97b.

echidion 10, 16, 93, Fig. 98.

ectopa 10, 22, 93, Fig. 99.

edwardsii 10, 18, 94, 95, Fig. 100.

effusa 10, 11, 17, 19, 95, 140, Fig. 101.

data 10, 11,33, 54,71,96, 147,

Fig. 102a., 102b.

electilis 56

elegans 94

elegantula 167

elephantina 10, 28, 31, 97, Fig.103.

elongata 10, 19, 56, 57, 97, 151, Fig. 104.

equicalceolata 10, 13, 98, Fig. 105.

eros 10, 14, 98, 144, 155, Fig. 106.

erythrocles 10, 16, 99, Fig. 107.

escifera 10, 25, 29, 100, Fig. 108.

escobariana 10, 16, 81,100, 141, Fig. 109.

eucerca 10, 24, 48,101, Fig. 110.

exaltata 10, 18,101, Fig. 111.

eximia 34, 146

felis 5, 10, 13, 98,102, 103, 115, Fig. 112.

ferax 10, 14,103, 148, Fig. 113.

fibulifera 10, 21, 103, Fig. 114.

filamentosa 10, 13, 62,104, Fig. 115.

focalis 10, 30, 33,105, Fig. 116.

fonnegrae 10, 16, 55, 59,105, 106, 115, 116,

Fig. 117.

forceps 10, 26, 76,106, Fig. 118.

foreroi 10, 20, 24, 106, 107, Fig. 119.

foveata 10, 22, 91,107, 108, 196, Fig. 120.

furcata 10, 32,108, Fig. 121.

gargantua 10, 11, 32,108, 109, 138, 212,

Fig. 122.

gelata 10, 29,109, Fig. 123.

gemina 10, 32,110, Fig. 124.

georgii 9, 10, 25,110, 111, 174, 182, Fig. 125.

giraldoi 10, 27, 111, Fig. 126.

glicensteinii 3

glochidea 95

gnoma 10, 134

golondrina 10, 27, 111, 112, Fig. 127.

grildrig 10, 13,112, Fig. 128.

guaduasensis 10, 138

guanacasensis 10, 19, 113, 130, Fig. 129.

gustavoi 10, 20, 25, 35,113, Fig. 130.

guttula-sanguinis 10, 29, 114, Fig. 131.

habenifera 10, 22,114, 115, 118, 179, 181,

Fig. 132.

helgae 10, 17,115, Fig. 133.

helicocephala 10, 27,116, Fig. 134.

Lepanthes hemirhoda 10, 15, 56, 79,116,

Fig. 135.

heptapus 10, 21, 40,117, 119, 194, Fig. 136.

heteroloba 10, 23, 115,117, 118, 177, Fig. 137.

hexapus 10, 21, 40, 117,118, Fig. 138.

hirpex 10, 26,119, 132, 189, Fig.139.

hirsutula 10, 24, 70,119, Fig. 140.

hirtzii 10,31,120, 151, Fig. 141.

hispida 10, 92

hookeriana 94

hortensis 10, 23,121, Fig. 142.

hubeinii 10, 26,121, 122, 218, Fig. 143.

hurgo 10, 14,122, 155, Fig. 144.

hyphosa 10, 27,122, 152, Fig. 145.

ictalurus 10, 17, 18,123, 153, Fig. 146.

illex 10, 18, 43, 123, 163, Fig. 147.

imbricans 10, 19,124, Fig. 148.

imposita 10, 18,124, Fig. 149.

impotens 10, 20, 29,125, Fig. 150.

ingridiana 37

insolita 10, 25,126, Fig. 151.

intonsa 10, 25,126, 131, 168, Fig. 152.

ionoptera 1, 10, 17, 18, 19,127, Fig. 153.

isochila 10, 17,127, Fig. 154.

isosceles 10, 18, 42,128, Fig. 155.

janitor 10, 23, 39,128, 129, 172, 176, Fig. 156.

janus 10, 11, 155

jardinensis 10, 19, 113,129, Fig. 157.

johnsonii 95

juan-felipei 10, 32,130, Fig. 158.

jubata 10, 20, 24, 127,130, Fig. 159.

labiata 10, 14,131, Fig. 160.

lacera 10, 32,131, Fig. 161.

larvina 10, 26, 119,132, 189, Fig. 162.

lasiopetala 10, 14,133, 182, Fig. 163.

lehmannii 219

ligiae 10, 23,133, Fig. 164.

lilliputae 10, 14, 134, Fig. 165.

limbata 10, 20, 27,134, 208, Fig. 166.

