Stenoglottis Lindley (1837: 209)

Phillips, Dean P. & Bytebier, Benny, 2020, A taxonomic revision of Stenoglottis (Orchideae, Orchidoideae, Orchidaceae), Phytotaxa 456 (3), pp. 219-243 : 220-221

Stenoglottis Lindley (1837: 209) .

Type:— Stenoglottis fimbriata Lindley (1837: 210) .

Lithophytic, epiphytic or terrestrial herbs with perennial, tuberous roots, ellipsoid to elongate, cylindrical, fascicled, sometimes with a woolly velamen. Leaves annual, ca. 5–20 in a basal rosette, spreading to erect or arching, linear to lanceolate or oblanceolate, acute to acuminate or apiculate, concolourous or variously spotted with brown or maroon, glabrous, margins entire, flat to strongly undulate. Inflorescence an erect raceme, lax to dense, frequently subsecund, glabrous; cauline leaves reduced to narrowly lanceolate sheaths, unspotted or variously spotted with brown or maroon. Bracts cordate to lanceolate, acute to acuminate, shorter than or subequal to the ovaries, gradually decreasing in size along the rachis. Flowers numerous, resupinate, white, pink or lilac to mauve, often spotted with a darker shade of pink or purple. Sepals free or basally united to the column, subequal, ovate to narrowly ovate or elliptic, acute to obtuse; dorsal concave; laterals oblique to falcate, margins entire. Petals shorter than sepals, ovate, oblique, acute, folded forward to enclose the column, margins slightly lacerate. Labellum spurred or unspurred, patent, oblong to broadly obovate or cuneate in outline, often puberulous near the base, trilobed; side lobes entire or with variable additional fimbriation. Column short, ca. 2 mm; anther erect, with auricles slender to clavate, smooth or tuberculate; pollinia 2, caudicles short, viscidia round; stigmatic arms free, straight or curved; rostellum trilobed. Ovary ribbed, cylindrical; mature capsules elliptic or oblong.

Key to the Stenoglottis taxa

1. Labellum with a spur ..........................................................................................................................................................................2

– Labellum without a spur.....................................................................................................................................................................4

2. Labellum side lobes broad and entire, rounded or truncate, midlobe apex acute to rounded; spur tapering or sub-saccate, with or without nectar; bracts sheathing ovaries; leaves never spotted ..........................................................................................................3

– Labellum side lobes incised to deeply divided, midlobe narrow, attenuate; spur saccate, without nectar; bracts sheathing or recurved; leaves unspotted or sparsely spotted ............................................................................................................... S. inandensis

3. Spur to 0.4–1.5 mm long, sub-saccate, straight, without nectar; labellum midlobe acute to obtuse; flowering from December........ ............................................................................................................................................................................................... S. woodii

– Spur 2.0–3.0 mm long, tapering, straight or recurved, nectar-producing; labellum midlobe rounded; flowering from late October ................................................................................................................................................................................... S. macloughlinii

4. Labellum side lobes usually acute and entire, occasionally fringed or bifurcating; floral bracts usually sheathing ovaries entirely, occasionally recurved at the apex; auricles slender, approximately uniform in width or slightly wider at the apex, adnate to sides of the anther; self-pollinating .............................................................................................................................................................5

– Labellum side lobes usually with 2–5 fimbriae of variable length, sometimes ligulate and entire or shallowly incised; floral bracts recurved, not sheathing ovaries; auricles clavate with markedly swollen apex, projecting forward beyond the anther; never selfpollinating......................................................................................................................................................................... S. longifolia

5. Leaves variously spotted or not, margins undulate; labellum side lobes variable, acute to truncate, margins entire to shallowly incised or bifurcating; labellum base flat, spurless; life span of individual flowers variable (± two weeks) ...................................... .................................................................................................................................................................... S. fimbriata var. fimbriata

– Leaves never spotted, margins entire; labellum side lobes without additional fimbriation; minute vestigial spur at base of labellum; individual flowers short-lived (± two days) ................................................................................................. S. fimbriata var. modesta