Stenia stenioides (Garay) Dodson & R.Escobar
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Authority
Bennett, David E. & Christenson, Eric A. 1994. New Species and New Combinations in Peruvian Orchidaceae. Brittonia. 46 (1): 24-53.
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Family
Orchidaceae
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Scientific Name
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Description
Species Description - Caespitose acaulous epiphytes with fan- shaped growths. Leaves obovate-flabellate, attenuate at the base, acute, dark gray-green, to 9 x 3 cm. Inflorescences pendent scapes, the peduncles slender, the solitary basal bract tubular, the floral bracts 2, subopposite. Flowers spreading, greenish-cream, the lateral labellum lobes yellowish-green with pale purple spots, the column with pale reddish purple markings of the concave base and foot. Sepals subsimilar, subequal, elliptic, obtuse, concave, 2.2-2.3 x 1.25-1.3 cm. Petals obliquely obovate-elliptic, apiculate, 2.0 x 1.3 cm. Labellum indistinctly 3-lobed, saccate, broadly ovate, apex triangular, 9 mm long, the column foot sharply curved forward, joined to the claw forming a 900 angle, the basal callus ridge semielliptic, semiterete at the edges, basally tuberculate, the central callus long, transverse, multi- dentate. Column lightly arcuate, concave ventrally, basally tuberculate, with a nearly straight foot. Pollinarium to 4 mm long, the pollinia 4 in 2 unequal, tear-shaped, complanate pairs, the stipe very small, retrorsely pectinate, the viscidium oblanceolate.
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Discussion
Chondrorhyncha stenioides Garay, Bot. Mus. Leafl. 26: 26. 1978.
TYPE: ECUADOR. Prov. Pastaza: at con- fluence of Rio Verde and Rio Pastaza, Stacy s.n. (HOLOTYPE: AMES).
Habitat: Montane wet forest. Flowering from January through April.
Stenia stenioides is a rather typical Stenia despite speculation to the contrary (q.v., Dodson & Dodson, 1984; see comments above under Kefersteinia jarae). Like most other species of Stenia, including the type, S. pallida Lindl., S. stenioides bears greenish white flowers with fleshy, rigidly conduplicate labella on a long column foot and claw, with an internal transverse callus. We take the opportunity to publish a detailed description and illustration based on a fresh flower at this time because the commonly available illustration of the species (Dodson & Dodson, 1984) is inaccurate to the point of being misleading. In particular, the previously published plate is inaccurate in: (1) the relative proportion of the sepals in the whole flowers; (2) the width of the dorsal sepal in the whole flowers is more than twice the actual width; (3) the relative position of the callus in the labellum is too near the apex; and (4) the attachment of the labellum to the column foot does not represent accurately the morphology.
Specimen examined: PERU. Dept. Pasco: Oxapampa, District of Villarrica, 10 km SE down Canal de Piedra, 2000 m, 6 Jan 1993, 0. del Castillo ex Bennett 6053 (NY).