Iindleyana219

linealis 10, 14,135, 207, Fig. 167.

lingulosa 10, 17,136, Fig. 168.

lucifer 154

lycocephala 10, 24,136, Fig. 169.

macdougalii 10, 15,137, Fig. 170.

macrantha 10, 22, 109,137, 187, Fig. 171.

macrostylis 10, 28, 65,138, 139, Fig. 172.

macroura 10, 11, 149

manabina 11, 20, 29, 71,139, 194, 195,

Fig. 173.

marginata219

maria-victoriae 11, 30,139, 142, Fig. 174.

marthae 11, 18, 96,140, 202, Fig. 175.

mastodon 11

matisii 11, 17, 42,141, Fig. 176.

medinae 11, 31,141, Fig. 177.

medusa 11, 32, 140,142, Fig. 178.

mefueensis 11, 14,142, 143, Fig. 179.

meleagris 11, 22, 23,143, 144, Fig. 180.

meniscophora 47

mesochlora 11, 149

metaxy 9, 11, 56, 57, 164

micellilabia 11, 27, 99,144, Fig. 181.

LEPANTHES OF COLOMBIA

299

Lepanthes micronyx 11, 30,144, 145, Fig. 182.

microscopica 11, 27,145, Fig. 183.

millei 10, 11,95

mirabilis 1, 11, 16, 17, 145, 146, Fig. 184.

mirador 11, 29, 31,146, 147, Fig. 185.

monitor 11, 30, 33, 54, 96,147, 150, Fig. 186.

monoptera 6, 11, 12, 15, 103, 137,148, 156,

Fig. 187.

mucronata 10, 11, 12, 21, 22, 44, 58, 83, 100,

104, 108, 115, 118, 121, 145, 149, 150, 166,

167, 173, 177, 187, 189, 193, 199, 202,211,

Fig. 188.

muscula 11, 19,150, Fig. 189.

myoxophora 11, 23, 151, Fig. 190.

nanegalensis 185

nautilus 11, 16, 18, 69, 99, 151, 152, Fig. 191.

nematodes 11, 26,152, Fig. 192.

nematostele 11, 17, 123,152, Fig. 193.

nicolasii 11, 31,153, 211, Fig. 194.

niesseniae 11, 13, 154, Fig. 195.

niphas 11, 14,154, Fig. 196.

norae 10, 11, 17, 18, 60,155, Fig. 197a., 197b.

nubicola 1, 219

nulla 11, 14, 148, 149,156, Fig. 198.

nycteris 170

obovata 11, 30,156, Fig. 199.

octavioi 11, 25,157, 159, Fig. 200.

octopus 11, 21,157, 158, Fig. 201.

odobenella 125

odontostemma 132

ollaris 11,22,158, Fig. 202.

opetidion 11, 25, 157,158, Fig. 203.

ophelma 11, 22, 159, Fig. 204.

oreibates 11, 28, 30,160, 178, Fig. 205.

orion 11, 32, 54,160, 161, 198, Fig. 206.

ortiziana 11, 20, 29, 31,161, 195, Fig. 207.

oscillifera 11, 28, 85,162, 209, Fig. 208.

osiris 11, 15,162, Fig. 209.

ostraconopetala 11, 19, 124,163, Fig. 210.

oteroi 10, 11, 96

otostalix 9, 11, 56, 57

ovalis 4, 5, 6

oxybaphon 11, 23, 163, 164, Fig. 211.

oxypetala 11, 19, 164, Fig. 212.

pachoi 11,32,165, Fig. 213.

pachyglossa 209, 213

pachyrhiza 10, 11, 108, 109

palaga 11, 30,165, 166, 173, 199, Fig. 214.

panope 11, 32,166, Fig. 215.

parmata 11, 23, 143, 166, Fig. 216.

pastoensis 1, 11, 19,167, Fig. 217.

pelorostele 99, 144

penicillifera 11, 26, 168, Fig. 218.

peniculus 9, 11, 56, 57

perdita 11, 30, 73, 124,168, 169, 192, Fig. 219.

petalolenta 11, 26,169, 203, Fig. 220.

petalopteryx 11, 25, 81,169, 170, 214, Fig. 221.

phalloides 11, 21, 170, Fig. 222.

pictoris 11, 24,171, Fig. 223.

pilosiaures 11, 22, 39, 129,171, 172, 176,

Fig. 224.

pinnatula 11, 14,172, 215, Fig. 225.

planadensis 11, 29, 166,172, Fig. 226.

