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Leach orchid

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Read about Leach orchid in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture 

Stelis (an old Greek name used by Theophrastus for some parasitical plant). Orchidaceae. Epiphytic herbs, some of them adapted to the warmhouse and others to the intermediate house: sts. cespitose or creeping, with simple branches 1-lvd. at the tip and frequently 1-3-sheathed below the lf., not pseudobulbous: lvs. leathery, often contracted at the base to the petiole which is frequently concave or channeled and sometimes articulate near the base: fls. small to minute, short-pedicelled in an elongated raceme at the base of the terminal lf., secund, rarely somewhat distichous; bracts alternate, various; sepals frequently subequal, broad or triangular, spreading, more or less connate; petals much shorter, broad, the margins thickened; labellum sessile at the base of the column, equal and similar to the petals or narrower and sometimes shortly 3-lobed; column equaling or shorter than the labellum; pollinia 2: caps. small, ovoid or oblong, not beaked, often 3-edged.—About 200 species, Mex. and W. Indies southward to Brazil and Peru. Treatment the same as for Pleurothallis.

S. barbata, Rolfe, is a species differing from S. Endresii in having long-bearded sepals and a tridenticulate lip: its fls. are greenish ochre-yellow with purple hairs and red-purple blotches. Costa Rica.—S. Binotii, Wildem., grows about 2 in. high: lvs. thick, 2-3 in. long, deeply channeled above: racemes 1-3, many-fld.: fls. green, not spotted: sepals membranaceous: petals concave, very short: lip hooded, about as long as the petals. Brazil. –S.Bruchmuelleri, Reichb. f., has lvs. 1 1/2 - 2 in. long: fls. yellowish purple outside, pale purple within, disposed at intervals along the rachis; sepals broadly ovate, acute, spreading, hairy within: petals and lip minute, the latter undivided. Mex. (?). B.M. 6521.—S. canaliculata, Reichb. f., is about 8 in. high, has cuneate-oblong, obtuse, thick lvs. which are plainly channeled in the middle: fls. dull yellowish green, very small, secund in dense racemes; bracts and rachis whitish. Colombia.—S. ciliaris, Lindl. (S. atropurpurea, Hook.), grows about 6 in. high: lvs. broadly oblong, narrowed at base: spike naked half way then closely fld.: fls. deep purple; sepals ovate, long-fringed; petals compressed-rhomboid, fleshy; lip ovate, fleshy, channeled at base. Mex. B.B. 3975.-S. dolichopus, Schlechter, has sts. about 6 in. high: lvs. rather thick, oblong-ligulate, up to nearly 4 in. long: raceme only 1 1/4 – 1 3/4 in. long: fls. pale yellow. Probably Colombia.—S. Endresii, Reichb. f., has lvs. cuneate, oblong-ligulate, obtuse, emarginate and apiculate, thick: raceme distichous: fls. greenish white: sepals coalescing toward the base: lip fleshy, transversely subrhomboid, excavated. Costa Rica.—S. glossula, Reichb. f., is densely tufted: lvs. cuneate, oblong-ligulate, minutely bilobed with a small tooth at apex: fls. brownish, in 2 transverse rows; the upper sepal having a longer extent than the whole of the other floral organs together; lip fleshy, papilli-form. Costa Rica.—S. grandiflora, Lindl., has sts. 3 in. high: lvs. oblong, petiolate, emarginate, 4 1/2 x 1 in.: spike dense; spathe large, acuminate: fls. chocolate-colored, large for the genus: sepals equal, obtuse; petals ovate; lip ovate, concave, emarginate. Brazil.— S. grossilabris, Reichb. f. Plant tufted: lvs. cuneate, spatulate, obtuse: racemes shorter than the lvs.: fls. light greenish, small; lip thick and fleshy. Hab.(?).—S. Hennisiana, Schlechter, has slender sts. up to 2 1/2 in. long, 1-lvd.: lvs. lanceolate-ligulate, about 3 in. long, petiole 1 1/4 in. long: racemes slender, 1-sided, many-fld., usually slightly longer than the lvs.: fls. dark purple-red. Colombia. —S. macroglossa, Hort., is offered in the trade.—S. micrantha, Swartz, grows 3-6 in. high: lvs. lanceolate-oblong, rather blunt, 1-2 1/2 in. long: raceme slender, spike-like: fls. whitish, red within, nodding, l-sided-distichous; sepals deltoid; petals and lip truncate. Jamaica. L.B.C. 11:1011.—S. ophioglossoides, Swartz, has the st. shorter than the lvs., which are 2 1/2- 6 in. long, oblong-linear, rather blunt, long-tapering at the base: raceme slender, 1-sided, pedunculate: fls. greenish, with a tinge of purple, minute. W. Indies. B.R. 935. L.B.C. 50:442.—S. sesquipedalis, Lindl., is about 6 in. high: lvs. broadly oval, shortly petiolate, 1 1/2 - 4 in. long: spike 7-10 in. long: fls. pale yellow, secund, large; sepals roundish ovate, obtuse; petals oblate; lip oblate, hooded. Venezuela.—S. venosa, Hort., said to have 6 lvs., is offered in the trade.—S. zonata, Reichb. f., has a short st.: lvs, very thick, cuneate-oblong, blunt: raceme 1-sided: fls. light ochre; sepals brown at base; petals with a mauve middle zone. Guiana.


