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 madagascariensis (Rolfe) Schltr. ( Fig. 64 ) Beihefte zum Botanischen Centralblatt 34 (2): 300 ( Schlechter 1916 ) . — Holothrix madagascariensis Rolfe , Journal of the Linnean Society, Botany 29: 55 ( Rolfe 1893 ) ; Perrier 1939: 35 . — Habenaria madagascariensis (Rolfe) Schltr., Oesterreichische Botanische Zeittschrift 49: 23 (1899) . — Peristylus madagascariensis (Rolfe) Rolfe , Orchid Review 7 (73): 4 ( Rolfe 1899 ) . — Platanthera madagascariensis (Rolfe) Kraenzl. , Orchidacearum Genera et Species 1: 609 ( Kraenzlin 1899 ) . FIG . 63. — Benthamia litoralis Hervouet & Descourv. , sp. nov. : drawing by Marie-Aimée Allard: A , habit; B , side view of flower and ovary; C , front view of flower; D , part of rachis with swollen fruits. Scale bars: A, 1 cm; B, C, 1 mm; D, 0.5 cm. Peristylus macropetalus Finet , Notulae Systematicae 2: 24 ( Finet 1911 ) . — Type: sine loc. ; culture in P; XII.1910 , M.F. Geay s.n. ; holotype : P[P00334758]!. TABLE 1. — Differences between Benthamia africana , B. elata and B. litoralis sp. nov.

Benthamia africana	Benthamia elata	Benthamia litoralis sp. nov.
Leaves linear-lanceolate, basal or	Leaves lanceolate, nearly up to the rachis	Leaves linear strap-like, mostly basal, leaving
cauline in lower part of inflorescence	a long gap between leaves and rachis
Rachis very long, 6-38 cm	Rachis very long, 20-40 cm	Rachis short, 4.5-17 cm
Plant medium or large (20-62 cm)	Plant large (25-100 cm)	Plant small (20-41 cm)
Flowers small (2-5 mm)	Flowers large (5 mm)	Flowers small (3 mm)
Lip lateral lobes very small and obtuse	Lip lateral lobes from 1/3 to size of central lobe	Lip lateral lobes acute, less than 1/3 of central lobe
Sheaths 2-3 below the leaves	Sheaths 2 below the leaves	Sheaths absent below the leaves

TYPE MATERIAL . — Madagascar • Anosy , near Fort-Dauphin ; 25°02’S , 46°59’E ; G.F. Scott Elliot 2643 ; lectotype : K !, selected by Hermans et al. (2007: 73) ; isolectotype : P [ P00094529 ] !. ETYMOLOGY . — “Madagascariensis ”, from Madagascar . PHENOLOGY . — February to August. DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY . — Madagascar . Only in the Anosy region in the north of Fort-Dauphin, except for one possibly dubious record from the south of Antananarivo . In coastal marshes ( Fig. 65 ). CONSERVATION . — This species is widespread in marshland in the Fort-Dauphin region but is threatened by the mining activities in the coastal sands of this region, so it should be considered now as Near Threatened (NT). ADDITIONAL SPECIMENS EXAMINED . — Madagascar • Atsimo-Atsinanana , plains near Vaingandrano ; 23°20’50”S , 47°36’50”E ; 6.III; G.F. Scott Elliot 2257 ; K [ K000415554 ], BM [ BM000076235 ] ! • sine loc. ; 1897; L.D.M. Catat 4326 ; P [ P00334762 , P00334763 , P00334764 ] ! • Anosy , région de Fort-Dauphin ; 1897; G. Paroisse 28 ; P [ P00334765 , P00334766 ] ! • Analamanga , damp area near Manjakandriana ; 18°54’37”S , 47°48’29”E ; VI.1905 ; C. d’Alleizette 7066b ; L [ L1487718 ] ! • Anosy , Manantenina ; 10.VI.1926 ; R. Decary 3876 ; P [ P00334770 ] ! • Anosy , Fort-Dauphin ; 24.VI.1926 ; R. Decary 4087 ; P [ P00334773 ] ! • Anosy , Fort-Dauphin ; 26.VI.1926 ; R. Decary 3982 ; P [ P00334771 , P00334772 ] ! • Anosy , Fort-Dauphin ; 1.V.1932 ; R. Decary 9793 ; P [ P00334774 ] ! • Anosy , Fort-Dauphin , Pic Saint-Louis ; alt. 300 m ; 3.VII.1932 ; R. Decary 9973 ; P [ P00334776 ]!, BM [ BM000034591 !, BM000034592 ]!, K !, TAN ! • Anosy , Fort-Dauphin ; 30.VIII.1932 ; R. Decary 9841 ; P [ P00334775 ] ! • Anosy , Soanierana , district de Fort-Dauphin ; 25°00’S , 46°53’E ; 16.X.1932 ; R. Decary 10776 ; P [ P00334777 ] ! • Anosy , Fort-Dauphin ; 21.VIII.1937 ; Poisson 2635 ; TAN ! • Anosy , Fort-Dauphin ; 6.VI.1939 ; R. Decary 