Finding
SITF confirms this plant as Stelis alternans (Apr 2025). This plant matches Luer's 2004 description of S. alternans. It is "recognized by narrow leaves bourne by much shorter ramicauls and surpassed by a slender, congested raceme of purple flowers. Each flower is held 45 degrees from the rachis in 2 evenly spaced rows with all the flowers facing in the same direction. The dorsal sepal is significantly larger then the oblique laterals. The petals are transverse and shallowly concave and the lip is shallowly discoid with the base sparsely to densely pubescent." It matches Luer's drawing and the photo of S. alternans in the IOSPE.
Overall Length Of Growth Cane: 19
Number Of Leaves Per Growth Or Cane: 1
Leaf Length: 7
Leaf Width: 1.0
Leaf Margin: flat
Leaf Shape: narrowly elliptic
Leaf Petiole Length: 2.2
Pseudobulb Length: -
Pseudobulb Width: 0.15
Pseudobulb Margin: linear
Pseudobulb Distance: 0.1
Pseudobulb Root Tip: -
Inflorescence Overall Length: 18
Inflorescence Arrangement: spike
Inflorescence Dist Base To Bud: 5.3
Inflorescence Dist Bet Flowers: 0.3
Inflorescence Dist To Sepal: 0.1
Floral Bracts Length: 0.05
Floral Bracts Width: 0.1
Ovary Length: 0.1
Ovary Width: 0.05
Ovary Shape: tubular (5 lobes)
Ovary Color: mahogany
Ovary Texture: -
Flower Natural Spread Length: 0.5
Flower Natural Spread Width: 0.3
Dorsal Sepal Length: 0.3
Dorsal Sepal Width: 0.2
Lateral Sepals Length: 0.1
Lateral Sepals Width: 0.2
Petals Width: 0.1
Judging Center: Montreal
Award Number: 20256902
Award Date: January 18, 2025
Awarded As: CHM