Of Pleurothallis (Pleurothallidinae, Orchidaceae) in Subgenus Ancipitia from Colombia
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Two new species Scientific of Pleurothallis (Pleurothallidinae, Orchidaceae) 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: plants 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 plant 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.