Lepanthes ricaurtensis Luer & R.Escobar (1994: 111)

Monteros, Marco F., Restrepo, Eugenio, Iturralde, Gabriel A., Jiménez, Marco M. & Baquero, Luis E., 2023, Contributions to the Lepanthes (Orchidaceae) knowledge in Ecuador: A new species from Cordillera del Toisán and new records for the country, Phytotaxa 622 (3), pp. 204-214 : 213

Lepanthes ricaurtensis Luer & R.Escobar (1994: 111) ( Figure 4D ).

Type: — COLOMBIA. Nariño: Epiphytic in forest near Ricaurte , alt. 1600 m, 3 Nov 1979, C . Luer , J . Luer & A . Hirtz 4622 (holotype: SEL) .

Examined specimens: ECUADOR. Carchi: Reserva Dracula , coordinates omitted for conservation purposes, 25 Mar 2021, M. F . Monteros MFM218 ( QCNE) .

Distribution and ecology: This species was recently recorded from the cloud forests of northwestern Ecuador in the province of Carchi at 1730 m, extending its distribution 40 km to the south of the type locality and rising 130 m above the previous records from Colombia. In northwestern Ecuador L. ricaurtensis has been blooming in situ between March and July.

Taxonomic Discussion :: Lepanthes ricaurtensis is characterized by the tiny flowers borne on the top of the narrowly ovate leaves; the petals are green and irregularly truncate; the blades of the lip are thick, and the appendix is short and triangular ( Luer & Thoerle 2012).

Figures

FIGURE 4. Images of the specimens of the new Lepanthes species for Ecuador. A. L. acrogenia Luer & R.Escobar. MFM216 (QCNE). B. L. elata Reichenbach.f. MFM219 (QCNE). C. L. quadricornis Luer & R.Escobar MFM220 (QCNE). D. L. ricaurtensis Luer & R.Escobar. MFM218 (QCNE). Photographs by Marco F. Monteros. Plate by Eugenio Restrepo.