Revision of the genus Benthamia A. Rich. (Orchidaceae, Orchidioideae, Habenariinae) Author Hervouet, Jean-Michel Fédération France Orchidées (FFO) and Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Direction générale déléguée aux collections, Herbier national, case postale 39, 57 rue Cuvier 75005 Paris (France) jmhervouet @ free. fr jmhervouet@free.fr Author Descourvières, Pascal France Orchidées (FFO), 27 rue Auguste Blanqui, 94400 Vitry-sur-Seine (France) descourvieres. pascal @ neuf. fr descourvieres.pascal@neuf.fr Author Hermans, Johan , Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW 9 3 AE (United Kingdom) and Core Facility, Botanical Garden, University of Vienna, Rennweg 14, 1030, Vienna (Austria) j. hermans @ kew. org j.hermans@kew.org Author Longou, Ludivine Atelier d'iconographie scientifique, UAR 2047 DoHNÉE, MNHN / CNRS, Muséum national d’histoire naturelle, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris (France) ludivine. longou @ mnhn. fr ludivine.longou@mnhn.fr text Adansonia 2025 3 2025-07-21 47 11 171 249 https://sciencepress.mnhn.fr/sites/default/files/articles/pdf/adansonia2025v47a11.pdf journal article 313251 10.5252/adansonia2025v47a11 b8e5d9ec-7e27-4bbf-a8a8-6cee2bf7465f 1639-4798 16262489 Benthamia mascula Hervouet & Descourv. , sp. nov. ( Figs 69 ; 70 ; 71 ; 72 ) DIAGNOSIS . — Similar to Benthamia africana but differing by the clearly trilobed lip (vs obscurely trilobed), the absence of a callus on the lip, the larger scrotiform spur and the 2-3 leaves in the middle of the stem (vs basal or in the lowest part of the stem), it differs from Benthamia perfecunda by the secund rachis (vs in three ranks), flowers that are not autogamous (vs autogamous), smaller leaves and a lax rachis (vs dense). TYPE MATERIAL . — France , La Réunion • Sentier du Bras Cabot , îlet de Patience ; 21°06’S , 55°37’E ; 7.IV.1978 ; J. Bosser 22460 ; holotype : P [ P00738370 ] !. ETYMOLOGY . — Referring to the proportionally large scrotumshaped spur. PHENOLOGY . — March to May. DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY . — La Réunion and Madagascar . Widespread in La Réunion and so far only known from photographs from Ambondrombe in Madagascar , in montane grassland. From 1600 to 2300 m ( Fig. 73 ). CONSERVATION . — This species is not very rare in La Réunion , and has largely been overlooked, it is found in protected areas in La Réunion . It is thus considered of Least Concern (LC). In Madagascar it is provisionally considered Data Deficient (DD). ADDITIONAL SPECIMENS EXAMINED . — Madagascar • Haute Matsiatra , summit of Ambondrombe ; 21°52’30”S , 47°15’37”E ; alt. 1875 m ; 10.IV.2018 ; photograph by Jean-Michel Hervouet ( Fig. 69 ). France , La Réunion • Massif de la Fournaise , Ramon crater area ; 21°17’41”S , 55°42’22”E ; alt. 2000 m ; 15.II.1971 ; T. Cadet 3045 and 3046 ; REU [ REU006428 , REU006429 ] ! • Plaine des Salazes ; 21°06’S , 55°32’E ; alt. 2500 m ; 3.III.1971 ; T. Cadet 3134 ; REU [ REU017471 ] !• Salazie plain ; 21°06’S , 55°32’E ; alt. 1500 m ; 7.III.1971 ; T. Cadet 3136 ; REU [ REU006430 ] ! • Brûlé de Saint-Denis ; 20°55’S , 55°26’E ; 2.V.1974 ; J. Bosser 21924 ; P [ P00738536 ] ! • Takamaka ; 21°05’S , 55°38’E ; 24.V.1974 ; J. Bosser 22050 ; P [ P00738381 ] ! • Sentier du Bras Cabot , îlet de Patience ; 21°06’S , 55°37’E ; 7.IV.1978 ; J. Bosser 22472 ; P [ P00738367 ] ! • Hauts de Sainte-Rose ; 21°09’S , 55°45’E ; 18.IV.1978 ; J. Bosser 22521 ; P [ P00738517 ] ! • Morne des patates à Durand ; alt. 1000-1100 m ; 20°56’S , 55°27’E ; 5.V.1978 ; J. Bosser 22448 ; P [ P00738376 ] ! • Plaine