The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.


For the bee genus Stelis, see Stelis (bee).


Leach orchid
Silvery stelis (Stelis argentata)
Silvery stelis (Stelis argentata)
Plant Info
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Liliopsida
Order: Asparagales
Family: Orchidaceae
Subfamily: Epidendroideae
Tribe: Epidendreae
Subtribe: Pleurothallidinae
Genus: Stelis
Sw., 1799

Species
See text.

Leach orchids (genus Stelis) is a large group of orchids, with perhaps 500 species. The generic name Stelis is the Greek word for 'mistletoe', referring to the epiphytic habit of these species.

Many of the older species were named by Lindley, Ruiz & Pavon and Reichenbach, while many of the recent species were named by Dr. C. Luer. An orchid of the genus Stelis was probably the first American orchid ever to be brought to Europe. An herbarium specimen was depicted in 1591 in Tabernaemontanus' herbal book. These mainly epiphytic (rarely lithophytic plants are distributed throughout damp mountain forests in tropical North and Central America.

'Indian mistletoe', first depiction of a Stelis orchid
Herbal Book of Johannes Theodorus Tabernaemontanus

Description

A single oblanceolate leaf develops from narrow, leathery outgrowths from a creeping stem.

Most species grow long, dense racemes of small to minute flowers in diverse shades of white. Other colors are rare. These flowers are photosensitive, only opening in the sunlight. Some close completely at night.

The three symmetrically rounded sepals generally form a triangle with a small central structure, made up of the column, small petals and small lip, though slight variation to this theme does occour.

This genus is not common in cultivation.

Taxonomy

Cladistic research (by A. Pridgeon, R. Solano and M. Chase) has shown that the genus Stelis is monophyletic. But the distinction with several Pleurothallis subgenera is blurred (see Reference).

They are closely related to the massive genus Pleurothallis and Masdevallia. Although vegetatively the species show much variety, the flowers show a basic uniformity and are very similar throughout. Apatostelis Garay, Dialissa Lindl., Humboldtia Ruiz & Pav. and Steliopsis Brieger are generally included into Stelis.

Species

Here are some species and their common names:

Other species include:

References

  • Dr. C. Luer - Icones Pleurothallidinarum XXIV: A first century of new species of Stelis of Ecuador. Part 1 (2002); ISBN 1-930723-15-6
  • Dr. C. Luer - Icones Pleurothallidinarum XXVI: Pleurothallis subgenus Acianthera and three allied subgenera; A Second Century of New Species of Stelis of Ecuador; Epibator, Ophidion, Zootrophion (2004); ISBN 1-930723-29-2
  • [http://www.amjbot.org/cgi/content/full/88/12/2286 P

hylogenetic relationships in Pleurothallidinae].

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