Crepidium ravanii Margońska, 2014

Margońska, Hanna B., 2014, New Crepidium species (Orchidaceae, Malaxidinae) from the Island of Negros, Philippines, Phytotaxa 172 (1), pp. 51-54 : 51-54

Crepidium ravanii Margońska , sp. nov. ( Figs. 1–3 )

Plants similar to Crepidium obovatum , but with leaves oblique ovate-lanceolate and leaf blade violet, green spotted above. Petals obtrullate. Lip hippocrepiform, ovate in general outline; midlobe apically shortly split, on each side of the midlobe base with 2, short teeth of lateral lobes; lateral lobes distinctly auriculate.

Type:— PHILIPPINES. Samar Island: Samar National Park , about 10 kilometre from the village of Marabut , flowered in cultivation by R. Schneider , November 2013, Schneider s.n. (holotype UGDA-HBM!, isotype UGDA-HBM spirit coll.!)

Terrestrial herbs, 20–31 cm tall (including inflorescenece). Pseudobulbs 3.0–8.5 (ascending part) × 0.4–0.6 cm, fusiform, with a dark violet-brown flush in places accessible to sunlight. Leaves (3)5–7(9), leaf blade ca. 4.0–6.0(8.0) × 1.8–2.5(3.0) cm, oblique, ovate to oblong-ovate, long attenuate, acuminate, margins distinctly undulate, cordate at base, satin glossy, violet-brown to purple-violet, irregularly green spotted above when exposed to sunlight, purpleviolet beneath. Inflorescence 16–21 cm, racemese, 4–9 cm long, 15–30-flowered. Flowers 0.75–0.90 cm in diameter. Tepals distinctly glossy. Sepals 3-veined, yellow to usually apricot, always with a dark purple to violet flush. Dorsal sepal 0.35–0.48 × 0.30–0.40 cm, ovate, obtuse to subapiculate. Lateral sepals 0.32–0.46 × 0.35–0.42 cm, oblique, broadly ovate to ovate, obtuse to subapiculate. Petals 0.30–0.42 × 0.36–0.46 cm, obtrullate, subapiculate, 3-veined, dark yellow to apricot. Lip 0.48–0.52 × 0.4–0.43 cm, hippocrepiform, dark yellow to apricot, midlobe semi-elliptic, apically incurved and narrowly divided (up to ca. 1/3–2/5 of midlobe length) into 2 teeth that are apically obtuse and overlapping, lateral lobes semi-elliptic, distally with a small internal tooth that not extends to 1/2 of the midlobe length, triangular, somewhat falcate, acute, both external teeth small, oblique, triangular, acute to subobtuse, auricles occupying ca. over 2/5–1/2 of the lip length, erect, subparallel, distally rounded, cavity 0.10–0.12 × 0.08 cm, ca. 0.02 cm deep, ending before the midlobe base and surrounded by convexity that ends in the basal part of the midlobe, the cavity depth dark yellow to apricot, its margin and surrounding area red to purple-red. Gynostemium 0.09–0.10 cm long, column erect, oblong, yellow to greenish to olive flush, anther yellow with white upper margins, staminodes erect, ovate, obtuse, yellow, rostellum softly and widely incised, pale yellow with white upper margin, stigma in a shallow pocket, pale yellow.

Etymology:— Dedicated to Mr. Ravan Schneider, the Philippines orchid expert, who discovered this orchid.

Distribution:— Known so far only from the type collection; Probably endemic to the area around the village of Marabut, Samar Island, Philippines.

Notes:— Representatives of subtribe Malaxidinae infrequently have broad petals, e.g. obovate or obtrullate. This feature occurs only in some species of Pseudoliparis Finet (1907: 536) sensu Szlachetko & Margońska (1999) , Crepidium or Malaxis Solander & Swartz (in Swartz 1788: 119, Margońska et al. 2012). The newly proposed species is likely to belong to section Commelinodes ( Schlechter 1911 (1914): 112-113) Szlachetko (1995: 123), subsection Lowiae Margońska in Margońska & Szlachetko (2010: 4-5) and seems to be similar to Crepidium obovatum ( Smith 1903: t. 108D) Szlachetko (1995: 129), which has obovate petals and conspicuous leaf coloration. However, this species is endemic to western Java only and is not common as herbarium or pickled material, but it is cultivated for the beautiful colour of the plant and flowers. Its leaves are also oblique, ovate to lanceolate, but iridescent and shiny, bronze above, with the middle part slightly paler and more greenish, greenish-celadon, beneath whereas flowers are greenishyellow, bright yellow to ochre-yellow when older. The lip of Crepidium obovatum is characteristic and different from the newly proposed species in colour: bright yellow, honey-yellow to ochre-yellow, more intensely coloured around the cavity convexity, close to the external margins of the lateral lobes with a large, oblong, pink to purple spot, which has a bright whitish border. The lip midlobe is larger, also apically incurved and narrowly divided (up to ca. 1/4 of its length). Both lateral lip lobes have correspondingly distally an internal single tooth that is differently well developed, triangular, extending to about the centre of the midlobe.

Despite the destruction of typhoon Haynan, I hope in the coming visits Schneider will find the exact origin of this species or other habitats with orchids. Until such a time, his collections will have a particularly important scientific and conservation value.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Habit of Crepidium ravanii. Photo by R. Schneider taken of the type specimen in his garden.

FIGURE 2. The conspicuous leaf colouration of Crepidium ravanii. Photo taken by R. Schneider of the type specimen in cultivation.

FIGURE 3. Flowers of Crepidium ravanii Marg. Photo taken by R. Schneider of the type specimen in cultivation.