Goodyera serpens Schlechter (1924: 148)

Liu, Yan Wen, Zhou, Xiao Xu, Schuiteman, André, Kumar, Pankaj, Hermans, Johan, Chung, Shih Wen & Tian, Huai Zhen, 2019, Taxonomic notes on Goodyera (Goodyerinae, Cranichideae, Orchidoideae, Orchidaceae) in China and an addition to orchid flora of Vietnam, Phytotaxa 395 (1), pp. 27-34 : 29-30

Goodyera serpens Schlechter (1924: 148) ( Fig. 2 ).

Type: — CHINA. Sichuan: Dongrergo, 3900 m, 23 July 1922, Harry Smith 3746 (holotype UPS, n.v.; isotype PE- 00027173!). = Goodyera wolongensis K.Y. Lang (1984: 314) . Type:— CHINA. Sichuan: Wenchuan county, Wolong Nature Reserve , Balang Mt .,

under Abies forests with mosses, 2700 m, 19 August 1982, Lang K. Y., Li L. Q. & Fei Y. 1220 (holotype PE- 01147011!, isotype PE-

01147012! & KUN- 1218029!).

Description: —Terrestrial herbs, 15–18 cm tall. Rhizome elongate, repent, nodose. Stem erect, ca. 3 cm long, green, pubescent, with basal clustered leaves 3–7. Leaves ovate, elliptic-ovate, 1.5–2.6 × 1.0– 1.5 cm, apex acute, base rounded, green above without white markings. Petiole-like base and tubular sheath 1.0– 1.8 cm long. Peduncle 9–12 cm, green, pubescent, with 3 or 4 vaginate sterile bracts. Inflorescence 3.5–6.5 cm, sub-densely 6–18 flowered, slightly secund. Floral bracts suberect, lanceolate, acuminate at apex, exceeding ovary and pedicel, pubescent outside. Flowers resupinate, white to pale green, incompletely opened. Pedicel and ovary green, fusiform, 4–5 mm, pubescent. Sepals 1-veined, sparsely pubescent outside; dorsal sepal ovate, appressed to petals as a hood, obtuse at apex, ca. 3.0 × 2.0 mm; lateral sepals elliptic, oblique, acute at apex, ca. 3.5 × 1.5 mm. Petals ovate-oblong, oblique, 1-veined, glabrous, ca. 3.0 × 3.0 mm. Lip cucullate, ca. 3.0 × 2.5 mm; hypochile concave-saccate, glabrous, with 3 ridges inside; epichile triangular ovate, shortly protruding, obtuse at apex. Column 2.0– 2.5 mm long; anther ovoid with a short caudicle, pollinia yellow; rostellum erect, remnant shallowly bifid.

Additional specimens examined:— CHINA. Sichuan: Songpan county, Huanglonggou, 18 August 2015, Tian H. Z., Zhang J. L. & Zhou X.X. 15221 (HSNU- 00060753!, HSNU- 00060754!, HSNU- 00060791!) ; Pingwu county, Wanglang Nature Reserve, Yangdonggou , 22 August 2015, Tian H. Z., Zhang J. L. & Zhou X.X. 15532 (HSNU-00060794!, HSNU- 00060795!) ; Pingwu county, Wanglang Nature Reserve, Zhugencha , 21 August 2015, Tian H. Z., Zhang J. L. & Zhou X.X. 15527 (HSNU- 00060792!, HSNU- 00060793!) ; Guan county, Guangguang Mt., on the alpine grassland, 3700 m, 23 August 1987, Fu D. Z. & Zhao Z. L. et al. 87–2320 (HX- 009599!) ; Emei Mt., Baiyun temple, 2400 m, 19 August 1956, Xiao Y.X., Yu S. C. & Tao Y. H. 51602 (SZ- 00038875!, SZ- 00038870!) ; Tibet: Bomi county, 3500–3650 m, on the rocks in Abies forests, 4 September 1982, Li B. S. & Cheng S. Z. 599 (PE- 00805720!) .

Flowering: —July–September.

Habitat: —On ground in Abies forests, growing among moss at around 2400–3700 m elevation.

Distribution: — China (Sichuan).

Notes: — Goodyera serpens often occurs in the same habitat as G. repens but differs from the latter by lacking white markings on the leaves, subglobose lip, hypochile bulging and epichile triangular ovate. Goodyera serpens was treated as a synonym of G. yunnanensis Schltr. ( Fig. 4. A, B ) ( Lang et al. 1999, Chen et al. 2009), but the latter can be distinguished by pale white markings on the upper surface of leaves and the oblong, obtuse, minutely papillose epichile. Perner & Luo (2007) treated G. wolongensis as a synonym of G. serpens , but this was not followed in the Flora of China ( Chen et al., 2009). According to our studies, Perner and Luo were correct in their assessment. The phylogenetic analyses by Hu et al. (2016) show that G. serpens (identified as G. wolongensis ) and G. yunnanensis are closely related but distinct. Their samples are here illustrated in Fig. 2. B–H and Fig. 4. A–B . The differences in morphology of leaves and flowers are easily seen.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Goodyera serpens. A. isotype, reproduced with permission of the Herbarium, Institute of Botany, CAS; B. leaves; C. tepals; D. inflorescence; E. dorsal view of lip; F. pollnia; G. column with ovary and pedicel; H. lateral view of a flower.

FIGURE 4. Goodyera yunnanensis & G. repens. A–B. G. yunnanensis; C–I. G. repens;A. plant and habitat; B. inflorescence; C. plant; D. inflorescence; E. lateral view of a flower; F. tepals; G. column with ovary and pedicel; H. pollinia; I. anther.