Two new species Scientific of (, ) in subgenus Ancipitia from Colombia

Mark Wilson Department of Organismal Biology and Ecology, Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO 80903, USA. [email protected]

Sebastian Vieira-Uribe Grupo de Investigación en Orquídeas, Ecología y Sistemática Vegetal, Universidad Nacional, sede Palmira, Colombia. Sociedad Colombiana de Orquideología, AA. 4725 Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia.

Gustavo A. Aguirre Orquídeas Katía, El Retiro, Antioquia, Colombia. [email protected] www.orquideaskatia.com Sociedad Colombiana de Orquideología, AA. 4725 Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia.

Juan-Felipe Posada Colomborquideas, Carrera #35, #7-75 Medellín, Colombia. Sociedad Colombiana de Orquideología, AA. 4725 Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia.

Katharine Dupree Department of Organismal Biology and Ecology, Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO 80903, USA.

Abstract: Two new species of Pleurothallis are described in subgenus Ancipitia from northern Colombia: P. gustavoi from the Department of Santander, allied to species of the P. arietina-P. nelsonii complex; and P. eduardoi from the Department of Antioquia, allied to P. tetragona. The species are described and illustrated and features distingui-

• 47 • shing them from the other members of subgenera Ancipitia and the related Scopula are presented. Interesting morphological features of both species are discussed, in- cluding the minute, pubescent, tri-lobed, ‘horned” lip with apical orifi ce in P. gustavoi; and leaf base decurrence, ramicaul shape and column protrusions in P. eduardoi.

Keywords: Pleurothallis gustavoi, Pleurothallis eduardoi, systematics, taxonomy

Introduction: were assigned to P. crocodiliceps, which was believed to be a widely distri- In his reorganization of Pleurothallis, buted, variable species. It is now clear, Luer (1986) created subgenus Ancipitia however, that rather than a highly va- for a group of species characterized by riable single species, there exists a pre- ancipitous ramicauls and solitary fl owers viously unrecognized species complex produced from the apex of the ramicaul (Wilson et al. 2017). Following close exa- in a fascicle of peduncles. The subgenus mination of the holotype of P. crocodili- as currently circumscribed contains up ceps it is now apparent that the type does to 38 species, depending on synonymy. not in fact possess this characteristic lip. Of these, 12 species have been recorded Therefore, we are now referring to this for Colombia: P. anceps Luer, P. andreae group of related species as the P. arieti- Mark Wilson, B.T.Larsen & J.Portilla, P. na-P. nelsonii species complex after the anthrax Luer & R.Escobar, P. caprina Luer fi rst two species described with this uni- & R.Escobar, P. crocodiliceps Rchb.f., P. que lip morphology (Wilson et al. 2017). dunstervillei Foldats, P. duplex Luer & P. gustavoi described in this article is a R.Escobar, P. jimii Luer, P. membraci- member of this species complex. doides Luer, P. odobeniceps Luer, P. spa- thulipetala Luer and P. tetragona Luer & Methods: R.Escobar. However, in the last few years multiple new species have been recogni- These two species were compared to all zed in Colombia and these will described described species in subgenus Ancipi- in due course. Herein we describe two, P. tia to confi rm novelty (Luer 1989, 1992, gustavoi and P. eduardoi. 2011; Rodríguez-Martínez et al. 2015; Wilson et al. 2017). Lankester composite Of the new species to be described in this digital plates (LCDPs) were prepared as subgenus, several possess a minute, pu- described by Wilson et al. (2016). Flowers bescent, tri-lobed lip in which the lateral for scanning electron microscopy were lobes are elevated and project forward prepared and examined according to me- resembling ‘horns’. Previously, all such thods described by Wilson et al. (2016).

Taxonomy

Pleurothallis gustavoi Mark Wilson, Orquideología 34(1): xx. 2017. (Figs. 1-3)

Diagnosis: P. gustavoi can be distin- Type: Colombia, Department of San- guished from the similar white and ro- tander. Collected in 2003, fl owered in se-fl owered species P. nelsonii Ames by cultivation at Orquídeas Katía, El Retiro, the shape of the sepals (ovate versus li- Antioquia, Colombia. M. Wilson & G.A. near-ovate); wider dorsal sepal (5.3-5.5 Aguirre PL1002 (holotype: JAUM!). mm versus <5 mm); the wider synsepal (5.3-6.5 mm versus <5 mm); and the sha- Plant to ~ 20 cm tall, epiphytic, caespi- pe of the lip (sub-pandurate vs. triangu- tose; Roots slender; Ramicauls erect, lar). slender, sharply ancipitous, 12-15 cm

