LANKESTERIANA 17(2): 227–234. 2017. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.15517/lank.v17i2.30076 A NEW SPECIES OF LEPANTHES (ORCHIDACEAE: PLEUROTHALLIDINAE) FROM COLOMBIA WITH A LARGE AND PROTRUDING COLUMN Juan SebaStián Moreno1,6, SebaStián Vieira-uribe2,3 & adaM P. KarreManS4,5 1 Fundación Ecotonos, Cali, Colombia 2 Sociedad Colombiana de Orquideología, Medellín, Colombia 3 Grupo de investigación en biodiversidad tropical - GIBIOT, Jardín Botánico de Medellín, Colombia 4 Lankester Botanical Garden, University of Costa Rica, P.O. Box 302-7050 Cartago, Costa Rica. 5 Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands 6 Author for correspondence: semoreno113@gmail.com abStract. A new species of Lepanthes from the Western Cordillera of the Colombian Andes, characterized by similar triangular sepals with a large and protruding column, is described and illustrated. The new species is similar to Lepanthes pelorostele from Ecuador, but can be distinguished from the latter by having orange and ciliate sepals and larger petals and lip. reSuMen. Se describe e ilustra una nueva especie de Lepanthes de la Cordillera Occidental de los Andes colom- bianos caracterizada por tener sépalos triangulares similares y una columna sobresaliente. Esta nueva especie es similar a Lepanthes pelorostele, de Ecuador, pero se puede distinguir de esta última por tener sépalos ciliados, anaranjados y pétalos y labelo más grandes. Key wordS: Colombia, endemism, taxonomy, trilobed petals, Western Cordillera Introduction. With 1120 accepted species, Lepanthes compound lip composed of two thickened blades usu- Sw. is currently one of the two most species rich genera ally covering the column with a minute basal appendix, in the Pleurothallidinae together with Stelis Sw. (Karre- which plays an important role in the pseudocopulatory mans 2016), and one of the richest of the Orchidaceae pollination syndrome (Blanco & Barboza 2005). There overall (Pupulin & Bogarín 2012). Lepanthes occupies are many variations to these features, and several spe- the second place in the species list of Colombia after cies’ groups with particular morphological similarities Epidendrum L. with more than 300 species described can be found within the genus (Pupulin & Bogarín 2010; (Luer & Thoerle 2012, Bernal et al. 2015) where it 2014a; 2014b; Bogarín et al. 2012). Here we present a reaches their greatest diversity in the Andean region new species so far known only from the mountains of (Luer & Thoerle 2012). Despite their wide distribution San José del Salado in Valle del Cauca, Colombia, that in the country, species in the genus are characterized might belong to a group of species from southern Cen- by its high degree of endemism (Luer & Thoerle 2012) tral and northern South America characterized mainly and specific preferences of habitat (Luer 1996, Crain by exhibiting similar, triangular sepals with a long, con- 2012, Tremblay et al. 1998, Pupulin & Bogarín 2012), spicuous and protruding column. making Lepanthes a highly susceptible group to plant cover loss, stochastic disturbances and anthropic veg- taxonoMic treatMent etation extraction (Crain & Tremblay 2014). Lepanthes vargasii J.S.Moreno, S.Vieira-Uribe & Lepanthes species can generally be recognized by Karremans, sp. nov. (Fig. 1, 2). the lepanthiform sheaths that are frequently ciliated, pu- bescent, with a slight to wide apical dilatation, petals TYPE: Colombia. Valle del Cauca: Municipio de Da- that are usually transversely bilobed to trilobed, with a gua, Corregimiento de San José del Salado, 1860 m. Received 15 May; accepted for publication 1 August 2017. First published online: 8 August 2017. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Costa Rica License 228 LANKESTERIANA Figure 1. Illustration of Lepanthes vargasii J.S.Moreno, S.Vieira-Uribe & Karremans. A. Habit. B. Flower. C. Dissected perianth. D. Column, lateral and dorsal view (pollinia and anther cap absent). E. Lip, dorsal and ventral views. Drawn by J.S. Moreno based on J.S Moreno & A.L. Erazo 342 (CAUP). LANKESTERIANA 17(2). 2017. © Universidad de Costa Rica, 2017. Moreno et al. — A new Lepanthes from Colombia with a large column 229 successively flowered, born at the base of the leaf, to 2.2 cm long; peduncle filiform, terete, to 1.3 cm long, from the apex of the ramicaul at the base of the leaf; rachis flexuous, to 9 mm long; floral bract 0.7–1.0 mm long, ovate, muricate; pedicel terete, verrucose, 1.5– 2.0 mm long. Ovary subclavate, shallowly winged, 1.0–1.3 mm long. Flowers resupinate, sepals and pet- als yellow-orange and orange striped along the veins, lip reddish-orange, column red-purple. Sepals similar, 3-veined, shortly connate at the base; dorsal sepal 6 × 3 mm, triangular-lanceolate, slightly concave, acute, glabrous; lateral sepals 6 × 2 mm, narrowly triangular- lanceolate, acute, glabrous, ciliate along the exterior margins, translucent. Petals trilobed, lobes filiform, minutely pubescent, spreading 1 × 3 mm, lower lobe 2 mm long, mid-lobe and upper lobe 0.8–1.0 mm long, mid-lobe thinner. Lip connate to the column up to near the apex, blades oblong, the ends rounded, minutely pubescent, long pubescent in the surface of the apex, 0.8–1.0 mm long, apically loose and embracing the column, connectives broadly cuneate, appendix trian- gular, falcate, pubescent, reaching the blades. Column Figure 2. Photographs of Lepanthes vargasii. A. Flower. B. 3 mm long, slender, minutely pubescent, terete, clinan- Habit and plant, in-situ. Photographs by J.S. Moreno of the plant that served as type. drium dorsal; rostellum and stigma apical. Anther cap not seen. Pollinia not seen. Jul. 12 2016. J.S Moreno & A.L. Erazo 342 (holotype, ePonyMy: The name honors Colombian conservation- CAUP!). ist and botanist William G. Vargas, whose passion and diagnoSiS: Similar to Lepanthes pelorostele Luer & dedication for plants inspired the first author to be im- Hirtz but distinguished by the orange, ciliate sepals on mersed in the world of botany and taxonomy. the exterior margins of the lateral sepals (vs. white and diStribution and ecology: Lepanthes vargasii is glabrous), the larger petals (the longest (lower) lobe found in the Western Cordillera of the Andes in the de- 2 mm, vs. 0.5 mm long) and the larger lip (1.0 vs. 0.3 partment of Valle del Cauca, at about 1800–1900 m of mm long), that is placed at the column apex (vs. placed elevation (Fig. 3). It has been found growing as an epi- basally). phyte next to L. felis Luer & R. Escobar and L. venusta Plant epiphytic, small, caespitose, suberect to Luer & R. Escobar on a Tibouchina lepidota (Bonpl.) 4.5–5.0 cm tall. Roots slender, flexuous, filiform, to 0.2 Baill. (Melastomataceae) wood fence at 50 cm from mm in diameter. Ramicauls slender 2.3–3.3 cm long, the ground along the edge of a pasture in close proxim- enclosed by 5–11 lepanthiform sheaths, to 3–7.5 mm ity to a very well preserved forest. long, microscopically ciliate along the margins, with a Lepanthes vargasii (Fig. 2, 5K) with its narrowly dilated ostia, subacuminate. Leaves green suffused on triangular-lanceolate sepals, trilobed petals, and lip the abaxial surface with purple, subcoriaceous, the ab- connate close to the apex of a terete, protruding column axial surface verrucose, conduplicate, narrowly ovate- to close to the apex (Fig. 5F) shares similar traits with a elliptic, 1.6–1.8 × 0.4 cm, the base cuneate contracted handful of species from southern Central and northern into a petiole ca. 1 mm long, apex tridentate with the South America. It resembles the Ecuadorian species, tip of the central vein protruding abaxially within the Lepanthes equus-frisiae Pupulin & H. Medina (Pupu- sinus. Inflorescence racemose, congested, distichous, lin et al. 2011) (Fig. 4A, 5A), Lepanthes pelorostele LANKESTERIANA 17(2). 