Epidendrum deditae Hágsater & Krahl, 2020

Hagsater, Eric & Krahl, Amauri Herbert, 2020, Epidendrum deditae, a new species of Orchidaceae (Laeliinae) from northern Brazil, Phytotaxa 440 (3), pp. 225-231 : 228-229

Epidendrum deditae Hágsater & Krahl , sp. nov.

Type:— BRAZIL. Amazonas: Careiro Castanho, Rio Castanho, 3 ° 47’35.58” S, 60 ° 24’10.48” W, 100 m a.s.l., 11 April 2019, epiphytic on “Piranheira” in inundated Igapó, F. C. L. Félix 001 (holotype, INPA). Fig. 1

Similar to E. campaccii , but the plants taller, stems 17–31 cm long (vs. 11–25 cm long), leaves narrower, 0.9–1.6 cm wide (vs. 1.6–2.6 cm wide), flowers larger, sepals 18–19 mm long (vs. 14.5–15.5 mm long), column 11–12 mm long (vs. 10.5–11.0 mm long).

Epiphytic, sympodial, caespitose herb, 17–31 cm tall including the inflorescence. Roots 1–2 mm in diameter, basal, fleshy, thin. Stems 8.9–27.8 × 0.3–0.4 cm, simple, cane-like, terete, sinuous. Leaves 5–14, spreading, distributed throughout apical ¾ of the stem, coriaceous; foliar sheaths 2.0–2.5 × 0.3–0.4 cm, tubular, smooth; blade 2.7–6.3 × 0.9–1.6 cm, elliptic, apex unequally bilobed to obtuse, coriaceous, margin entire, spreading. Spathe lacking. Inflorescence 5.0– 5.6 cm long, apical, from the mature stem, sub-corymbose, sessile; peduncle ca. 1.2 × 0.6 cm. Floral bracts ca. 7 × 3 mm, much shorter than the ovary. Ovary 41 mm long, terete, thin, unornamented. Flowers 3–9, resupinate, simultaneous, green; soft daytime fragrance of citrus. Sepals spreading, free, oblanceolate-elliptic, apex obtuse, coriaceous, glabrous, margins entire, revolute; dorsal sepal 18 × 5 mm, 5-veined, lateral sepals 19 × 6 mm, 5-veined, oblique, the upper margin nearly straight along the basal 2/3. Petals 17 × 1.5 mm, spreading, oblanceolate, apex rounded, margins entire, spreading, 1-veined. Lip 11–12 × 17–20 mm, united to the column, shallowly 3-lobed, convex, margin entire, spreading; bicallose, calli small, separate, in front of the apex of the sides of the column, semiglobose; disc of the lip with a wide central, very low, inconspicuous rib running to the apical sinus of the lip; lateral lobes of the lip 5.7 × 9.2 mm, semi-orbicular; mid-lobe 2.8 × 1.0 mm, bilobate, the lobes rounded, forming ¼ circles, apex retuse. Column 11–12 mm slightly arched in the middle. Clinandrium-hood prominent, surpassing the apex of the column, margin dentate. Anther 1 × 1 mm, sub-spherical obreniform, 4-celled. Pollinia 4, obovoid, laterally compressed; caudicles soft and granulose, somewhat longer than the pollinia; viscidium semi-liquid. Rostellum apical, slit. Capsule 48 × 15 mm, sub-globose; pedicel 19 × 1.5 mm, very thin, body 22 × 15 mm, apical neck 7 × 2 mm.

Etymology:— the specific epithet honors Dedita Lima Félix mother of the collector of the type, Francisco Clóvis Lima Félix, an amateur orchid collector from Manaus who found the species and brought it to the attention of the Brazilian author. This is a tribute from F.C. L. Félix to his mother.

Additional specimens examined:— BRAZIL. Amazonas : Careiro Castanho, Rio Castanho, 3 ° 47’35.58”S, 60 ° 24’10.48”W, 100 m a.s.l., 12 Apr 2019, epiphytic on “Piranheira” in inundated Igapó, F. C. L. Félix 002 (paratype INPA!) ; Ibid. , 26 Apr 2019, F. C. L. Félix 003 (paratype EAFM!) ; Ibid. , 27 Apr 2019, F. C. L. Félix 004 (paratype INPA!) ; Ibid. , F. C. L. Félix 005 (paratype EAFM!) ;

Distribution and habitat:— the type material and the paratypes were collected in the municipality of Careiro Castanho in the Castanho River. All specimens were found in the same type of environment. They were observed in tall trees in “Igapó” (vegetation flooded by the dark waters of the Black River).

Phenology:— flowering plants were observed from late April to May.

Conservation status:— DD. Data deficient. There are few collections of this species in herbaria, but it would be presumably widespread in the upper Amazon Basin of Brazil (Solimões River).

