A new tall and exceptional species of Lepanthes from north-west Ecuador (Orchidaceae: Pleurothallidinae)

Abstract

A new and spectacular species of Lepanthes from north-west Ecuador is presented here. Lepanthes tulcanensis belongs to the Marsipanthes subgenus and is similar to L. niesseniae in the same subgenus, with an inflorescence that does not reach the tip of the leaves, and flowers with shallower synsepal compared to the rest of the species in the subgenus. Nevertheless, the plants of L. tulcanensis are, by far, the largest among the species of the subgenus and aming the largest in the genus. Keywords: EcoMinga, Lepanthes lucifer, Lepanthes niesseniae, Marsipanthes, Reserva Dracula