2017. © Universidad de Costa Rica, 2017. 230 LANKESTERIANA Figure 3. Distribution map of Lepanthes vargasii, located in San José del Salado, Valle del Cauca, Colombia. Luer & Hirtz (Fig. 5F), Lepanthes scrotifera Luer & callus (vs. lip with oblong blades with a pubescent ap- Hirtz (Fig. 4H, 5I) and Lepanthes rigidigitata Luer & pendix). Finally, Lepanthes rigidigitata with a prolific Hirtz (Fig. 5H). The most similar species is probably scandent habit (vs. caespitose and epiphyte), lateral se- Lepanthes pelorostele, a species known only from Pi- pals 1-veined (vs. 3-veined), petals transversely ovate- chincha, Ecuador, and characterized by its glabrous, hastate, broadly obtuse (vs. trilobed, lobes filiform), white sepals, 2- veined lateral sepals, trilobed petals lip transversely subquadrate with the sides broadly between 0.1 – 0.5 mm long, trilobed lip with lateral rounded and curved up (vs. lip with blades oblong, the blades embracing the undersurface of an elongate, im- ends rounded, minutely pubescent, long pubescent in posing column. The new species can be distinguished the surface of the apex). from the latter by the reddish-orange, ciliate along the Four Colombian species share similar traits with outer margins, 3-veined lateral sepals, the much larger the new species, Lepanthes eros Luer & R. Escobar, petals and the larger lip placed at the column apex. (Fig. 4B, 5B) Lepanthes isosceles Luer & R. Escobar Lepanthes equus-frisiae has 1-veined lateral sepals (Fig. 4C, 5C), Lepanthes micellilabia Luer & R. Esco- (vs. 3-veined lateral sepal), transversely rheniform- bar (Fig. 4D, 5D) and Lepanthes niphas Luer & R. Es- suborbicular, rounded concave petals (vs. trilobed pet- cobar (Fig. 4E, 5E) (Luer & Thoerle 2012). Lepanthes als), and a subspherical broadly obtuse lip (vs. lip with eros, a very small species from the Western and Cen- oblong blades and a minute appendix embracing the tral Cordillera has 1-veined sepals, 1.75 × 0.8 – 1 mm column); Lepanthes scrotifera is distinguished by its (vs. 3-veined sepals, 6 × 2 – 3 mm), petals transversely transversely bilobed petals, long pubescent, 0.25 × 1.5 elliptical (vs. trilobed petals), lip with the blades ovate, mm (vs. minutely pubescent trilobed petals, 1.0 × 3.0 embracing the column below the middle with a minute, mm), pubescent bilobed lip, with a descending ligulate pubescent lobule appendix at the apex of the sinus (vs. LANKESTERIANA 17(2). 2017. © Universidad de Costa Rica, 2017. Moreno et al. — A new Lepanthes from Colombia with a large column 231 Figure 4. Comparisson of the most similar species to Lepanthes vargasii. A. L. equus-frisiae. B. L. eros. C. L. isosceles. D. L. micellilabia. E. L. niphas. F. L. posthon. G. L. spadariae. H. L. scrotifera. I. L. vestigialis. Photographs by F. Pu- pulin (A, I), R. Escobar (C, D), Leon Glicenstein (F), Wiel Driessen (G), Jorge de la Cruz (H) and J.S Moreno (B, E). lip with blades oblong, embracing the column at the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, it is characterized by apex and a triangular, falcate, pubescent appendix); its long, loosely raceme inflorescence (vs. racemose, Lepanthes isosceles the only species recorded from congest), transversely oblongs petals (vs. trilobed), LANKESTERIANA 17(2). 2017. © Universidad de Costa Rica, 2017. 232 LANKESTERIANA Figure 5. Illustrations and comparison of the columns of the most similar species to Lepanthes vargasii. A. L. equus-frisiae. B. L. eros. C. L. isosceles. D. L. micellilabia. E. L. niphas. F. L. pelorostele. G. L. posthon. H. L. rigidigitata. I. L. scrotifera. J. L. spdariae. K. L. vestigialis. L. L. vargasii. Original drawings by Franco Pupulin (A, J), Diego Bogarín (K), J.S Moreno (L) and Carlyle Luer (B-I) courtesy of the Missouri Botanic Gardens Press and the American Orchid Society. LANKESTERIANA 17(2). 