Pleurothallis spectabilis Ames & Schweinfurth (1925: 34)
A reconsideration of the empusellous species of Specklinia (Orchidaceae: Pleurothallidinae) in Costa Rica
Pupulin, Franco
Karremans, Adam P.
Gravendeel, Barbara
Phytotaxa
2012
2012-08-22
63
1
1
20
4YGY2
(Ames & C. Schweinf.) Pupulin & Karremans
Pupulin & Karremans
Ames & C. Schweinf.
[151,955,719,746]
Liliopsida
Orchidaceae
Specklinia
Plantae
Asparagales
14
15
Tracheophyta
species
spectabilis
comb. nov.
Basionym: Pleurothallis spectabilis Ames & Schweinfurth (1925: 34). Type: PANAMA. Veraguas: Santa Fé, Feb. 1924, 1500 ft, Powell 382( holotype, AMES!; isotype, MO; photo of type, AMES!). Epiphytic, caespitose, erect herb to 18 cmtall. Roots fibrous, flexuous, glabrous, to 1 mmin diameter. Stem abbreviated, terete-subcomplanate, slender, monophyllous, 1.2–1.5 cmlong, covered by a glumaceous, adpressed, obtuse sheath, becoming dry-papyraceous with age and eventually dissolving. Leaf narrowly oblanceolate, minutely retuse, subcoriaceous, 11.5–16.5× 1.2–1.7 cm, the adaxial midvein protruding at apex into a small apicule, gradually tapering toward the base into a strongly conduplicate-channeled, ancipitous petiole to 3.5 cmlong. Inflorescence produced laterally from the apex of the stem, with an annulus, born from a small, papyraceous, spathaceous bract to 4 mmlong, erect to arching, distichous, congested, successively many-flowered (to 23+) raceme, to 36 cmlong; peduncle flattened, ancipitous, to 28 cmlong, provided with 3 distant, tubular-amplectent, ancipitous, acute bracts to 9 mmlong; rachis complanate, gently fractiflex. Floral bracts broadly ovate, acute, strongly flattened, abaxially ancipitous, apically shortly recurved-subuncinate in lateral view, 10× 6 mm. Pedicel cylindric, glabrous, to 11 mmlong, persistent. Ovary cylindric-subclavate, 4 mmlong, green. Flowers orange, sepals semi-hyaline at the base, tinged orange along the veins, column yellow. Sepals densely papillose adaxially except at the base, where they become semi-hyaline; dorsal sepal erect, triangular-lanceolate, acute, 5-veined, slightly concave at the base, inner surface densely papillose on the distal two-thirds, papillae extending almost to the base along the thickened margins, base semi-hyaline, the veins flushed with orange, 18.4–20.2× 4.8–5.2 mm; lateral sepals semigeniculate, born subparallele and then twisted outwards, lanceolate-subfalcate, triveined, subacuminate, ending into a short mucro, margins slightly revolute, 18.0–18.4× 3.6–4.1 mm, connate at the base for ca. 5 mmto form a deeply saccate mentum around the column foot, base hyaline, ribbed abaxially along veins, then densely papillose, the midvein strongly carinate externally. Petals ligulate-falcate, acute, porrect, papillose at the concave apex, abruptly contracting into a mucro, univeined, 4.1–4.5×0.8–1.0 mm. Lip longitudinally arched-convex in natural position, thinly articulate with the column foot by a hyaline claw, rectangular-subpandurate when expanded, truncate, with a small apicule, 4.9–5.2× 1.5–1.6 mm, provided with a pair of thin, erect keels arising from the middle margin and gently converging close to the apex, central portion with a shallow groove between the keels. Column semiterete, arched, 4.5 mmlong without the foot, central portion expanded into broad, membranaceous, semihyaline wings, upper margin denticulate, clinandrium deeply lacerate-dentate; column foot stout, forward-projecting, incurved, slightly grooved at the base, ca. 2.0 mm long. Anther cap ovatesubquadrate, deeply cucullate, 2-celled. Pollinia 2, obovate-complanate, the subhyaline base contracted into a small hook. Immature fruit a green capsule, narrowly obovate, glabrous, with six crests, three taller, thus appearing triangular, 18 mmlong, 10 mmwide at its widest point, just below the apex.
