Elleanthus flavescens (Lindl.) Rchb.f., Annales Botanices Systematicae 6: 479. 1862.

Dudek, Magdalena & Szlachetko, Dariusz L., 2021, Lectotypification of six names in the genus Elleanthus (Orchidaceae) described from J. J. Linden's collection, PhytoKeys 182, pp. 93-106 : 93

Elleanthus flavescens (Lindl.) Rchb.f., Annales Botanices Systematicae 6: 479. 1862.

Evelyna flavescens Basionym: Evelyna flavescens Lindl., Orchidaceae Lindenianae 10, no. 59. 1846. Type: Venezuela, Trujillo "between Humucoro-Bajo and the Agua de Obispo, in the Province of Truxillo, at the height of 7000 feet [2133 m], May", Linden 625; Lectotype (designated here): K-L; isolectotypes: P (P00389695), W-R (W-R51662, W-R51664, W-R30242 [drawing]), BR (BR0000013083618).

Note.

In the short note following the protologue, Lindley (1846) mentions a gathering which may refer to this species: Linden 625. Dodson and Luer (2010) selected the specimen kept in the Kew Herbarium as the holotype, but according to Arts. 9.11 and 9.12 of the Code of Nomenclature, their designation did not constitute a typification ( Turland et al. 2018). This specimen could be treated as the lectotype.

During our studies, we found five more specimens which are labelled Linden 625. Three of them are deposited in the Naturhistorisches Museum in Vienna, one in the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle in Paris and one in Meise Botanic Garden in Belgium. The specimens from Vienna have no type annotation, but do mention the collection as Linden 625. We analysed the vegetative and floral characteristics and compared them with the diagnosis; two of them (W-R51662 and W-R51664) represented Elleanthus flavescens . The third one (W-R30242) is a drawing which is likely based on the type material as the same collector and number are recorded on it as in the protologue.

The specimen deposited in the Paris Herbarium (P00389695) was labelled by Garay as Elleanthus furfuraceus (Lindl.) Rchb.f. However, we are of the opinion that it is a part of the type material of Elleanthus flavescens . This specimen has lanceolate, acuminate leaves, an oblong, cylindrical inflorescence which is loose at the base, floral bracts that are shorter than the flowers and a pair of ovate corpuscules at the base of the lip with a strongly thickened transverse ridge, just like E. flavescens . It also mentions the number Linden 625.

Elleanthus flavescens is more similar to E. aurantiacus than E. furfuraceus . Some authors, such as Foldats (1969) and Luteyn (1999), treat this species as a synonym of E. aurantiacus . However, it is distinguished from the latter by smaller flowers, less cone-shaped inflorescences and a decidedly thicker transverse callus ( Dunsterville and Garay 1966, 1979; Dodson and Luer 2010).