ISSN 1346-7565 Acta Phytotax. Geobot. 70 (3): 201–204 (2019) doi: 10.18942/apg.201908 Short Communication

The Taxonomic Identity of japonica var. tubiformis (, , )

1,* 2 Kenji Suetsugu and Tian-Chuan Hsu

1Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Kobe University, 1-1 Rokkodai, Nada-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 657-8501, Japan. *[email protected] (author for correspondence); 2Herbarium of Taiwan Forestry Research Institute, No. 53, Nanhai Rd., Taipei 100, Taiwan

The taxonomic identity of Lecanorchis japonica Blume var. tubiformis T. Hashim. (Orchidaceae) is re-evaluated. Based on the tepals abruptly reflexed near their apex, transversely rectangular, shorter midlobe of the lip and the tubular basal part of the lip, it was concluded that Lecanorchis japonica var. tubiformis should be reduced to a synonym of L. virella T. Hashim.

Key words: Japan, mycoheterotrophy, Orchidaceae, taxonomy

The mycoheterotrophic genus Lecanorchis lacking in herbarium specimens since the flowers Blume (Orchidaceae) comprises about 30 species of Lecanorchis are easily lost or damaged during distributed in Cambodia, China, India, Indone- preservation (Suetsugu et al. 2016, 2017a, 2017b, sia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, New Guinea, Suetsugu et al. 2018a, 2018d). The identity of the Pacific islands, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thai- some species of Lecanorchis, particularly those land, and Vietnam (Seidenfaden 1978, Lin 1987, that were described many decades ago, remains Hashimoto 1989, 1990, Pearce & Cribb 1999, controversial. Szlachetko & Mytnik 2000, Pridgeon et al. 2003, Lecanorchis japonica Blume var. tubiformis Averyanov 2005, 2011, 2013, Suddee & Pedersen T. Hashim. is one such uncertain taxon, since the 2011, Suetsugu & Fukunaga 2016, Suetsugu et al. original description was based only on FAA-pre- 2018c, 2018e. 2019). Lecanorchis can be distin- served flowers and data regarding its habit, mor- guished from other genera of orchids by the nu- phology and floral coloration are lacking. It was merous long, thick, horizontal roots that extend described from a specimen collected along the from a short rhizome, a cup-like structure (i.e., Urauchi River, Iriomote Island, Japan, and is calyculus) located between the base of the peri- known only from the type collection (Hashimoto anth and apex of the ovary, and an elongate col- 1990). During our literature survey, we noticed umn that bears a small wing on each side of the that the original description and illustration of L. anther (Seidenfaden 1978, Hashimoto 1990). japonica var. tubiformis shows closer affinity to However, the precise identification of the spe- L. virella, described by the same author a year cies of Lecanorchis species is often hindered by earlier from Yakushima, Japan, than to L. japon- their morphological similarity and brief flower- ica var. japonica (Hashimoto 1989). ing periods (Suetsugu et al. 2016, 2017a, 2017b, Based on a careful examinations of the type Suetsugu et al. 2018a, 2018d, 2018f). Additional- specimens of L. japonica var. tubiformis and L. ly, important diagnostic characters are often virella, we have concluded that L. japonica var. 202 Acta Phytotax. Geobot. Vol. 70

Fig. 1. Holotype of Lecanorchis japonica var. tubiformis (TNS-9504075). A. Flower. B. Flattened lip. Bar = 3 mm. A–B. Bar = 3 mm. tubiformis is identical to Lecanorchis virella. Al- Lecanorchis virella T. Hashim. in Ann. Tsukuba though the floral coloration, regarded by Hashi- Bot. Gard. (8): 1 (1989) moto (1989) as an important diagnostic character Type: JAPAN. Ryukyu, Yakushima, along the Ha- of L. virella, is unknown in L. japonica var. tubi- naage River, Yoshie Hanei s.n., 6 May 1986 (holo-, TNS- formis, we were able to judge its identity by the 9504075!). detailed floral characters listed in Table 1. It should be noted that the side lobes of L. japonica Heterotypic Synonym: Lecanorchis japonica var. tubiformis at the posterior margin near the Blume var. tubiformis T. Hashim. in Ann. Tsu- column are almost entire (Fig. 1), while Hashi- kuba Bot. Gard. (9): 13 (1989), syn. nov. — Fig. 1. moto (1989) noted that the side lobes of the lip Type: JAPAN. Ryukyu, Iriomote Island, along the were finely erose along their posterior margin Urauchi River, M. Hashizume s.n., 1 July 1985 (holo- near the column. However, the side lobes of the ,TNS-8503999!). lip in the specimens of L. virella from Yakushima (the type locality) can be almost entire along their Distribution. Japan (Miyazaki, Kagoshima posterior margin (e.g. Nakajima & Ohba 2012). (Yakushima and Amami-Oshima) and Okinawa Therefore, the finely erose posterior margin of (Iriomote Island) pref., and Taiwan (New Taipei the sidelobes should not be considered diagnos- City and Yilan City). ticcharacter of L. virella. Due to the clear differ- Until recently, L. virella was considered to be ences listed in Table 1, we concluded that L. vire- endemic to Yakushima in the Northern Ryukyus, lla should be recognized as a distinct species Japan. However, several new localities of L. vire- rather than as an infraspecific taxon of L. japoni- lla, such as in Taiwan and on Amami-Oshima in ca. We also disagree with Inoue (2016) who the Central Ryukyus, have been reported (Hsu & lumped L. japonica var. tubiformis with L. japon- Chung 2009, Yagame et al. 2009, Suetsugu et al. ica var. japonica. Herein, we treat L. japonica 2018b). Considering the present recognition of L. var. tubiformis as a synonym of L. virella. virella on Iriomote Island in the Southern Ryuky- us and other recent discoveries of many mycohet- erotrophic taxa in the Ryukyu Islands (Suetsugu October 2019 Suetsugu & Hsu. – ldentity of Lecanorchis japonica var tubiformis 203

Table 1. Morphological comparison among Lecanorchis virella, L. japonica var. tubiformis, and L. japonica var. japonica. species L. virella L. japonica var. tubiformis L. japonica var. japonica posture of tepals abruptly reflexed near apex abruptly reflexed near apex nearly straight or smoothly curved outward adnation between lip and ca. 1/2 length of lip adnate with ca. 1/2 length of lip adnate with ca. 1/3 length of lip adnate with column column column column claw of lip tubular tubular slightly saccate midlobe of lip 2–3 × 4–5 mm ca. 3 × 4.5 mm 3.5–4.5 × 5.5–6.5 mm

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Received September 10, 2018; accepted May 8, 2019