Lepanthes plectilis 11, 25, 173, 175, Fig. 227.

pleurorachis 11, 26,173, 182, Fig. 228.

pleurothallopsis 11, 17, 18,174, Fig. 229.

popayanensis 11, 27, 173,175, Fig. 230.

porphyrea 9, 11, 38, 39

porracea 11, 30,175, 176, Fig. 231.

posadae 11, 22, 39, 129, 172,176, Fig. 232.

praemorsa 11, 22,177, Fig. 233.

profusa 11, 31, 67,177, 178, Fig. 234.

prolifera 11, 28, 160,178, Fig. 235.

pteropogon 219

pterygion 11, 27,178, 179, 218, Fig. 236.

pyramidalis 11, 21,179, Fig. 237.

quadricornis Frontispiece, 11, 13, 66,180,

Fig. 238.

quandi 11,22, 115, 118, 121, 177, 180, 181,

Fig. 239.

rabei 9, 11, 48

ramosii 11, 26, 152,181, 183, Fig. 240.

reburra 11, 14, 133,181, 182, Fig. 241.

refracta 11, 20, 27, 29, 174,182, Fig. 242.

renziill, 14, 181,182, Fig. 243.

repens 12, 30,183, Fig. 244.

reticulata 12, 20, 25, 80,184, Fig. 245.

rhombipetala 1, 12, 18, 86,184, 185, Fig. 246.

rhynchion 12, 15,185, 186, Fig. 247.

ribes 4, 12, 13,186, Fig. 248.

ricaurtensis 12, 28,186, 187, Fig. 249.

rigidigitata 99, 144

rodrigoi 12,31,187, Fig. 250.

roezliana 12, 26,188, 213, Fig. 251.

roseola 11, 12, 148

rutrum 12, 29, 119, 132,188, Fig. 252.

saccata 12, 23, 189, Fig. 253.

samacensis 68

satyrica 9, 12, 21, 24, 36,189, 190, Fig. 254.

scalaris 12, 16,190, 191, 200, Fig. 255.

schizix 93, 219

schnitteri 219

scopulifera 12, 25, 168,191, Fig. 256.

scopulifera 11, 12, 168, 191

sericinitens 12, 27, 52, 75,191, 205, Fig. 257.

setifera 12, 30, 169,192, Fig. 258.

silverstonei 12, 29, 46,192, Fig. 259.

sinuosa 12, 21,193, Fig. 260.

skeleton 12, 21, 94, 158,194, Fig. 261.

smaragdina 12, 20, 28, 161,194, Fig. 262.

solicitor 12, 25, 29, 195, Fig. 263.

sororcula 145

speciosa 186, 201, 219

spelynx 12, 22,195, Fig. 264.

stelidilabia 12, 24,196, 198, Fig. 265.

stellaris 12, 27,196, 197, Fig. 266.

stenoscleros 219

steyermarkii 12, 31, 54, 110, 161, 166,197,

Fig. 267.

strumosa 12, 27, 196,198, Fig. 268.

stupenda 12, 29, 32,198, Fig. 269.

subulata 12, 23, 28,199, Fig. 270.

superposita 1, 12, 16, 72, 191,199, 200,

Fig. 271.

tachirensis 12, 15, 200, Fig. 272.

tamaensis 12, 18, 96, 201, Fig. 273.

300

ICONES PLEUROTHALLIDINARUM

Lepanthes tanekes 12, 25, 202, Fig. 274.

telipogoniflora 12, 16, 202, Fig. 275.

tetracola 12, 24, 169, 203, Fig. 276.

thylax 197

tibouchinicola 12, 17, 203, 204, Fig. 277.

tomentosa 9, 12, 20, 28, 107, 204, 205,

Fig. 278.

tracheia 1, 9, 12, 24, 205, 206, Fig. 279.

transparens 12, 29, 75, 206, Fig. 280.

trichocaulis 12, 25, 156, 206, Fig. 281.

tricuspis 11, 12, 149

trifurcata 12, 14, 135, 207, Fig. 282.

trimerinx 12, 13, 135, 207, 208, Fig. 283.

trinaria 12, 21, 208, Fig. 284.

troglodytes 12, 30, 33, 162, 209, 213, Fig. 285.

troxis 12, 20, 29, 209, 210, Fig. 286.

tsubotae 12, 27, 62, 210, Fig. 287.

tungurahuae 147

umbonata 12, 22,30, 210,211,

Fig. 288a., 288b.

uncifera 12, 32, 211, 215, Fig. 289.

Lepanthes uribei 12, 31, 212, Fig. 290.

urotepala 88

valenciae 12, 26, 188, 212, Fig. 291.

vellicata 12, 29, 31, 209, 213, Fig. 292.

venusta 9, 12, 24, 213, Fig. 293.

viahoensis 12, 23, 111, 214, Fig. 294.

vibrissa 12, 31, 214, 215, Fig. 295.

vieirae 12, 14, 134, 172, 215, Fig. 296.

volvox 12,31,215, Fig. 297.

wageneri 1, 12, 27, 216, 217, Fig. 298.

yubarta 12, 26, 179, 217, 218, Fig. 299.

zapatae 12, 26, 122, 138, 218, Fig. 300.

Masdevallia fragrans 101, 134

saltatrix 188

Platystele 62, 137

Pleurothallis 137, 175

Stelis 50, 62, 137

argentata 50

Tibouchina lepidota 203, 204

Trichosalpinx 78

The effective date of publication for volume 123 is December 7, 2012.