2017. © Universidad de Costa Rica, 2017. Moreno et al. — A new Lepanthes from Colombia with a large column 233 oblong-lunate lip, embracing the column above in the protruding column of 1.5 mm long (vs. column 3.0 mm base of the column (vs. oblong), minute triangular ap- long) and a flabellate lip (vs. lip embracing the column pendix (vs. pubescent and reaching the blades); Lep- near the apex); L. vestigialis has longitudinally similar anthes micellilabia a species from the department of sepals, 4.0 × 1.5 mm (vs. 6.0 × 2.0–3.0 mm) vestigial Antioquia can be distinguish from Lepanthes vargasii petals and lip (vs. trilobed petals and oblong minutely by having mainly transversely bilobed petals, 0.25 × pubescent lip with a minute pubescent appendix). 0.5 (vs. trilobed petals, 1.0 × 3.0 mm) and a minute cordate lip at the base of the column, 0.25 mm long and wide (vs. a lip with oblong blades, 0.8–1.0 mm long). acKnowledgMentS. This manuscript was prepared as The last species, Lepanthes niphas with a successively part of a dedicatory issue commemorating the 95th birth- many-flowered raceme up to 15 mm long (vs. 2.2 cm day of Carl Luer, who’s extensive work on the Pleurothal- long), lateral sepals white, glabrous, 1-veined (vs. yel- lidinae is the basis for most current studies in the subtribe, low orange, ciliate, 3-veined), petals transversely bi- including the present. The first author is especially grateful lobed (vs. trilobed) and a white lip, bilobed, embracing to José Otocar Reina and his son Juan Fernando Reina for the column (vs. reddish-orange, with blades oblong, their company and hospitality in the Altos of San José del embracing the column at the apex). Salado. We also thank Milton Rincón for his comments on the manuscript. Zuzana Štípková, Juan Ortiz and Alejandro From Costa Rica, three species described so far Pinto who organized the fieldtrip to the place where the spe- have somewhat similar features, Lepanthes posthon cies was found. Bernardo Ramírez, director and curator of Luer (Luer 1987) (Fig. 4F, 5G), Lepanthes spadariae the University of Cauca Herbarium (CAUP), is thanked for Pupulin (Pupulin 2001) (Fig. 4G, 5J) and Lepanthes his technical guidance in preparing the herbarium material. vestigialis Bogarín & Pupulin (Pupulin et al. 2011) Franco Pupulin, Diego Bogarín, Hermano Jorge de la Cruz, (Fig. 4I, 5K). Lepanthes posthon recognized by its re- Wiel Driessen, the Sociedad Colombiana de Orquideología ticulate cordate-ovate leaves (vs. narrowly ovate and (SCO) and Leon Glicenstein were kind enough to share conduplicate), petals transversely bilobed bifurcated their photographic material of the species of this group. Two anonymous reviewers improved this manuscript greatly and into a pair of filaments (vs. trilobed), and a bifurcate lip are thanked. Finally, we would like to say thanks to the Mis- (vs. the blades oblong, embracing the column); Lepan- souri Botanical Gardens Press and the American Orchid thes spadariae displays petals with long caudate lower Society for letting us use the drawings of the species for lobes and reduced upper lobes (vs. trilobed petals), a comparisons. literature cited Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (2015). Catálogo Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, de plantas y líquenes de Colombia Instituto de Ciencias Göteborg, Sweden. Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. Karremans, A.P. (2016). Genera Pleurothallidinarum: an http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co. updated phylogenetic overview of Pleurothallidinae. Blanco, M. A. & G. Barboza. 2005. 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