Panisea moi M.Z.Huang, J.M.Yin & G.S.Yang, 2012

Huang, Ming-Zhong, Yin, Jun-Mei, Yang, Guang-Sui & Tan, Yun-Hong, 2012, Panisea moi, a new species (Orchidaceae: Epidendroideae) from Hainan, China, Phytotaxa 60 (1), pp. 13-16 : 13-16

Panisea moi M.Z.Huang, J.M.Yin & G.S.Yang , sp. nov. ( Fig. 1–2)

Species P. vinhii Aver. et Averyanova affinis, sed labello subintegro, carinis longioribus, e medio hypochili ad 2/3 epichili extenso, extrama carinarum inflatis differt.

Type:— China: Hainan: Wuzhishan City, Mount Wuzhi , tree trunk near crest of hill, 1550 m, 16 March 2011, Huang 747938 (holotype: IBSC!) .

Epiphytic herb. Pseudobulbs densely caespitose, ovoid to subspherical, 1.0– 1.2 cm tall, 0.8–1.0 cm wide, with 2 apical leaves, smooth when young, with 2–4 brown cataphylls at base, coarsely wrinkled at old age. Leaves narrowly elliptic to broadly lanceolate, 3.0–6.0 cm × 0.8–1.0 cm, base conspicuously contracted to 3–5 mm. Inflorescence a short apical raceme, synanthous, 3–6 flowered; with a 1.5–2.0 cm stalk, and a 1.0– 2.5 cm rachis. Bracts persistent at least to the end of flowering, broadly ovate, yellowish, 6–8 × 3–4 mm. Flowers white, odorless, labellum with a Y-shaped yellow spot. Sepals with longitudinal raised keels, triveined, 8.0–9.0 × 2.5–3.0 mm, dorsal sepal ovate, lateral sepals oblique, slightly flexuose, elliptic. Petals narrowly ovate to oblong, trinerved, 8–9 mm × 2–3 mm. Labellum 7.0–8.0 × 3.5–4.0 mm, sigmoid, curved to the right for the first third to form a hypochile and epichile; hypochile ca. 3 × 2 mm, concave at base, with two unconspicuous triangular side-lobes at the end; epichile oblong, ca. 5 × 3mm, with undulate or serrate margin, recurved, mucronate; callus with 2 longitudinal lamellae extending from the mid-hypochile to 2/3 of the epichile; lamellae slightly crenulate, thickened terminally. Column 4.5–5.0 mm long, 2.0– 2.5 mm wide, with conspicuous lateral wings, broadening apically. Anther cap hemispherical, ca. 1 mm across; pollinia 4, in 2 pairs, unequal, subspherical. Pedicel and ovary 7–8 mm long. Capsule ellipsoidal, ca. 1.7 × 0.7 cm, triridged, shallowly winged; fruiting pedicel 3–5 mm. Flowering March. Fruiting September.

Distribution and habitat:— Panisea moi grows on trunks of tall trees in the jungle or on shrubs on hill crests at 1200–1850 m elevation. It is known from Mount Wuzhi and Mount Jianfengling on Hainan Island.

Phenology:— The new species is in flower in March with fruiting in September.

Etymology:— The specific epithet honors the first author’s tutor Prof. Rao Mo (1963–2012), who focused his life on the breeding of orchids and other tropical ornamental plants on Hainan Island.

Relationships:— Panisea moi is closely related to P.vinhii Aver. et Averyanova (2006: 27) from Vietnam and shares similar sepals and petals. Panisea vinhii has a distinctly tripartite labellum, two short keels along the epichile and a hysteranthous inflorescence with a zigzag rachis ( Averyanov & Averyanova, 2006), whereas Panisea moi has subentire labellum and two keels with dilated ends extending from hypochile to epichile and a synanthous inflorescence with a rachis straight. Panisea moi is also morphologically similar to P. albiflora (Ridley) Seidenfaden (1975: 87) , but can be distinguished by the following characters: an entire labellum, a colourless callus at the base of labellum and sepal with five veins ( Lund, 1987). Table 1 shows differences of the three species.

Additional specimen examined (paratype):— CHINA: Hainan: Ledong Country, Mount Jianfengling , tree trunk near crest of hill, 1380m, 12 March 2012, Huang 143272 ( HITBC!) .

Acknowledgements