Goodyera brachystegia Handel-Mazzetti (1936: 1345)

Liu, Yan Wen, Zhou, Xiao Xu, Schuiteman, André, Kumar, Pankaj, Hermans, Johan, Chung, Shih Wen & Tian, Huai Zhen, 2019, Taxonomic notes on Goodyera (Goodyerinae, Cranichideae, Orchidoideae, Orchidaceae) in China and an addition to orchid flora of Vietnam, Phytotaxa 395 (1), pp. 27-34 : 28-29

Goodyera brachystegia Handel-Mazzetti (1936: 1345) ( Fig. 1 ).

Type: — CHINA. Yunnan: Yunnanfu, 1915–1916, S. Schoch s.n. (holotype WU- 0061596, photo!).

= Goodyera bomiensis K.Y. Lang (1978: 128) , syn. nov. Type:— CHINA. Tibet: Bomi county, Tongmai village, on the rocks of hillside, 2000 m, 22 July 1965, Zhang Y.T. & Lang K.Y. 858 (holotype PE- 00805756!).

Description: —Terrestrial herbs, 18–30 cm tall. Rhizome nodose. Stem erect or ascending, less than 1 cm long, with 3–6 rosulate leaves. Leaves green, broadly elliptic to ovate-orbicular, 1.8–3.3 × 1.3–2.5 cm, apex acute, base cordaterounded, leaves with more or less reticulate silvery veins and irregular markings on the upper surface, pale green on lower surface. Petiole-like leaf base attached to the stem with a tubular sheath up to 1.5 cm long. Peduncle erect, green, densely pubescent, up to 20 cm tall, with 3–7 vaginate sterile bracts. Inflorescence 3–18 cm long, laxly 8–30 flowered, secund. Floral bracts lanceolate, apex acuminate, sparsely pubescent outside, 5–6 mm, as long as or slightly shorter than pedicel and ovary. Flowers resupinate, white or pale green, not fully opened. Pedicel and ovary fusiform, 4–6 mm long, pubescent. Sepals white and tinged abaxially with greenish brown, apex obtuse, 1-veined, sparsely pubescent at the base, glabrous at apex; dorsal sepal narrowly ovate-oblong, connivent with petals forming a hood, 3.0–4.0 × 1.4–2.0 mm; lateral sepals narrowly elliptic, slightly oblique, white with a brownish midribs, 3.0–4.0 × 1.5–2.0 mm. Petals rhombic-oblanceolate, oblique, 3.0–4.0 × 1.0– 1.5 mm, glossy, obtuse at apex, 1-veined; lip ovate-elliptic, 3.0– 4.0 × 2.0– 2.5 mm; hypochile semiglobular-saccate, thickened inside with a solitary longitudinal ridge toward base and sparsely papillose on both sides of midvein; epichile ligulate, obtuse at apex, slightly reflexed. Column short, 1.7–2.0 mm; anther cap ovoid-cordate or ovoid-triangular, 1.0– 1.3 mm; pollinarium pale yellow, ca. 1 mm long; rostellum erect, ca. 1.2 mm, deeply bifid, lobes lanceolate.

Additional specimens examined:— CHINA. Gansu: Tianshui county, Dongcha forests farm, forests edge, 1500 m, 6 July 1993, Wang L. Z. 93–180 ( PE!) ; Henan: Xinyang county, Huoshao temple, 16 July 1985, An Z. J. T00074 (PE- 00850733!) ; Neixiang county, Baotianman National Nature Reserve , forests edge, on the rocks of river valleys ,

