Pleurothallis papillingua A.Doucette & J.Portilla, 2016

Doucette, Alfonso, Portilla, Jose & Cameron, Kenneth M., 2016, Ten new taxa in the orchid subtribe Pleurothallidinae (Epidendroideae, Epidendreae) from Ecuador, Phytotaxa 257 (3), pp. 230-248 : 238-239

Pleurothallis papillingua A.Doucette & J.Portilla , sp. nov. ( Figs. 7 , 11E )

Type:— ECUADOR. Without a specific locality, flowered in cultivation at Ecuagenera Orchid Nursery, 4 September 2015, Doucette 0314 (holotype: HA).

Diagnosis: The species is most similar to Pleurothallis tiarata Luer & Hirtz in Luer (2004: 238) differing in the fewer-flowered inflorescence, longer petals and papillose lip.

Epiphytic, caespitose herb; roots 1 mm in diam. The stem 120–335 5 3 mm, and enveloped by two to three tubular, papery sheaths 13–55 5 3 mm. Leaves sessile, lanceolate, 90–150 mm 5 16–20 mm. Inflorescence with a single flower, rarely a two flowered raceme, protected by a papery sheath at the base, 18 mm long; the peduncle 24–27 5 1 mm, with a tubular bract before the pedicel, 7 5 2 mm; the pedicel 6 5 1 mm; ovary 5.0 5 1.5 mm, flowers non-resupinate, dorsal sepal ovate, beige, 7 5 6 mm; synsepalum broadly ovate, similar in color to the dorsal sepal, 7 5 8 mm; petal sigmoid, darker beige than the sepals, 10 5 2 mm; lip reniform, papillose, pink, 4 5 4 mm; column 3.0 5 1.5 mm.

Etymology:— From the Latin papula, a small protuberance, and lingua, tongue, in reference to the texture of the lip, which distinguishes the new species from similar species.

Notes:— The species belongs to Pleurothallis subsect. Macrophyllae -Racemosae Luer (1986: 61) and is excluded from the key ( Luer 1999) at couplet 17 because it lacks both calli and broadly rounded lateral lobes. The species is unique in the subsection in having a densely papillose lip. No new species attributable to Pleurothallis subsect. Macrophyllae-Racemosae is reported by International Plant Names Index (2016) to have been published 2005–2015.

Figures

FIGURE 7. Pleurothallis papillingua. A. Habit, drawn to 5 cm scale. B. Flower. C. Dorsal sepal. D. Lateral sepals. E. Petal. F. Lower surface of lip. G. Upper surface of lip. H. Flower with petals and sepals removed. All drawn to 1 mm scale.

FIGURE 11. A. Masdevallia constricta f. glabra. B. Masdevallia pachyura f. pardinella. C. Masdevallia posadae f. rugosepala. D. Acianthera nikoleana. E. Pleurothallis papillingua. F. Pleurothallis gigiportillae. G. Pleurothallis cardiostola f. magnidraba. H. Zootrophion machaqway. I. Stelis glaucus. J. Trisetella portillae.