Name: Scaphosepalum portillae Luer

Original description: 2002 by Carlyle August Luer in Icones Pleurothallidinarum XXIV: A First Century of New Species of Stelis of Ecuador. Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden 88: 98.
Origin / Distribution: Ecuador (Pichincha Province).
Location / Habitat: Epiphytic in humid tropical mountain forests at altitudes around 1,600 m.
Description: Scaphosepalum portillae is a miniature, perennial, epiphytically growing orchid from the tribe Epidendreae (subtribe Pleurothallidinae). The species grows in tufts (caespitose) and forms slender, upright ramicaul shoots without pseudobulbs. Each shoot is enveloped by two tubular sheaths and bears a single, upright, leathery leaf of elliptical shape at the apex. The leaves are narrowed at the base in a narrowly cuneate fashion into a long, slender petiole.

The nearly upright inflorescences arise from the base of the plant and produce small individual flowers one after another (successively). A distinctive feature of Scaphosepalum portillae is the narrow, long-petioled leaves in combination with a similarly long inflorescence. The sepals and petals exhibit the basic structure typical of the genus, while the lip is relatively small and possesses an elongated plate with a narrow, deflexed terminal lobe.

In cultivation, the species prefers shady to semi-shady conditions with temperate to cool temperatures and consistently high humidity. The substrate should be kept evenly moist, with good drainage being important to avoid waterlogging. Due to its compact growth habit and adaptation to humid mountain forest habitats, it is excellently suited for care in a display case, in a terrarium, or mounted on cork or tree fern fiber supports.