Maxillaria flabellata Bennett & Christenson, 2009

Bennett Jr, David E. & Christenson, Eric A., 2009, Nine new species and one new name in Maxillaria (Orchidaceae), Phytotaxa 1, pp. 21-36 : 28-29

Maxillaria flabellata Bennett & Christenson , sp. nov. ( Fig. 5 )

Species haec Maxillaria grandimentum Schweinfurth (1944: 22) similis sed labello flabellato, callo et pede pubescenti differt.

Type:— PERU: Amazonas: Bongara, Venceremos , 1800 m, D. Bennett 8028 (holotype: HAO) .

Miniature subcaespitose epiphytes to 6 cm tall. Pseudobulbs ellipsoid, compressed, 1.5× 1.3 cm, separated by rhizome segments to 1 cm long, subtended by papery bract to 2.2 cm long. Leaves one, petiolate, elliptic, acute, 4.3–5.3× 1.5 cm. Inflorescences erect scapes 8 cm long, the floral bracts 1.5 cm long, slightly shorter than the ovaries. Flowers with the sepals and petals dark wine purple with brownish tips, the labellum white, the lateral lobes dark purple-veined, the midlobe suffused dark purple, the column white very palely tinged light purple, the clinandrium fringe white. Dorsal sepal lanceolate, acuminate, 1.7× 0.4 cm, the lateral sepals elliptic-lanceolate extended with basal lobes conforming to the column foot, acuminate, 1.6× 0.5 cm. Petals oblanceolate from a linear claw, acute, 1.4× 0.24 cm. Labellum 3-lobed at the apex, flabellate, 1.4× 0.8 cm, the lateral lobes obliquely elliptic, obtuse-rounded, erect-incurved, sparsely pubescent, the midlobe transversely elliptic, obtuse-rounded, with undulate revolute margins, the callus oblong, obtuse, densely pubescent on the posterior 2/3, glabrous in front. Column clavate, 6× 2.1 mm, the clinandrial hood ciliolate; the foot elongate, densely pubescent, 7 mm long. Flowering in nature in July.

Habitat:—Wet montane forest.

Distribution:— Peru.

Etymology:—Named for distinctive labellum shape.

Observations:—This species is most similar to M. grandimentum Schweinfurth (1944: 22) from which it differs by having a flabellate labellum without an extended, oblong midlobe, and a densely pubescent labellum base and foot. The elongate foot and extended bases of the lateral sepals produce a remarkably spurlike structure.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Maxillaria flabellata Bennett & Christenson (drawn from Bennett 8028 by M. Alcántara A.). A. plant in flower; B. flower, side view; C. column and labellum, side view; D. sepals and petals, dissected; E. labellum, expanded, from above; F. column and foot, undersurface.