Neottia milinensis J.J.Lei & X.H. Jin, 2023

Lei, Jia-Jun, Zhang, Xin & Jin, Xiao-Hua, 2023, Neottia milinensis (Orchidaceae: Neottieae), a new species from Xizang, China, Phytotaxa 589 (2), pp. 112-118 : 113-116

Neottia milinensis J.J.Lei & X.H. Jin , sp.nov. ( Figs. 2–3 )

Neottia milinensis is morphologically similar to N. camtschatea ( Reichenbach 1851; Chen 1979) and N. tenii ( Schlechter 1924; Chen 1979), but differs from them by having pubescent stem, slender pedicel, lip 8 mm long and without a pair of auricles at base, lobes triangular and less than 1/3 of lip.

Type: — CHINA. Xizang, Milin County, Zhaxiraodeng town , under the bamboo forest. 94°2’0.55” E, 29°15’38.85” N, alt. 3375m, 4 August 2022, J. J . Lei 002(holotype: NWFC; ID: NWFC 0038812 ) .

Description: —Plant leafless, holomycotrophic, 8-15 cm tall. Rhizome with many fleshy roots. Peduncle green, 4–7 cm long, pubescent, with 3 sheaths; sheaths tubular, 1–2 cm, membranous; rachis 6–15 cm long, pubescent, sparsely 10-16 flowered; floral bracts sub-oblong to lanceolate, lowest ones 5–6 mm long, upper ones ca. 4 mm long above, membranous, abaxially pubescent, apex acuminate or acute. Flowers resupinate, palegreen or green; pedicel 6– 10 mm long, slender, densely pubescent; ovary fusiform, 2-3 mm long, densely pubescent; sepals and petals spreading. Sepals ligulate-lanceolate, 4–5 long, ca. 1.5 mm wide, outer surfaces sparsely pubescent, with prominent midvein, apex acuminate or acute; lateral sepals falcate. Petals linear, 4–5 mm long, ca. 0.5 mm wide, glabrous, with prominent midvein. Lip spreading forward, cuneate, 6–8 mm long, 3–4 mm wide, ecallous, base narrow, upper provide two pleats, apex 2-lobed; lobelets triangular, 1.5–2.5 mm long, less than 1/3 of lip, margins minutely ciliate, apices acute; sinus with a short tooth between lobes. Column arcuate, 2.5–3 mm long; anther inclined toward rostellum, elliptic, ca. 0.7 mm long; stigma concave, suborbicular; rostellum spreading horizontally, broadly ovate-round, nearly as long as anther. Capsule elliptic.

Distribution and habitat:— Approximately 20 individuals were observed in Milin County. This new species grows under alpine thickets of bamboo, at an elevation of 3370–3400m.

Phenology:— Flowers were observed from July to August.

Chinese name: —Mǐ Lín Niǎo Cháo Lán (※flḁ4±).

Relationships: — N. milinensis is morphologically similar to N. camtschatea and N. tenii by sharing pubescent inflorescence, resupinate flowers, 2-lobed apex with acute lobes, margins minutely ciliate, sinus with a short tooth between lobes. However, N. milinensis can be readily distinguished from them by having slender pedicel, base up to more than 3 times of ovary (base less than 2 times of ovary in N. camtschatea and N. tenii ), lip 8 mm long (10– 12 mm long in N. camtschatea ) and without a pair of auricles at base (with a pair of auricles at base in N. tenii ), lobelets triangular (lobelets lanceolate in N. camtschatea and N. tenii ) and less than 1/3 of lip (up to 1/2 of lip in N. camtschatea ).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Neottia milinensis, sp. nov.A. Habit; B. Overview of flower; C. Column D. Floral bract; E. Dorsal sepal, petals, lateral sepals and lip(Drawn by Lei J.J. from the holotype).

FIGURE 3. Close up of flowers of Neottia milinensis J.J.Lei & X.H. Jin. (Photographed by Lei J.J.)