Maxillaria coniformis 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 : 23

Maxillaria coniformis Bennett & Christenson , sp. nov. ( Fig. 2 )

Species haec Maxillaria trilobulata Bennett & Christenson (1995a: 197 , f. 10) similis sed magnifloribus, medilobo bullato, clinandrio fimbriato differt.

Type:— PERU: Amazonas: Bongara, Venceremos Nuevo , 1700 m, 12 June 2005, D. Bennett & A . Bennett 9159 (holotype: HAO) .

Caespitose epiphytes. Pseudobulbs ovoid, 6× 3.2 cm, subtended by a foliaceous bract subequal to the leaves. Leaves one, petiolate, oblong-elliptic, subacute, 24× 4.5 cm. Inflorescences erect scapes 20–26 cm long, mostly concealed by tubular, acute, bracts, the floral bracts ovate, acute, concave, subequal to the ovaries. Flowers spidery, basal 1/3 dark purple, middle 1/3 cream colored, apical 1/3 purple, the labellum dark purple, the disc covered with cream colored farinaceous trichomes. Sepals linear-lanceolate, long-acuminate terminating in slender tails, the dorsal sepal 8× 0.8 cm, the lateral sepals falcate, 8× 1 cm. Petals subsimilar to the sepals, falcate, 6.2× 0.6 cm. Labellum 3-lobed, 1.8× 1.4 cm, the lateral lobes erect-incurved, the lower halves transversely elliptic, the apices obovate, broadly rounded, with undulate margins, the midlobe ellipticovate, obtuse-rounded, densely bullate, the callus oblong-oblanceolate, obtuse-rounded, half the length of the labellum, flanked by a pair of slightly shorter calli half the width of the central callus. Column nearly straight, stout, 0.7× 0.4 cm, the foot slightly shorter than the column, the clinandrium heavily fringed; the anther globose with a dorsal keel; the viscidium saddle-shaped; the pollinia 4 in two pairs, oblanceolate, obtuserounded, 1× 1.2 mm. Flowering June and July following the rainy season.

Habitat:—Wet montane forest.

Distribution:— Peru.

Etymology:—Named for the remarkable awl-like, conic flower buds.

Observations:—Distinguished by the weak growth habit (based on experience in cultivation), the strongly conical buds, the 3-lobulate callus, the heavily fringed clinandrium, and the 3-lobed labellum with a densely bullate midlobe.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Maxillaria coniformis Bennett & Christenson (drawn from Bennett 9159 by M. Alcántara A.). A. plant in flower; B. flower, C. column and labellum, side view; D. sepals and petals, dissected; E. labellum, expanded, from above; F. column and foot, side view; G. column, undersurface; H. anther, ventral view (left), dorsal view (right); I. pollinarium, ventral view (left), dorsal view (right).