Lepanthes quadricornis Luer & R.Escobar (1994: 108)

Monteros, Marco F., Restrepo, Eugenio, Iturralde, Gabriel A., Jiménez, Marco M. & Baquero, Luis E., 2023, Contributions to the Lepanthes (Orchidaceae) knowledge in Ecuador: A new species from Cordillera del Toisán and new records for the country, Phytotaxa 622 (3), pp. 204-214 : 210-211

Lepanthes quadricornis Luer & R.Escobar (1994: 108) ( Figure 4C ).

Type:— COLOMBIA. Nariño: Apparently collected near Ricaurte, flowered in cultivation at the La Planada Science Station #48, 21 Jul 1989, C. H . Dodson, R . Escobar & E . Valencia 18060 (holotype: MO) .

Examined specimens: ECUADOR. Carchi: Reserva Dracula , coordinates omitted for conservation purpose, 4 Aug 2021, M. F . Monteros MFM220 ( QCNE) .

Distribution and ecology: Lepanthes quadricornis was previously known from southwestern Colombia. The type locality is located near the La Planada reserve between 1600–1800 m in the Nariño department ( Luer & Thoerle 2012). Lepanthes quadricornis has recently been recorded from the cloud forests of northwestern Ecuador in the Carchi province at 2150 m. The species extends its distribution 40 km south of the type locality and rises 350 m above the previous records from Colombia. In northwestern Ecuador has been flowering in situ between May and August.

Taxonomic Discussion: Lepanthes quadricornis is characterized by the proportionally large flowers on top of a spreading, broadly elliptical leaf. The sepals are densely ciliate and form a broad, shallow cup; the dorsal sepal is short-tailed, and the lateral sepals are acute. The petals are forked with erect, oblong, and sharply carinated lobes. The lip is “U” shaped, glabrous and encircles the column ( Luer & Thoerle 2012). The Ecuadorian specimens are slightly different when compared to the Colombian ones ( Figure 6 ), especially in the proportion of the flower sepals, being the dorsal sepal more concave with a longer tail in the apex; the lateral sepals are vinaceous suffused with ivory in the center and are longer and wider in relation to the Ecuadorian specimen.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Images of the specimens of the new Lepanthes species for Ecuador. A. L. acrogenia Luer & R.Escobar. MFM216 (QCNE). B. L. elata Reichenbach.f. MFM219 (QCNE). C. L. quadricornis Luer & R.Escobar MFM220 (QCNE). D. L. ricaurtensis Luer & R.Escobar. MFM218 (QCNE). Photographs by Marco F. Monteros. Plate by Eugenio Restrepo.

FIGURE 6. Comparison between different morphotypes of L. quadricornis Luer & R.Escobar A. Plant from Ecuador, from M. Monteros 220 (QCNE). B. Plant from close to the type locality in Colombia. Photographs by Marco F. Monteros (A, C) & Sebastian Moreno (B, D). Plate by Eugenio Restrepo.