Epidendrum claustralis Hágsater & W.C. Navarro, 2022

Romo, Wendy Carolay Navarro & Hágsater, Eric, 2022, Epidendrum claustralis (Orchidaceae), another new species from the high Andean forests of the Rupestre group, Phytotaxa 574 (1), pp. 91-98 : 93-96

Epidendrum claustralis Hágsater & W.C. Navarro , sp. nov. ( Figures 2–3 )

Type:— PERU. Junín: Jauja, Molinos, Rio Curimarca , montane humid high Andean forest , epiphytic on Miconia latifolia , 3800 m, 18 March 2018, W.C.Navarro & H.R.Quispe 53 (holotype HOXA!) .

Similar to Epidendrum excelsum , but the leaves are shorter, to 5 × 1 cm (vs. leaves 4–10 × 0.5–1.1 cm), flowers larger, sepals 9.7–10.0 mm long (vs. sepals 5.1–6.7 mm long), the lip 6.6 × 9.7 mm, widely cordiform to sub-orbicular, flat, base truncate to cordate, margins deeply erose-dentate (vs. lip entire, transversely cordate-ovate, base slightly cordate, apex apiculate, margin erose-denticulate), calli elongate, rounded, with a low apical mid-rib, the calli close by leaning inward once a flower is pollinated or the pollinarium extracted, (vs. calli prominent ellipsoid, laterally somewhat compressed, disc 5–7 ribbed, the ribs low).

Description:— Epiphytic, sympodial, caespitose herb, ca. 8–18 cm long including inflorescence. Roots 2 mm in diameter. Rhizome short. Stems 3–5 × 0.5 cm, aggregate, short, green, cylindric. Leaves articulate; 5-6, produced from basal and middle internodes; blade 2.7–5.0 × 0.5–1.0 cm, lanceolate, coriaceous, medium green, margin entire, crenate towards apex. Spathe lacking. Inflorescence 8 cm long, apical, simultaneous flowers, secund; peduncle 2.8–3.2 cm long, laterally compressed, ancipitose, straight, with nodes at base and 1 bract 0.5 cm long; rachis terete, straight, and sulcate. Floral bracts 3–5 mm long, 1/2 length of ovary, triangular, long-acuminate, dorsally granulose, yellow with irregular yellow dots. Ovary clavate 4–6 × 0.5–1.5 mm, furrowed, with a small ventral swollen vesicle at apex. Flowers ca. 3–14, simultaneous, resupinate, translucent green tinged pale purple, especially lip and column; fragrance not registered. Sepals partly spreading, free, margins entire, with a low dorsal keel, 1-veined; dorsal sepal 9.7 × 4.1 mm, oblong-elliptic, minutely aristate; lateral sepals 10 × 4.2 mm, elliptic-oblong, aristate. Petals 9.5 × 2.1 mm, partly spreading, narrowly oblanceolate, 1-veined, margin erose, spreading. Lip 6.6 × 9.7 mm, adnate to column, entire, widely cordiform to sub-orbicular, flat, base truncate to cordate, apex emarginate, margins deeply erose-dentate; bicallose, calli elongate, parallel, 3 × 1 mm separate, parallel, thick, rounded, calli close by leaning inward once a flower is pollinated or the pollinarium extracted (as can be seen from flower in the middle of attached photograph), disc with 3 converging very low ribs, mid-rib nearly reaching apical sinus, lateral ones in front of the calli converging towards mid-rib. Column 4.6 × 1.7 mm, short, thick, sub-terete, with a slight hump dorsally near base, apex forming an obtuse angle with lateral wings. Clinandrium-hood short, margin entire. Rostellum apical, slit. Lateral lobes of stigma small. Nectary penetrating 1/5 th of pedicellate ovary, unornamented, forming a somewhat widened vesicle behind perianth. Anther transversely ellipsoid, apex concave, 4-celled. Pollinia 4.1 × 0.8 mm obovoid, laterally compressed; caudicles soft and granulose, as long as the pollinia; viscarium semi-liquid. Capsule 14–18 × 8–10 mm, tricarinate and pedicel 4 mm long.

Distribution and ecology: —Presently known from three collections from central and northern Peru, Junín, Jauja, Molinos, near Rio Curimarca, Qarhuanqa and near the Pongos Lagoon, 3400–3800 m elevation; and San Martín, Rioja and Amazonas, Granada. In montane humid forest, epiphytic on trunks and underside of branches of Miconia latifolia and some Polylepis canoi Mendonza (2005: 104) and Oreopanax oroyanus Harms (1931: 289) . Flowering from March to September. Fruiting in October–November.