14129 ; P [ P00334778 ] ! • Anosy , vallée du Mandrare , affluent de la Manampanihy , montagne au sud de Tanandava ; 24°26’00”S , 47°00’00”E ; alt. 850 m ; 11-16.III.1947 ; H. Humbert 20555 ; P [ P00334759 ] ! • Anosy , bassin de la Manampanihy , mont Vohimavo au nord d’Ampasimena ; 24°22’S , 47°10’E ; alt. 830 m ; 27-28.III.1947 ; H. Humbert 20720 ; P [ P00334760 , P00334761 ]!, K [ K000718265 ]!, TAN !, G ! • Anosy , RN 11 , Canton Enomihila , district de Manantenina ; 24°17’S , 47°19’E ; 28.V.1953 ; D. Ramarokoto 5432RN ; P [ P00334767 , P00326093 ] ! • Anosy , Fort-Dauphin ; 10.IV.1956 ; Raonarivelo 85111 ; P [ P00692460 ] ! • Anosy , Fort-Dauphin , Pic Saint-Louis trail ; 25°00’29”S , 46°57’42”E ; 12.V.1968 ; D. Seligson 594 ; P [ P00334768 noted ”purple flowers” so questionable] ! • Anosy , route de Manantenina , environs de Fort-Dauphin ; 4.IV.1969 ; Y. Veyret 1041 ; P [ P00334769 ] ! • Anosy , Fort Dauphin , Pic Saint-Louis ; VII.1969 ; F. Friedmann 181 ; TAN ! • Anosy , Sainte-Luce ; 23.IV.1969 ; W. Rauh R22146 ; HEID [ HEID740744 , HEID740745 , HEID740746 ] ! • Atsimo-Andrefana , Tuléar , route entre Mahatalaky et Manafiafy , 2 km à l’ouest du village d’Ambandrika ; 24°46’S , 47°12’E ; alt. 0-10 m ; 13.VI.1994 ; A. Randrianasolo 367 ; P [ P02103231 ]!, K !, MO [ MO3022641 ]!, TAN !• Anosy , Fort-Dauphin area ; 24°47’30”S , 47°05’00”E ; 1999; J. Hermans 4242 ; K ! • Anosy , near Mahatalaky , Tolagnaro province ; 2001; J. Hermans 5351 ; K ! • Anosy , Iabakoho , Antsotso Avaratra , Ivohibe ; 24°34’10”S , 47°12’26”E ; alt. 105 m ; V.2006 ; C. Birkinshaw et al. 1639 ; K [ K000395392 ]!, P [ P00593236 ]!, MO !, TAN ! • Anosy , Mahatalaky ; alt. 10 m ; 5.VIII.2012 ; N. Rakotonirina 783 ; MO [ MO3022627 ] !. NOTES According to Rolfe, Holothrix madagascariensis ( Rolfe 1893: 55 ) has the habit of Habenaria glaberrima Ridley but is readily distinguished by the laxer rachis with larger flowers, the much larger lateral lobes of the lip, and the very short saccate spur. In Rolfe’s publication the species is illustrated on plate XII, which is mislabelled Habenaria elliotii . The specimen C. d’Alleizette 7066b in L (L1487718) was collected close to Antananarivo , very far from the distribution range given by other records. We consider the locality dubious. Note that there is also a second specimen C. d’Alleizette 7066b in L (L1487725), of Benthamia monophylla . A specimen in P ( D. Seligson 594 ) has a note saying that the flowers are purple. This is questionable since all specimens seen in the wild so far have white flowers. See also: Cribb & Hermans (2009: 47) , Bosser & Lecoufle (2011: 178) , Hervouet (2018: 166) . DESCRIPTION Erect terrestrial herb, 25-50 cm tall. Tubers 1-2, ovoid, roots wiry, c. 1 mm in diameter, up to 20 cm long. Stem 2-5 mm in diameter, with leaves on the lower half, higher up with 3-4 narrow bladed sheaths. Leaves 3-6, linear, 8-15 cm × 3-5 mm . Rachis 5-10 cm , with 15-40 flowers rather densely distributed. Floral bracts narrow, very acute, 7-10 × 1-2 mm . Ovary fusiform, straight, 7-12 × 1-2 mm . Flowers forming a green tube at the base, secund, white; sepals 1-veined, clearly linear, dorsal sepal 5-10.5 × 0.6-2.2 mm , the lateral sepals a little shorter, 5-10 × 0.9- 2 mm , adnate to the petals and to the lip; petals longer and wider than sepals, 5.2-10 × 0.3-2 mm , oblanceolatelinear, rounded at the tip, 1-veined; lip 8-10 × 3-7 mm , narrow, divided into three lobes in the upper quarter; lobes equal, c. 3 mm long, 1-1.5 mm wide; spur very shortly saccate, 0.8-1.1 × 0.6-1 mm , as wide at the base as high. Column 1.2-2.8 × 1-2 mm , anther apiculate; auricles broadly oblong, as long as the anther; rostellum with the median tooth twice as long as the lateral, obtuse and gutter-shaped at the apex.