• 48 • Orquideología XXXIV - 1 / abril - 2017 long, 3.6-4.1 mm wide below the leaf, Etymology: Named to honor Gustavo enclosed by a middle sheath 3.2-3.8 cm Adolfo Aguirre, owner of Orquídeas

long and basal sheath 3.0 cm long; Lea- Katía, who cultivated this species and Scientific ves suberect to spreading, ovate, acute, brought it to the attention of the fi rst au- cordate, basal lobes somewhat infl exed, thor. 7.7-8.1 cm × 2.4-3.1 cm, sessile, entire, coriaceous; Infl orescence successive, Distribution and conservation status: single-fl owered infl orescences borne To our knowledge this species has been from reclining spathaceous bract at base collected only once from an unknown lo- of leaf, 5 mm long; Peduncle and pedi- cality in Santander. It currently exists as a cel 25 mm long; Ovary rugulose, 4.8-5.0 single in the collection of Orquídeas mm long; Dorsal sepal pale rose, heavi- Katía. Until further information on distri- ly suff used and spotted with burgundy, bution and abundance can be obtained it ovate, acute 11.4-12.0 × 5.3-5.5 mm, mi- should be considered data defi cient (DD) nutely papillose internally; Lateral se- according to IUCN criteria. pals white, connate into ovate, concave synsepal, acute, 11.1-12.0 × 5.3-6.5 mm, Discussion: The presence of the very minutely papillose internally; Petals whi- distinctive minute, pubescent, tri-lobed, te, linear, subfalcate, acute, 9.0-9.6 × 1.5- ‘horned’ lip with an apical orifi ce places P. 2.0 mm, minutely denticulate; Lip white gustavoi in the P. arietina-P. nelsonii spe- at apex, heavily mottled with brown at cies complex. This complex includes the base, three-lobed, 1.38 × 1.0 mm (unex- following: P. arietina Ames, P. gustavoi, P. panded), mid-lobe sub-pandurate, ob- microchila L.O.Williams, P. nelsonii Ames, tuse, thick, heavily pubescent around P. onagriceps Luer & Hirtz and P. reniea- periphery, sulcate medially, small orifi ce na (Luer & Sijm) J.M.H.Shaw. It has been near apex, basal lobes triangular, erect, hypothesized that this lip is indicative tips folded forward, heavily pubescent; of pollination via pseudocopulation by a Column white, lightly suff used and spo- male dipteran and further that each of tted with burgundy at base, minutely pa- these Pleurothallis species may have a pillose, 2.8 × 0.8 mm, anther and stigma unique pollinator (Wilson et al. 2017). subapical.

Pleurothallis eduardoi Mark Wilson, Orquideología 34(1): xx. 2017. (Figs. 4-6)

Diagnosis: P. eduardoi can be distingui- der, 10.8-14.0 cm long, terete at base, shed from the similar species P. tetrago- ~1.0 mm diameter, tetragonal or qua- na Luer & R.Escobar by the leaf tip (acu- drangular below the leaf, ~1.8 mm dia- te, mucronate versus acute); the shape meter, enclosed by middle sheath 1.6-3.0 of the lip (narrowly triangular versus cm long and inconspicuous basal sheath pandurate); the callus at the base of the ~1.0 cm long; Leaves suberect to sprea- lip (large, domed, triangular in side view ding, ovate, coriaceous, entire, apex versus callus absent); and the basal lo- acute, mucronate, 5.3-6.1 cm × 3.2-3.7 bes of lip (approximately half the length cm, base cordate, sessile, decurrent on of the central lobe versus approximately ramicaul ~ 9 mm; Infl orescence successi- one-fi fth the length). ve, single-fl owered infl orescences borne from reclining spathaceous bract arising Type: Colombia, Department of Antio- approximately one-third of the distance quia, municipality of San Luis. Collected from the base of the leaf; Peduncle ~ 13 in 2008 by Luis Eduardo Mejia, M. Wilson mm long; Pedicel ~ 24 mm long; Ovary & L.E. Mejia PL1003 (holotype: JAUM!). rugulose, 3.0 mm long; Dorsal sepal white spotted with burgundy, ovate and Plant to ~ 19 cm tall, epiphytic, caespito- concave in lower quarter, narrowly linear se; Roots slender; Ramicauls erect, slen- above, acute, 9.5 × 2 mm, minutely pa-

