Luquillo Mountain babyboot orchid

Lepanthes eltoroensis grows at six sites of Sierra palm (Prestoea acuminata var. montana), palo colorado, and dwarf forest areas within the Luquillo Mountains. Because the orchid is an epiphyte (living on other plants without parasitizing), L. eltoroensis finds its home on the trunks of several species of trees, known also to house mosses and liverworts. The orchid has only been found on approximately 40-60 trees within the forest, all at an altitude of 2,789 ft or above. More recent studies have noted larger populations of L. eltoroensis on the Tradewinds Trail as opposed to the El Toro Trail, for which it was named, possibly due to greater numbers of Sierra palm, offering a more closed canopy.