des Fougères ; 21°00’15”S , 55°29’21”E ; alt. 1200 m ; 28.V.2003 ; T. Pailler TP 79 and TP79.2 ; REU [ REU006442 , REU007937 except plant on the right] ! • L’Étang-Salé , source of La Nouvelle Bras Sec ; alt. 1300 m ; II.2004 ; V. Grondin et al. 1014 ; CBNM ! • Plaine des Palmistes , sentier Piton Bébour ; 21°07’41”S , 55°33’43”E ; 26.II.2004 ; J. Férard et al. 1009 ; CBNM ! • Piton Rouge , Plaine des Cafres ; 21°09’S , 55°34’E ; alt. 1900 m ; 9.III.2004 ; T. Pailler TP162 and TP163 ; REU [ REU006440 , REU006424 ] ! • Route du Volcan , vers Le Piton de l’Eau ; 21°11’02”S , 55°40’28”E ; alt. 2100-2200 m ; 15.III.2007 ; F. Martos FM88 and FM89 ; REU [ REU007631 , REU007632 ] ! • Plaine des Palmistes , Piton des Cabris ; 21°09’24”S , 55°39’03”E ; alt. 1200 m ; 21.V.2008 ; F. Martos FM318 and FM319 ; REU [ REU007893 , REU007902 ] ! • Route du Volcan , vers Le Piton de l’Eau ; 21°11’02”S , 55°40’28”E ; 21.V.2008 ; F. Martos FM348 and FM349 ; REU [ REU007892 , REU007901 ] !. FIG . 71. — Benthamia mascula Hervouet & Descourv. , sp. nov. , Le Brûlé, La Réunion, 18 April 2018. Photograph by Jean-Michel Hervouet. NOTES The species also seems to be in Madagascar , according to photographs from Ambondrombe, however no herbarium specimen from this island has been located so far. The position of the leaves on the stem is similar to Benthamia macra Schltr. from Madagascar but the latter has a smaller spur, different bracts (acicular and shorter than ovary in Benthamia mascula sp. nov. , lanceolate acuminate and longer than ovary in Benthamia macra ), the flowers are smaller (lip at most 2.5 mm long vs 4 mm for Benthamia macra ) and the rachis is denser. It is apparent on some specimens that not all the flowers are pollinated and some remain fresh late in the season, while others are fruiting on the same rachis, it is thus probably allogamous. FIG . 70. — Benthamia mascula Hervouet & Descourv. , sp. nov. , Le Brûlé, La Réunion, 18 April 2018. Photograph by Jean-Michel Hervouet. See also: Bernet (2010: 139 , as Benthamia sp. 2 ), Szelengowicz & Tamon (2013: 245 , as Benthamia herminioides subsp. arcuata H.Perrier , photograph on the right only). DESCRIPTION Erect terrestrial herb, 25-60 cm tall. Tubers 2, digitate, up to 25 mm long, roots thick, starting from the junction between stem and tubers. Stem 2-5 mm in diameter, with 2 basal sheaths, then leaves in the middle, then 3-4(7) acicular sterile bracts, 1-2 cm long. Leaves 2-3, cauline, narrowly ovate or elliptic-lanceolate, acuminate, erect, 4-8 cm × 4-12 mm for the larger. Rachis unilateral, lax, 5-13 cm long, with 5-10 mm between successive flowers, bearing 7-30(50) flowers. Floral bract nearly as long or ¾ of the length of the ovary. Ovary 4-8 mm long, at right angle to the rachis when mature. Flowers greenish, partly closed except the spreading lateral sepals, around 2-3 mm long; dorsal sepal elliptic, concave, 1-veined, apex rounded, 1.8-2 × 0.8-1.1 mm ; lateral sepals obliquely elliptic, concave, 1-veined, apex subacute or obtuse, 1.6-2.3 × 1-1.2 mm ; petals more or less obliquely elliptic, 1-veined, apex subacute, 1.8-2 × 1 mm , forming a hood with the dorsal sepal. Lip 1.5-2.5 × 2-3 mm , trilobed in upper third, with thick lobes, without callus, smooth and glossy, canaliculate, with the lateral lobes slightly shorter then midlobe, forming with the perianth a narrow entrance into the spur; spur markedly bilobed, scrotiform, 1 mm long, nearly as wide as long, narrowed at base. Column subterete, 0.6 mm long, with two basal auricles shorter than the column, rectangular, with distal margin irregular.