The holotype of E. claustralis was collected in the same area where another new species has been described: E. curimarcense Hágsater, W.C.Navarro & H.R.Quispe (In: Navarro, Quispe-Melgar, & Hágsater 2020: 9), and it has also been recorded near the Pongos Lagoon located in the lower part of Curimarca, as well as in the Departament of San Martín and Amazonas. Until 2021, the provinces of Jauja , Chachapoyas and Rioja have reported loss of tree cover (172 ha, 190 kha and 1.31 kha respectively) according to information from Global Forest Watch ( GFW 2022) associated with climate change conditions and the human pressure.

Etymology: —From the Latin claustralis , that encloses, that serves as a barrier, we use the genitive noun on purpose. In reference to the prominent calli that lean towards each other after pollination or the loss of the pollinium, closing the entrance to the nectary and thus, presumably avoiding another pollination event.

Additional specimens examined: — PERU. Junín: Prov. Jauja, Distr. Molinos, Rio Curimarca, Laguna Pongos , 3650 m, pressed 15 October 2021, W.C.Navarro 60 (HOXA!) ; San Martín: Prov. Rioja, Distr. Pardo Miguel, Centro Poblado Chisquilla, Sector siete Lagunas , behind Cerro Campanario , inside the high Andean forest relict scrub, 3368 m, 30 July 2016, José D. Edquén O. 418 (HURP!) ; Amazonas: Prov. Bongara, Distr. Granada, 30 July 2016, José D. Edquén O. 543 (HURP!) .

Conservation status: —DD. Data deficient. Known presently only from the type.

Taxonomic Discussion: — Epidendrum claustralis is recognized by the 6–leaves, lanceolate, coriaceous, the apical inflorescence about 3 times longer than the apical leaf, the lip entire, widely cordiform to sub-orbicular, flat, base truncate to cordate, apex emarginate, margins deeply erose-dentate; disc with 3 converging very low ribs, the mid-rib nearly reaching the apical sinus, the lateral ones in front of the calli converging towards the mid-rib; flowers translucent green tinged pale purple, especially the lip and column. E. excelsum has sepals 5.1–6.7 × 4.26 mm, and the lip bicallose, calli elongate, parallel, 3 × 1 mm separate, thick, rounded, disc with 3 converging, very low ribs, the middle one nearly reaching the apical sinus, the lateral ones in front of the calli and converging to the mid-rib. It is similar to E. aida-alvareziae Hágsater from Cajamarca in northern Peru, which has shorter, wider leaves, 06–50 × 0.5–1.0 cm, sepals 5.0–7.3 × 2.8–3.3 mm, and a shallowly 3–lobed lip, the apical half looks more like a truncate pyramid in general outline, with the mid-lobe emarginate, bicallose, the calli prominent, ellipsoid, parallel, laterally somewhat compressed, disc 3–ribbed, the ribs low, parallel. E. ochoae from Machu Picchu, Cusco, which has yellowgreen flowers irregularly tinged with purple dots, especially on sepals and lip, sepals 6.5 × 3.5–4.0 mm, and a convex lip, bicallose, the calli prominent, ellipsoid, laterally somewhat compressed, somewhat divergent, disc 3–carinate, the lateral ribs low, the mid-rib prominent, forming a fleshy, irregular, obovoid protuberance which nearly reaches the apical sinus. E. rupestre (= E. pachydiscum ) from Huancabamba, Piura, north to southern Colombia, also has smaller leaves, 1.3–4.1 × 0.7–1.2 cm, sepals 5.3–5.8 × 2.4–2.5 mm, and a lip deeply 3–lobed, with the mid-lobe deeply bifid, the lobes somewhat divergent, sub-rectangular, oblique, the outer margin curved and entire, the inner margin dentate to short-fimbriate, sinus widely mucronate, ecallose, with 3 well-defined, central ribs, the lateral pair somewhat shorter than the mid-rib.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Photographs of holotype of Epidendrum claustralis W.C.Navarro and Quispe-Melgar, H.R. A-B. Habitat and entire plant. C-D. Flowers, the calli closing the nectary’s entrance are clearly visible in central flower. E. Capsule dehiscent in habitat.

FIGURE 3. Lankester Composite Dissection Plate (LCDP) holotype of Epidendrum claustralis Quispe-Melgar, H.R. (plant and inflorescence), Jonathan Chancasana (floral details) and Anais Cisneros.