Other material examined:— MEXICO. Chiapas: Soto9484( AMO). NICARAGUA. Chontales: Cerro Oluma, lower to middle Eslopes; moist forest in quebradas, 12°18'06"N 085°23'22"W, 500–700 m, 30 Jan. 2008, Stevens, Coronado, Montiel, Duarte26820( HULE; MO; photograph of flower, MO!). COSTA RICA. San José: trail up to water source for guard station in Parque Nacional Braulio Carrillo; humid forest, 700–750 m, 83°57’ N- 10°06’ W. 16/II/1984, Chase84218(CR-98483!; CR-98381!; K-spirit); Bajo de la Hondura: Parque Nacional Braulio Carrillo, floreció en el JBL 16-XII-1993, Moras.n.( USJ!); Vasquez de Coronado: Parque Nacional Braulio Carrillo, Sendero la Botella, 10°10’00” N 83°57’20” W, 750m, 21 Sept. 1990, Ingram559 & Ferrell( USJ!; INB!); Limón: Pococí, Guapiles, Reserva Teleféricodel bosque lluvioso, parque atlántico, 10°10’24.5” N– 83°54’48.3” W, 546 m, 14 Oct. 2008, Quesada 2729, Serrano& Volio( CR!); Heredia: Estación Carillode 700 a 450 m. de la Fila Cañóndel R. Sucio, bosque muy húmedo tropicaltransición a premontano, 12/11/1983, Chacón1716 & Herrera(CR-108241!); Parque Nacional Braulio Carrillo, Bajo de La Hondura, recolector desconocido, sin fecha, floreció en el JBLel 26 Oct. 2000, Blanco1653( USJ!); Parque Nacional Braulio Carillo, Río Sucio, 1350 m, 10 Oct. 2001, Boschs.n.( USJ!); Pococí: Parismina, recolectada por Gerson Villalobos, floreció en cultivo en el Jardín Botánico Lankester, 30 Octubre 2009, Bogarín7401(JBL-Spirit!); same locality and data, Bogarín7403(JBL-spirit!); Alajuela: Potrerillos, Piedades de San Ramón, 1150m, 6/XII/1922, Brenes495( CR!); Piedades de San Ramón, 1100 m, 26/X/1925, Brenes273( 1458) ( CR!); without collection data, flowered in cultivation at Lankester Botanical Garden, JBL- 02643(JBL-spirit!, CR!); flowered in cultivation at Lankester Botanical Garden, JBL-02641(JBL-spirit!) ( Fig. 5, 10); flowered in cultivation at Lankester Botanical Garden, JBL-02535(JBL-spirit!); flowered in cultivation at Lankester Botanical Garden, JBL-02532(JBL-spirit!).
Distribution:—Southern Mexico (Chiapas) to central Panama, mostly along the Caribbean watershed, at 450-1350 meters ( Fig. 11). Ames described Pleurothallis spectabilisfrom Central Panama, comparing it with P. pfaviiand its synonym, P. platyrachis, and distinguishing it by the truncate-retuse lip, and dentate wing of the column ( Ames & Schweinfurth 1925). The short rhizome, congested inflorescence with floral bracts shorter than pedicels, and apiculate-mucronate petals are diagnostic of the species. We accept here populations from Nicaraguaas belonging to S. spectabilis, even though the available material is scanty and illustrations somewhat confused. The plant illustrated by Hamer (1984)from Nicaraguaand supposedly based on Stevens & Hahn 18980(MO) is actually a mix of that collection and the flower from a specimen from El Salvador, previously illustrated under Hamer 482in his series on orchids of El Salvador( Hamer 1981). Whereas the size of the cespitose plant, floral bracts shorter than pedicels, truncate lip and serrulate column-wings are apparently consistent with the concept treated here as S. spectabilis, the petals of both specimens illustrated from El Salvadorand Nicaraguaare not mucronate, but instead acute and roundedinvolute, respectively. It may well be that populations from El Salvadoron the Pacific watershed of Central America continental division represent a still undescribed taxon. On the other hand, photographs of flowers of Stevens 26820(MO), also from Nicaragua, are consistent with S. spectabilis. Finally, the presence in Mexicoof S. spectabilis( Solano & Soto 2008)confirms that this taxon reaches the northernmost distribution for the group and strengthens our interpretation of intermediate populations as belonging to this species.
1924-02
AMES, MO
Panama
Basionym
457
Santa Fe
Type
14
15
1
Veraguas
holotype
[558,1026,1463,1489]
AMO
Soto
Mexico
Chiapas
16
17
1
Chiapas
2008-01-30
E, HULE, MO
Stevens & Coronado & Montiel & Duarte
Nicaragua
600
12.301667
Cerro Oluma
21
-85.38944
16
17
1
Chontales
1984-02-16
1993-12-16
1984-02-16
JBL, USJ
Chase & Bajo de la Hondura & Parque Nacional Braulio Carrillo
Costa Rica
725
83.95
Parque Nacional Braulio Carrillo
930
-10.1
16
17
1
San Jose
1990-09-21
USJ, INB
Ingram & Ferrell
Costa Rica
Vasquez de Coronado
750
10.166667
Sendero la Botella
21
-83.95555
Parque Nacional Braulio Carrillo
16
17
1
San Jose
2008-10-14
CR
Serrano & Volio
Costa Rica
Pococi
546
10.173472
Reserva Teleferico
1
-83.91342
Guapiles
16
17
1
Limon
1983-11-12
2000-10-26
1983-11-12
R, JBL, USJ
de la Fila Canon & Chacon & Herrera & Parque Nacional Braulio Carrillo & Blanco
Costa Rica
Estacion Carillo
450
Bajo de La Hondura
Sucio
16
17
450
Heredia
[313,1333,1927,1953]
2001-10-10
USJ
Bosch
Costa Rica
1350
Rio Sucio
Parque Nacional Braulio Carillo
16
17
1
Heredia
2009-10-30
USJ
el Jardin Botanico Lankester & Bogarin
Costa Rica
Pococi
1350
Gerson Villalobos
Parismina
16
17
1
Heredia
1922-12-06
CR
Brenes
Costa Rica
1150
17
18
Piedades de San Ramon
Potrerillos
16
17
1
Alajuela
1925-10-26
CR
Brenes
Costa Rica
1100
Piedades de San Ramon
17
18
1
Alajuela
CR
Lankester Botanical Garden
Costa Rica
17
18
1
Alajuela
Lankester Botanical Garden
Costa Rica
Lankester Botanical Garden
17
18
1
Alajuela