Morphological affinities:— Epidendrum deditae belongs to the Epidendrum difforme Group which is characterized by the caespitose, sympodial plants, the fleshy light green to glaucous leaves, the apical, sessile, rarely with a short peduncle, inflorescence without any spathe, being one-flowered to corymbose, and the fleshy flowers green to yellowish-green, rarely white ( Sánchez & Hágsater, 1998). The new species is recognized by the terete stems 17–31 cm tall, the 3–9 simultaneous flowers, the sepals 18–19 mm long, the narrow and oblanceolate petals, the lip 11–12 × 17–20 mm, 3-lobed, the lateral lobes semi-orbicular, the mid-lobe 2.8 × 1.0 mm, bilobate, the lobes rounded, forming ¼ circles with a retuse apex, and the column 11–12 mm long.

The new species is comparable to E. campaccii from southeastern Brazil; both having terete stems. That species has stems 6–21 cm long, 5–8 flowers, wider leaves, 1.6–2.6 cm wide, smaller flowers, sepals 14.5–15.5 mm long, petals oblanceolate, a lip similar in shape, 12.0–12.5 × 19–20 mm, a column 10.5–11.0 mm long, and a fragrance of carnation ( Dianthus sp. ). The new species is found in the vicinity of E. althausenii [replaced name: E. uniflorum Barb.Rodr. (1877: 61) ] (see Hágsater et al. 1999, pl. 346.) which differs by having shorter plants, ancipitose stems 2–12 cm tall, 1–3 larger flowers, sepals 23–42 mm long, linear petals, a lip 17–22 × 25–32 mm, sub-quadrate when spread, lateral lobes obliquely semi-ovate, surpassing the mid-lobe apically, and a column 14–19 mm long. Other species from northeastern South America mostly have laterally compressed to ancipitose stems, such as E. anatipedium (see Hágsater & Sánchez 2013, pl. 1407), which has laterally compressed (but not ancipitose) stems 6–7 cm long, 3 simultaneous large flowers, sepals 30–35 mm long, linear petals, the lip 12 × 14 mm, obtrapezoid in outline, the lip in the shape of a duck’s foot, the apex 3-lobed, the lobes triangular, obtuse, and the column 21–22 mm long. Epidendrum sanchezii has terete stems 2.8–13.0 cm tall, sub-terete leaves linear-oblong to oblong-lanceolate, 0.2–0.6 cm wide, 1–3 flowers, sepals 10–12 mm long, narrowly oblanceolate petals, a reniform, cordate lip, 8–11 × 12–13 mm, and is found in the states of Pernambuco and Ceará. Epidendrum macarense from the Serranía de la Macarena in Colombia, has ancipitose short stems to 14 cm tall, sepals 15–16 mm long, and a cordate lip. Epidendrum cobigoi Sambin & Chiron ( Sambin et al. 2018: 53), from the French Guyana, has ancipitose stems to 14 cm tall, 1–2 simultaneous flowers, sepals 10.5–15.4 mm long, and a lip reniform in outline, the apex being emarginate forming two very short lobules at the apex. Epidendrum dejeaniae Chiron, Hágsater & Sánchez (Hágsater & Sánchez, 2006: pl. 826), also from the French Guyana, has ancipitose stems to 17 cm tall, sepals 11.15 mm long, and a reniform lip, shortly 3-lobed at the apex where it has a small emarginate mid-lobe formed by two small rounded lobules (see Hágsater & Saldaña (2006), pl. 826). Epidendrum ravetianum has laterally compressed stems that are not ancipitose, sepals 19–21 mm long, and a 3-lobed lip, trapezoid in outline, very large, 22–31 mm wide, with the mid-lobe clearly forming two sub-quadrate lobes (see Sambin et al. 2018). Epidendrum linearidifforme Hágsater & Sánchez ( Hágsater et al. 1999: pl. 347) from Surinam and French Guyana, is clearly distinct, differentiated by the short plants, the stems 7–9 cm tall, the narrow leaves, 5.5 × 0.6 cm, and the sepals 13–14 mm long. (see Hágsater et al. 1999, pl. 346). Epidendrum pseudodifforme Hoehne & Schlechter (1925: 71) found along the Mata Atlântica from Rio de Janeiro to Rio Grande do Sul, has 10–15 cm tall plants, sepals 12–13 mm long and leaves 1.3–1.7 cm wide (see Hágsater & Sánchez 2015: pl. 1551). Though the shape of the lip may vary, and some are very similar, plant morphology, number of flowers, fragrance and other features are important in distinguishing different species.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Epidendrum deditae. A. Habit. B. Inflorescence bracts. C. Floral bracts. D. Flower. E. Column and lip in side view. F. Column and lip in front view. G. Flora segments. H. Callosities. I. Column in side view. J. Column in ventral view. K. Column in dorsal view. L. Anther cap. M. Pollinarium. N. Fruits. Ph. A. H. Krahl.