Masdevallia unguentum A.Doucette, 2012

Doucette, Alfonso, 2012, A new Masdevallia (Orchidaceae: Pleurothallidinae) from Colombia, Phytotaxa 48 (1), pp. 34-38 : 34-37

Masdevallia unguentum A.Doucette , sp. nov. ( Figs. 1 , 2 )

A Masdevallia saltatrice floribus aromaticis et cauda reflexiore dorsalis sepali differt.

Etymology:—From the Latin “unguentum” an ointment used to perfume the body. The name alludes to the aromatic flowers and their similarity to Masdevallia saltatrix , a species named for female dancers. Type:— COLOMBIA: locality unknown. Gathered from material cultivated at Finca Dracula , Panama, purchased at the 2009 Exposición de Orquideas in Medellin, Colombia, by Gloria Maduro, Doucette 4000 (holotype BH!, isotype PMA!, WIS; currently in cultivation at Finca Dracula ; figure 1, 2).

Herbs caespitose, 6–10 cm tall. Roots flexuous, 0.1 cm in diameter. Stems semiterete, sulcate adaxially, keeled abaxially, 1.5–1.9 cm long, enveloped by 2 sheaths, these 0.4–1.6 cm long, 0.3–0.4 cm wide. Leaf erect; the petiole 1.5–3.0 cm long; blade coriaceous, narrowly elliptic, acute apically, gradually narrowed to petiole basally, 3.5–9.0 cm long, 1.2–1.7 cm wide. Inflorescence reduced to a solitary, tubular flower; peduncle slender, terete, erect to horizontal, 5.0– 6.2 cm long, enveloped by 2 tubular bracts, these 0.4–0.9 cm long. Flower pedicellate; pedicel slender, straight, 1 cm long; sepals yellow–green with red–brown veins, suffused with red–brown basally, glabrous, connate into a cylindric, sigmoid, slightly compressed, ventricose tube constricted above the middle and expanding into an ostium with revolute margins, acute apices, and a pinkish tail, dorsal sepal obovate–spathulate, 2.1–2.2 cm long, 0.7–0.8 cm wide with a strongly reflexed tail 1.3–1.8 cm long, lateral sepal sigmoid, 2.0– 2.2 cm long, 0.9–1.0 cm wide with a tail 1.3–1.8 cm long; petals white, marked with red near middle, 0.6–0.7 cm long, 0.27–0.30 cm wide, oblong, obtuse apically, lower margin keeled ending in a short, acute tooth above base; lip rose, dotted with purple, white apically, 0.6 cm long, 0.2 cm wide, oblong–ligulate with revolute margins and 2 low calli above middle; column white, semiterete, 0.5 cm long, 0.1 cm wide, foot with rose margins and free portions suffused with rose, 0.3 cm long, 0.1 cm wide.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Masdevallia unguentum. A. Habit. B. Dorsal surface of lip, ventral surface of lip. C. Inner surface of petal. D. Column and lip attached to ovary. Drawn from the holotype Doucette 4000.

FIGURE 2. A Flower. B. Flower with a lateral sepal and petal removed. C. Habit. Photographs of the holotype Doucette 4000.