Encyclia spiritusanctensis Menezes (1990c: 17)

Bastos, Cláudia A., Meneguzzo, Thiago E. C. & Berg, Cássio Van Den, 2018, A taxonomic revision of the Brazilian species of Encyclia (Orchidaceae: Epidendroideae: Epidendreae), Phytotaxa 342 (1), pp. 448-450 : 448-450

34. Encyclia spiritusanctensis Menezes (1990c: 17) .

Type:— BRAZIL. Espírito Santo: no specific locality, February 1990, Kundergraber sub Menezes UB3 (holotype: UB!; epitype designated by Meneguzzo et al. (2010) due to the fragmentary nature of the type specimen: Menezes 1990c, 16, photograph!) ( Figs. 21 , 26I ).

Homotypic synonyms:

Encyclia megalantha var. spiritusanctensis Menezes (1990a: 1) , nom. inval.

Encyclia spiritusanctensis Menezes (1990b: 9) , nom. inval.

Encyclia spiritusanctensis Menezes (1991c: 23) , nom. superfl.

Lithophyte herbs, 27.0− 57.4 cm tall. Pseudobulbs conical, 6.7−7.0 × 1.3 cm. Leaves 2, lanceolate, 20.5−50.5 × 1.3−1.7 cm, apex acute. Inflorescence a 4–8-flowered, compound raceme; peduncle c. 87.0 cm long; rachis 5.1−24.5 cm long. Floral pedicel 2.0−2.1 × 0.3−0.4 cm; sepals brownish, dorsal lanceolate, 2.3−2.6 × 0.6−0.9 cm, laterals lanceolate, 2.3−2.5 × 0.5−0.8 cm, pendent, margin entire, apex acute; petals brownish, spatulate, 2.4−2.6 × 1.2 cm, pendent, margin entire, apex obtuse; lip with claw 0.3 × 0.2 cm, lateral lobes free relative to midlobe, 1.4 × 0.6−0.7 cm, white, at a ˂45° angle to the midlobe (in the flattened lip), sometimes overlapping it, margin entire, apex obtuse, midlobe reniform to rounded, 1.4−1.5 × 2.0 cm, pink with dark pink, conduplicate, margin undulate, apex emarginate, callus cymbiform, acute; column clavate, 1.2 × 0.4−0.6 cm, clinandrium apex tridentate, lateral teeth horn-like, apex premorse, column arms quadrate, 0.2 × 0.2 cm, apex obtuse; stigma elliptic, with basal hooks; anther 1, yellow, 0.25 × 0.20 cm.

Distribution and habitat:— Endemic to rocky boulders in the Atlantic Forest of Espírito Santo ( Fig. 19 ).

Phenology:— Flowering February–August.

Etymology:— Refering to Espírito Santo.

Taxonomic notes:— Encylia spiritusanctensis is similar to E. advena , especially in the shape and colour of the flowers. However, it can easily be distinguished by differences in lip morphology previously explained under the treatment of E. advena and the exclusively rupicolous habit on large gneiss and granite boulders.

Menezes (1990a) first published E. spiritusanctensis as a variety of E. megalantha ( Menezes 1990a) . In the same year, she changed her opinion and elevated it to species level ( Menezes 1990b). However, in both publications there was neither a Latin diagnosis nor indication of a type. In a third article in the same year, the author presented a diagnosis and designated a type, validating the name ( Menezes 1990c). Finally, she published a superfluous name in a fourth article in Orchid Digest ( Menezes 1991c).

Selected specimens examined: BRAZIL. Espírito Santo: Águia Branca, Santa Luzia , 362 m, 26 April 2008, Fontana et al. 5039 ( HUEFS, MBML) ; Nova Venécia , 15 February 2010, Meneguzzo 522 ( HUEFS) ; Pancas, Lajinha , 310−770 m, 5 August 2006, Fontana et al. 2332 ( RB) ; Santa Leopoldina, Santo Antônio , 4 September 1988, Krause s.n. ( MBML 005846 ) .

Figures

FIGURE 19. Distribution in Brazil of Encyclia pauciflora, E. randii, E. seidelli, E. spiritusanctensis, E. thienii and E. unaensis.

FIGURE 21. A−G. Encyclia spiritusanctensis. A. Dorsal sepal. B. Lateral sepal. C. Petal. D. Lip. E. Detail of lip callus. F. Column front view. G. Column side view (Bastos 326). H−N. Encyclia thienii. H. Dorsal sepal. I. Lateral sepal. J. Petal. K. Lip. L. Detail of lip callus. M. Column front view (Silva 3353). N−U. Encyclia unaensis. N. Habit. O. Dorsal sepal. P. Lateral sepal. Q. Petal. R. Lip. S. Detail of lip callus. T. Column front view. U. Column side view (Azevedo & Alves 4). Illustration by Carla de Lima.

FIGURE 26. A. Encyclia oncidioides. B. Encyclia osmantha. C. Encyclia patens. D. Encyclia patens var. serroniana. E. Encyclia pauciflora. F. Encyclia randii. G. Encyclia replicata. H. Encyclia seidelii. I. Encyclia spiritusanctensis. J. Encyclia thienii. K. Encyclia unaensis. L. Encyclia viridiflora. M. Encyclia xerophytica. (Photographers:A−C, E−M: C. van den Berg. D: A. Peres Júnior).