Prescottia stricta Schltr., Repert., 2014

Azevedo, Cecília Oliveira De, Berg, Cássio Van Den & Barros, Fábio De, 2014, A revision of Prescottia (Orchidaceae: Orchidoideae, Cranichideae), Phytotaxa 178 (4), pp. 233-286 : 270-272

13. Prescottia plantaginifolia Lindl. ex Hook., Exot. Fl. 2: t. 115. Aug 1824. [ Steudel 1841, Vöth 1976, Ackerman 1995]. Type:—cultivated 1824 in Glasgow, Scotland; from Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Autumn of 1822, Forbes s.n. (lectotype K!, selected by Azevedo & van den Berg 2005). Fig. 28 .

Homotypic synonym: Prescottia plantaginea Hook., Exot. Fl. 2: t. 115. Aug 1824. [ Steudel 1841]. Both names were published at the same time, and Steudel was the first to argue for P. plantaginifolia , which has now been conserved.

Heterotypic synonyms: Prescottia rodeiensis Barb.Rodr. , Gen . Spec. Orchid. 2: 278, t. 813. 1882. Type (lectotype, here designated):— Barbosa Rodrigues’ original drawing in the library of the Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro [reproduction printed in Iconographie des orchidées du Brésil, Sprunger et al. (1996), 2: t. 91]; Prescottia stricta Schltr., Repert. Spec. Nov. Regni Veg. 17: 269. 1921. [ Hoehne 1945 (inferred from the diagnosis); Brade & Pabst 1952, Pabst 1966, Pabst & Dungs 1975, Sprunger 1996]. Type:— BRAZIL. Minas Gerais: Belo Horizonte, Christian s.n. ( B not found, probably destroyed); Prescottia plantaginea var. macrostachya Hoehne, Fl. Bras. 8 (12; 2): 105. 1945.

Rupicolous to terrestrial herbs. Leaves 2–5, rosulate, sessile to pseudopetiolate; blade green, (4.5)10.0–25.0(–40.0) × (1.5–)2.5–3.0(–5.0) cm, oblong to lanceolate or elliptic, apex acute to acuminate, base attenuate to truncate; margin entire. Inflorescence green (25–)35–90(–160)-flowered; peduncle 20.0–38.0(–44.0) × 0.2–0.5(–0.8) cm; peduncle bracts up to 5, green, 20.0–85.0 × 0.4–1.6(–2.0) mm, obovate to ovate, apex acute; rachis green (8.0–)9.0–29.0(–40.0) × 0.6–0.9(–1.3) cm,. Flower bracts green, 4.4–6.0(–8.7) × 2.0–3.0(–4.0) mm, ovate, apex acute to caudate; flower erect, green; dorsal sepal revolute, 2.2–3.5 × 0.8–1.4 mm, lanceolate to oblong, apex acute; lateral sepals revolute, 2.2–3.8 × 1.2–2.0 mm, oblong to lanceolate, apex acute; petals revolute, 2.2–3.5 × 0.4–0.7 mm, linear, acute; lip 2.3–3.0 × 1.6–2.3 mm, inner surface glabrous, outer surface with trichomes at the base. Column 1.3–1.8 mm long, dorsal surface covered by trichomes.

Distribution:— Prescottia plantaginifolia occurs in Brazil where it has been found in the states of Pernambuco, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina, Minas Gerais, and Goiás ( Pabst & Dungs 1975, Sprunger 1996); it is also known from Paraíba, Bahia, and Espírito Santo ( Fig. 29 ).

Selected Specimens Examined:— BRAZIL. Bahia: Santa Teresinha, Serra da Jibóia, Morro do Cruzeiro, 05 September 1998, Azevedo 117 ( HRB) . Espírito Santo: Castelo, Forno Grande, 15 August 2006, Azevedo 286 ( HUEFS) . Goiás: Pirenópolis, Serra dos Pirineus, ca. 21 km E of Pirenópolis , 19 January 1972, Irwin 34578 ( UB) . Minas Gerais: Araponga, Complexo da Serra do Brigadeiro , 28 July 2004, Salles 3091 ( HEPH) . Paraná: S. Antonio do Itambé, Caminho ao Pico Itambé , 09 September 1971, Hatschbach 27501 ( MBM) . Pernambuco: Brejo da Madre de Deus , Propriedade Bituri, 15 September 1973, Andrade-Lima 73 7471 ( HUEFS, IPA) . São Paulo: Ubatuba, Pincinguaba, BR 101, sentido Pincinguaba-Ubatuba, 06 June 2006, Azevedo 263 ( HUEFS) .

Habitat:— Prescottia plantaginifolia occurs in open areas in soil or rocky places, 0–2,000 m, and also disturbed habitats such as road banks.

Conservation Status:— Not threatened.

Notes:— Prescottia plantaginifolia is a variable species characterized by oblong to lanceolate, sessile to pseudopetiolate leaves, with green flowers and internally glabrous lip. Prescottia plantaginifolia and P. spiranthophylla share some similarities such as the lip with the outer surface with trichomes at the base and column with dorsal surface covered by trichomes, both features unique to these two taxa. Prescottia plantaginifolia differs from P. spiranthophylla in size, its loose inflorescence and flowers with revolute lateral sepals, whereas in P. spiranthophylla the inflorescence is congested and flowers have lateral sepals reflexed with the distal part adpressed to ovary or reflexed.

When Hoehne (1945) described Prescottia plantaginea var. macrostachya he stated that this variety probably constitutes a transition to P. spiranthophylla , differing from it by its flowers that are lighter and less congested than those of P. spiranthophylla but more congested than those of P. plantaginifolia . However, all specimens that we have seen fall within our circumscription of P. plantaginifolia .

Cogniaux (1895), Hoehne (1945), Pabst (1966), and Pabst & Dungs (1975) considered P. rodeiensis as a good species, although Hoehne (1945) and Pabst (1966) said it is similar to P. plantaginifolia , differing only by the emarginate petal apex. Pabst (1966) commented that it seemed to be a rare species because he had never seen it. Hoehne (1945) also remarked that no specimen was recollected after the type and questioned the possibility of an anomaly in the original material. As we also could not find any other collection similar to the type and because it is morphologically similar to P. plantaginifolia , we are here considering it a synonym of the latter.

Figures

FIGURE 28. Prescottia plantaginifolia. Drawn from fresh material. A. Habit. B–D. Flower. B. Front view. C. Lateral view. D. Dorsal view. E. Floral bract. F. Perianth parts, clockwise from top: lip, dorsal sepal, petal, lateral sepal. G–I. Column with pollinarium in place. G. Ventral view. H. Dorsal view. I. Lateral view. J. Pollinarium. (Azevedo 263).

FIGURE 29. Distribution of Prescottia plantaginifolia.