800–900 m, 30 May 1994, Zhang X. C. 0765 (PE- 00339441!) ; Xixia county, east of Huangshian , on the hillside, 11 July 1960, Henan Team 990 (PE- 00339442!, PE- 00339443!) ; Hubei: Shennongjia Forestry District, Xinhua commune, Gan’gou , grass of hillside, 1200 m, 2 July 1976, Shennongjia Team 20634 (PE- 00339327!, PE- 00339328!) ; Shennongjia Forestry District, Xinhua commune, Yaowan’gou , grass in forests, 900 m, 26 June 1976, Shennongjia Team 20426 (PE- 00339329!, PE- 00339330!) ; Zhuxi county, Chuchihsien, Shuangzhuyuan , 1200 m, 8 June 1938, Liu J. M. 8895 (PE- 00339470!) ; March 1889, Dr. Aug. Henry 6513 ( KEW!) ; Shaanxi: Yang county, Huayang village , in forests, 1100 m, 20 July 1999, Zhu, Chen, Xu & Wang 2125 ( PE!) ; Foping county, on the road from Gaojiaba to Erlangba , 1100 m, 16 July 1952, Fu K. J. 5038 (PE- 00339444!) ; Shanxi: Yuncheng city, Xia county , Sijiao village , Wulong temple, grass on the hillside, 1225 m, 10 July 1962, Liu T. W. 0608 ( PE!) ; Lingqu county, Huangmeitung, Taihangshan , Lingchuan , 1200 m, 20 July 1937, Liu J. M. 7811 (PE- 00339438!) ; Yuanqu county, Tongshan Zhuanlinggou , hillside, 17 July 1959, Bao S. Y. & Yan S. J. 2127 (PE- 00339439!, PE- 00339440!) ; Sichuan: Pingchang county, Zhenlong village , the Tenth brigade, on the hillside, 1200 m, 5 July 1978, Pingchang Team 554 ( SM!) ; Nanjiang county, Guanmen commune, on the dank rocks, 850 m, 20 June 1978, Anonymous 646 ( SM!) ; Qingchuan county, Sang’an commune, on the hillside, 29 June 1978, Qingchuan Team 0665 ( SM!) ; Jinchuan county , in forests, 102°0 ′ 2 ″ E, 31°18 ′ 59 ″ N, 2230–2500 m, 2 August 2007, Boufford D. E. et al. 38819 (KUN- 1255519!) ; Taiwan: Hsinchu county, Hsiuluan , 121°16 ′ 48 ″ E, 24°36 ′ 39 ″ N, 1300 m, 14 June 2014, Mr. Cai s. n. (TAI- 284119, photo!) ; Hsinchu county, Jianshih township, Xiakeluo ancient path, 20 June 2007, Hsu T. C. 849 ( TAIF!) ; Tibet: Bomi county, Tongmai village , shaded grass of wayside, 2020 m, 20 July 1965, Zhang Y. T. & Lang K. Y. 712 (PE- 00805757!) ; Linzhi county, Pailong village , 29 August 2009, Tian H. Z. & Li H. Q. 09008 (HSNU- 00061331!) ; Yunnan: 2000 m, 9 June 1917, Handel - Mazzetti, H. R. E. von 10156 (paratype WU-0061597, photo!) ; Kunming city, Xishan, 1914, Liu S. E. 19835 (PE- 00339505!) ; C. China: Wilson E. H. 2191 ( K!) .

Flowering: —May–September.

Habitat: —In the shaded grasslands in broad-leaved forests, also on rocks on slopes or river valleys. 800–3700 m.

Distribution: — China (Anhui, Gansu, Guizhou, Henan, Hubei, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Sichuan, Taiwan, Tibet, Yunnan).

Note: —This species is widely distributed in China. It is similar to Goodyera repens (L.) R.Br. ( Fig. 4. C–I ) but can be distinguished on the basis of rosulate leaves with more or less reticulate silvery veins and irregular markings on the upper surface, a much longer and more slender inflorescence (up to 20 cm long) and narrower lateral sepals (less than 2.0 mm wide). Lang (1978) proposed a new species, G. bomiensis , and noted that it is similar to G. repens and with rosulate and thicker leaves, but he did not mention G. brachystegia . We assume he may not have been able to study any material of the type of G. brachystegia , which is preserved at WU. A thorough analysis revealed that both plants have rosulate ovate-orbicular leaves, slender inflorescence with small flowers which have narrowly elliptic lateral sepals. Goodyera bomiensis was newly recorded from Taiwan in 2009 (Chung and Hsu, 2009). During our studies we found that the individuals from Taiwan have fewer flowers than those found in mainland China; however, other morphological features are the same.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Goodyera brachystegia. A. holotype, copyright of University of Vienna, Institute for Botany - Herbarium WU; B. close up of flowers on the holotype; C. leaves; D. inflorescence; E. close up of a flower; F. column; G. tepals; H. pollinia; I. bract.

FIGURE 4. Goodyera yunnanensis & G. repens. A–B. G. yunnanensis; C–I. G. repens;A. plant and habitat; B. inflorescence; C. plant; D. inflorescence; E. lateral view of a flower; F. tepals; G. column with ovary and pedicel; H. pollinia; I. anther.