Bulbophyllum putaoensis Q. Liu, 2017

Liu, Qiang, Zhou, Shi-Shun, Li, Ren, Zhang, Ming-Xia, Zyaw, Myint, Lone, Shwe & Quan, Rui-Chang, 2017, Bulbophyllum putaoensis (Orchidaceae: Epidendroideae; Malaxideae), a new species from Kachin State, Myanmar, Phytotaxa 305 (1), pp. 57-60 : 57-58

Bulbophyllum putaoensis Q. Liu , sp. nov. ( Fig. 1 , 2 )

Type: Myanmar. Kachin State. Putao County: Wasadam village, Epiphytic on the trunk of mountain rain forest, 830 m, 3 May, 2016, Q. Liu 330 (holotype, HITBC!).

Diagnosis: Bulbophyllum putaoensis is similar to B. umbellatum Lindley and B. chyrmangensis , but can be distinguished from them by having obliquely triangular column stelids; oblong anther cap and significant viscidium of pollinarium.

Epiphytic herbs with a creeping rhizome enclosed by fibrous sheaths, 2–4 mm in diam. Pseudobulbs ridged, narrowly ovoid, 3.2–4.5 × 1.8–2.2 cm with sheaths that later becomes fibrous, with a terminal leaf. Leaf narrowly oblong, erect, 14.2–16.5 × 2.6–4.1 cm, apex obtuse, base narrowing into a petiole; petiole 2.4–4.5 cm. Scape arising from the base of the pseudobulb, 12.2–14.5 cm long, shorter than leaf; umbellate, often 4–5 -flowered. Peduncle glabrous, light green with densely purple spots, 2-sheathed, distant, tubular ca. 1.5 cm long. Floral bract ovate-lanceolate, creamy-white with purple spots, acuminate, 7.4–8.5 × 2.2–3.5 mm. Pedicle and ovary slightly ridged, pale green with purple spots, 18.4–20 mm long. Flowers pale greenish yellow, with purple spots. Dorsal sepal broadly ovate, concave, apex acuminate, 5- veined, ca.12.8–14.9 × 6.0– 6.7 mm; lateral sepals falcate-lanceolate, ca. 17.7–18.8 × 6.4–7.6 mm, 5- veined, upper margin un-twisted, base attached to column foot, apices convergent, apex acuminate; petals ovate, 3-veined, ca. 7.6–8.2 × 3.9–4.0 mm, apex obtuse. Lip deflexed, lingulate, ca. 6.2–7.3 × 3.6–3.8 mm, adaxially with a grooved keel from base to near apex; base subcordate with hair along margins, apex obtuse and glossy. Column ca. 4.2 mm, stout with purple spots; stelidia deltoid, ca. 1.7 mm long; column wings broadly triangular; column foot ca. 4.5 mm long with purple spots. Anther cap oblong, yellow with 2 brown broad band along the margins. Pollinia 4, ellipsoid with the significant viscidium.

Distribution and Habitat: This new species was only found in the Kachin State, Myanmar. Epiphytic on the tree in tropical mountain rain forest, which associates tree species including Altingia excels ( Altingiaceae ), Knema linifolia ( Myristicaceae ), Elaeocarpus varunua ( Elaeocarpaceae ), Goniothalamus sp ( Annonaceae ), Beilschmiedia sp ( Lauraceae ).

Etymology: The specific epithet refers to the type locality, Putao.

Phenology: Flowering from May to June.

Additional specimens examined: Myanmar. Kachin State. Putao County: Wasadam village, Epiphytic on tree in the tropical mountain rain forest, alt. 830 m, 10 May, 2016. Q. Liu 331 (isotype, HITBC!).

Taxonomic note: Morphologically, Bulbophyllum putaoensis is similar to B. umbellatum Lindley (1830: 56) and share the umbellate inflorescence, twist lateral sepals and column with triangular wings, but differs from it by having lanceolate petals (petals widely ovate in B. umbellatum ), oblong anther cap (anther cap subglobose in B. umbellatum )and significant viscidium of pollinarium (pollinarium without viscidium in B. umbellatum ). Bulbophyllum putaoensis is also similar to B. chyrmangensis D. Verma, S. Lavania & Sushil K. Singh (2015: 95) and B. salweenensis X.H. Jin (2015: 96) in having an elliptic-oblong leaves, sheathed pseudobulbs, purple-spotted flowers and winged column. However, the pinkish yellow flower, petals with widely ovate with papillose margin and ovoid anther cap in B. chyrmangensis differ from B. putaoensis (pale greenish yellow flower, lanceolate petals without papillose margin and oblong anther cap); B. salweenensis has the lanceolate and denticulate petals, lip with a longitudinal pink ridge and pollinarium without viscidium significantly distinguish with the B. putaoensis (lanceolate petals without denticulate, lip without a longitudinal pink ridge and pollinarium with viscidium).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Bulbophyllum putaoensis. A. Habit. B. Inflorescence. C. Front view of flower. D. Dissected flower. E. Lip. F. anther cap G. Front view of column. H. Pollinarium (Photographed by Q. Liu).

FIGURE 2. Bulbophyllum putaoensis. A. Front view of Lip. B. Lateral view of column. C. Ventral view of Lip. D. Lateral view of Lip. E. Front view of basal Lip (Photographed by Q. Liu).