Specklinia chontalensis (A.H.Heller & A.D.Hawkes) Luer (2004: 259)

Karremans, Adam P., Bogarín, Diego, Pupulin, Franco, Luer, Carlyle A. & Gravendeel, Barbara, 2015, The glandulous Specklinia: morphological convergence versus phylogenetic divergence, Phytotaxa 218 (2), pp. 101-127 : 110-112

Specklinia chontalensis (A.H.Heller & A.D.Hawkes) Luer (2004: 259) .

Basionym: Pleurothallis chontalensis Heller & Hawkes (1966: 10) .

Type:— NICARAGUA. Chontales: Río Mico, epiphytic, alt. 1,500 ft, August 1960, A. H. Heller 3735 (holotype, AMES!).

Epiphytic, caespitose, ascending, erect herb to 6 cm tall (excluding the inflorescence). Roots fibrous, flexuous, glabrous. Stem abbreviated, terete, to 0.5–0.7 cm long, completely concealed by papyraceous, subancipitous, acute sheaths to 0.5 cm long. Leaf obovate-elliptic, up to 30–45 × 5–10 mm, minutely and irregularly emarginate at apex, gradually tapering toward the base into a deeply conduplicate petiole, subcoriaceous. Inflorescence borne laterally from the apex of the stem, without an annulus, successively single flowered, up to 4.0–5.0 cm long, glandular; peduncle terete, to 3.0– 4.0 cm long, without bracts. Floral bracts infundibuliform, glandular, broadly ovate, acute, 1.0– 1.5 mm long. Pedicel terete, glandular, 4–6 mm long, persistent. Ovary trialate, subclavate, 2–3 mm long, green. Flowers at least up to 5 per inflorescence, normally yellowish, rarely orange. Sepals fleshy, carinate, microscopically glandulose on both surfaces, and especially the margin; dorsal sepal lanceolate-elliptic, 3-veined, acute, the base semi-hyaline, conspicuously covered with inflated, wart-like transparencies, 10.5–11.0 × 3.0– 3.2 mm; lateral sepals elliptic, 3-veined, 9.5–10.0 × 4.5 mm, connate for about three fourth of their length, the base saccate, membranaceous-hyaline, the apex acute, the veins strongly carinate abaxially. Petals small, ligulate-falcate, oblique, acute, 2.6–2.7 × 1.0 mm, 1 or 2-veined. Lip yellowish-orange, small, longitudinally arched-convex in natural position, thinly articulate with the column foot by a hyaline claw, ligulate when expanded, obtuse, 3.0 × 1.0– 1.1 mm, fully papillose provided with a pair of acute, erect, triangular lateral lobes from just below to just above the middle, margin dentate-erose, especially apically. Column, arched, terete and slender at the base, 2.5–3.0 mm long without the foot, provided with membranous wings, serrulate along the margins, the apex prolonged into a deeply cucullate, lacerate clinandrium; column foot, stout, fleshy, 1.2–1.5 mm long. Anther cap deeply cucullate, ovate, 2-celled. Pollinia 2, obovate-complanate, minutely hooked at the base. * NOTE: Description based on FP6543 and the original protologue.

Additional materials: — COSTA RICA. Alajuela: Upala, road from Upala, ca. 3 km after Bijagua , turning toward Volcán Tenorio , northern slopes of Volcán Tenorio , Caribbean watershed , first bridge on the road, 10º45’52.2”N 85º01’04.4”W, 320 m, tropical moist forest, 28 March 2007, Pupulin , Bogarín , Dalström , Gigot & Powell 6543 (JBL-spirit, D1926!, D2376!, D5150!; L-spirit!; Fig. 1c & 7 ). Upala , Aguas Claras , Colonia Blanca , camino entre Colonia Verde y Colonia Libertad hacia Buenos Aires , faldas al noreste del Volcán Rincón de La Vieja , 10°52’26.2”N 85°14’51.3”W, 550–600 m, bosque muy húmedo tropical, epífitas en potreros y árboles aislados, 4 February 2006, Bogarín , Barrantes , Dressler , Gómez & Rojas 2557 (JBL-spirit, D0721!). Santa Maria National Park , primary forest, Caribbean slope, alt. 600 m, 8 February 1978, Liesner 5187 [ MO; illustration by Luer (2006)!]. Guanacaste: Liberia, road from Potrerillos to Brasilia, proximity of Hacienda La Josefina , Pacific watershed of northern volcanic chain, 10º52’15.3”N 85º27’02.2”W, 620 m, tropical dry forest, 27 March 2007, Pupulin, Bogarín, Dalström, Gigot & Powell 6521 (JBL-spirit, D3293!) . NICARAGUA. Chontales: Río Mico, epiphytic, alt. 1,400 ft, August 1960, Heller 7827 ( AMES). Cerro El Chamarro, La Liberta district , alt. 2,175 ft., Heller 1036 ( AMES) .

Etymology: —The name refers to the department of Chontales, in southern Nicaragua, where the type specimen was collected.

Distribution: —This species is only known from Nicaragua and Costa Rica ( Fig. 6 ). It is found growing at elevations between 320– 660 m.

Notes: — Specklinia chontalensis has been traditionally considered well distinguished from S. glandulosa . Of the species treated here this is probably the easiest to distinguish morphologically from the other members. The species does share some similarities in floral morphology, however it is mostly included here because of its glandular inflorescence and sepals, and it being sister to S. gersonii . The large yellow flowers with the dorsal sepal covered with inflated, wart-like transparencies set it aside immediately.

Figures

FIGURE 1. The glandulous Specklinia species. A. S. alajuelensis 1 (Karremans 3265). B. S. alajuelensis 2 (Bogarín 2895). C. S. chontalensis (Pupulin 6543). D. S. gersonii (Karremans 6025). E. S. glandulosa (Karremans 6306). F. S. vittariifolia (Karremans 2945). Photographs by A.P. Karremans.

FIGURE 6. General distribution map of the glandulous species of Specklinia. Edited by D. Bogarín.

FIGURE 7. Specklinia chontalensis (A.H.Heller & A.D.Hawkes) Luer. A. habit. B. flower. C. dissected perianth. D. petal. E. lip. F. column and lip, lateral view. G. column, ventral view. H. anther with pollinaria. I. pollinaria. Drawn by E. Winkel from Pupulin 6543 (JBL-spirit. L-spirit).