Habenaria tiechangensis X.H. Jin & D.L. Lin

Lin, Dongliang, Qin, Shiyu & Jin, Xiaohua, 2024, A new species of Habenaria (Orchidaceae, Orchidoideae, Orchideae) from Yunnan, China, Phytotaxa 646 (1), pp. 67-74 : 68-71

Habenaria tiechangensis X.H. Jin & D.L. Lin , sp. nov.

Type: CHINA. Yunnan Province, Wenshan City, Malipo County, elev. 1909 m, 11 July 2023, Xiaohua Jin & Shiyu Qin 40149 (holotype PE!).

Diagnosis: Habenaria tiechangensis X.H. Jin & D.L. Lin differs from H. diplonema by having short and lanceolate lateral lobes of lip and a pair of distinctive horn-like stigmas elongate along callus.

Terrestrial herb, 11 cm tall. Tuber fleshy, ellipsoid, 1.3cm × 1cm. Stem slender, erect, pubescent, with 2 nearly opposite leaves near the base. Leaves elliptic or ovoid, 3.5cm × 2.5cm, apex acuminate, base narrowed and amplexicaulsheathing, slightly fleshy, with 3 lateral veins, abaxially pale green, principal vein slightly raised, lateral veins obvious. Inflorescence laxly 5-flowered, rachis pubescent; floral bracts long ovate-lanceolate, apex acuminate, up to 1/2 of the ovary or slightly shorter, 5mm × 1mm, enclosed ovary at base; ovary cylindric, twisted, slightly arching, rachis pubescent, including pedicel ca. 8mm long. Flowers green, small, erect; dorsal sepal erect, broadly ovate to suborbicular, ca. 3mm × ca. 2.5mm, apex obtuse-rounded, concave, 1-veined, glabrous; lateral sepals reflexed, obliquely ovate-elliptic, 4mm × 1.5mm, 1-veined, glabrous, apex obtuse, curved, bend upward; petals erect, obliquely falcate-ovate, equal to dorsal sepal, 3mm × 2mm, forming hood with dorsal sepal, front side broadened as a small tooth at base, glabrous, 1-veined; lip longer than lateral sepals, above base deeply 3-lobed, spurred at base; lateral lobes lanceolate, 2.5 mm × 1mm, slightly shorter than mid-lobe, apex acute; mid-lobe lanceolate, 4 mm × 1mm, apex acute, right angle to lateral lobes; spur pendulous, clavate, ca. 6mm long, somewhat geniculate in basal half, slightly curved, gradually dilated toward apex, apex obtuse, short than ovate, adaxially with a cushion-like callus at base. Column short and stout, erect, 1.5mm in diam., 1mm long; anther erect, locules divergent, ovoid, base of each protruding with short grooved; connective wide, ca. 0.5 mm wide, apex flat; pollinaria 2, obovate, ca. 1mm long, yellowish, with a slender filiform caudicles of about 1.5mm long; viscidia small, ellipsoidal, ca. 0.5 mm long; stigmas 2, horn-like, elongate along callus; rostellum triangular, arms short, slightly convex; staminodes 2, oblong-ovate, ca. 1.5mm, located on both sides of column as auricles.

Etymology: The name “ tiechangensis ” refers to the type locality of the new species, Tiechang Town, Malipo County, Yunnan Province, China.

Distribution and habitat: Habenaria tiechangensis is only discovered in the type locality Malipo County in Yunnan province, grows in subtropical limestone montane monsoon forest at an altitude of around 1900m, adapted to moist stone walls.

Phenology: Flowering in July to August.

Note: Habenaria tiechangensis belongs to Habenaria josephi group and is allied to H. diplonema by having two leaves appressed to the ground, rachis and ovary pubescent, sterile bracts absent, and 3-lobed lips. But H. tiechangensis can be distinguished from the latter by having short and lanceolate lateral lobes of lip (much longer than median lobe and filiform with straight tips in H. diplonema ). Additionally, H. tiechangensis has short protruding grooved at base of locules, and a pair of distinctive horn-like stigmas which elongate along callus and apex connivent at base of lip ( Tab 1 ).