• 49 • pillose internally; Lateral sepals white de of this area, hence the species is at risk spotted with burgundy, connate into a from deforestation. However, until more synsepal, ovate and concave in lower data on distribution and abundance can quarter, narrowly linear above, acute, 9.8 be obtained it should be considered data × 1.8 mm, minutely papillose internally; defi cient (DD) according to IUCN criteria. Petals white spotted with burgundy, ova- te and concave in lower quarter, narrowly Discussion: Apart from P. tetragona (Fig. linear above, acute, 8.5 × 2.0 mm, minu- 7, 8), the only other species with which P. tely papillose internally; Lip white very li- eduardoi might be confused is P. cosme- ghtly spotted with rose, three-lobed, 2.2 tron Luer (Fig. 8), currently in subgenus mm long, mid-lobe triangular, narrow, Scopula (genus Colombiana). While P. acuminate, base of mid-lobe with large, cosmetron also has a narrowly triangular, domed callus, lateral lobes triangular, na- acuminate lip with a callus at the base, rrow, acuminate, ~1.0 mm long; Column the lateral lobes of the lip are extremely white, stout, ~ 1.0 mm long, minutely pa- short and indistinct (Fig. 9). Additionally, pillose, anther and stigma subapical, oc- in P. cosmetron the leaf base is long-decu- casional fl owers with narrow protrusions rrent on the ramicaul, the ramicaul emer- fl anking the apical third of column imme- ges mid-way up the leaf, the ramicaul is diately behind the stigma, ~0.3 mm long. free for a signifi cant distance and then at the tip gives rise to a cluster or ‘fascicle’ Etymology: Named to honor Luis Eduar- of infl orescences. do Mejia, collector of this species, who brought the species to the attention of P. eduardoi is morphologically interesting the fi rst author. due to the tetragonal or quadrangular ra- micaul; decurrence of the leaf base along Additional material studied: Colombia, the ramicaul; and the presence of co- Department of Antioquia, municipali- lumn protrusions on some fl owers. Prior ty of Mesopotamia, 1998 M. Wilson & to the description of P. eduardoi, only J.F. Posada PL1004 (Paratype: JAUM!). one species in subgenus Ancipitia had Colombia, without specifi c locality, im- been reported with a tetragonal or qua- ported from Colomborquideas (via Co- drangular stem, P. tetragona. The majo- lombian Orchid Imports) as P. tetragona rity of species in this subgenus have an- and fl owered in cultivation at Colorado cipitous or occasionally terete ramicauls. College M. Wilson & J.F. Posada PL0401 In addition to these two species, a third (paratype: COCO!); same information, Colombian species with a tetragonal M. Wilson & J.F. Posada PL0894 (paraty- stem is in the process of being described pe: COCO!); same information, PL0895 (Rodriguez-Martinez & Karremans, pers. (paratype: COCO!); same information, comm.). Despite this, the presence of an M. Wilson & J.F. Posada PL0535 (COCO!). ancipitous or tetragonal ramicaul in Pleu- rothallis is still unique to subgenus Ancipi- Distribution: This species has been co- tia at this time. llected twice in the Cordillera Central, once in the vicinity of the municipality P. eduardoi is also somewhat unusual in of Mesopotamia and once near San Luis, subgenus Ancipitia for the decurrence of southeast of Medellín, Department of the leaf bases on the ramicaul, a feature Antioquia, Colombia. observed only in P. anceps Luer, P. mem- bracidoides Luer, P. tetragona and P. vi- Conservation status: The montane fo- duata Luer. Because of this decurrence in rests of the Cordillera Central southeast P. eduardoi and in P. tetragona it appears of Medellín are not currently part of a as though the peduncle emerges from protected area. Indeed, the type loca- the spathaceous bract about one-third lity has since been destroyed by a hy- of the way up the leaf, rather than at its droelectric project. To our knowledge, base as in most of the species in the sub- the species has not been collected outsi- genus. This phenomenon is even more

• 50 • Orquideología XXXIV - 1 / abril - 2017 pronounced in subgenus Scopula, such Acknowledgements: The authors ack- as in P. aspergillum Luer & Hirtz, where nowledge Luis Eduardo Mejia for bringing

the peduncles may arise from a spathe at P. eduardoi to the attention of MW and Scientific or near the leaf tip. Rodríguez-Martínez preparation of the holotype; Carolina Ri- et al. (2015) have suggested that based vera for the excellent botanical artwork; on morphology the species of Ancipitia Sociedad Colombiana de Orquideología and Scopula should be considered to be for fi nancial support for the botanical a single taxonomic group. Assuming spe- artwork; and the staff of Jardín Botánico cies of the two subgenera to be closely Joaquín Antonio Uribe, Medellín (JAUM). related, the short-decurrence of the leaf MW and KD thank Colorado College and base on the ramicaul in P. eduardoi and P. the Department of Organismal Biology tetragona may represent an earlier state and Ecology for research funding, labo- in the evolution toward the long-decu- ratory space and greenhouse facilities, rrent leaf in species like P. aspergillum. and Ron Hathaway for assistance with scanning electron microscopy. The au- The most unique morphological attri- thors sincerely thank the reviewer for bute of P. eduardoi is the presence on signifi cantly improving the manuscript occasional fl owers of short, narrow pro- and pointing out the tetragonal stems of trusions from either side of the column, P. eduardoi. immediately behind the stigmatic sur- face. These may be stelidia, thought to be sterile anthers, as observed in some myophilous Bulbophyllum species. Why these occur on only occasional fl owers on a given plant is as yet unknown and the environmental or temporal factors triggering their production remains to be determined.

BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES AND PHOTO CREDIT See spanish version.

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