Herminium tibeticum X.H. Jin, Schuit. & Raskoti, 2017

Raskoti, Bhakta Bahadur, Schuiteman, Andre, Jin, Wei-Tao & Jin, Xiao-Hua, 2017, A taxonomic revision of Herminium L. (Orchidoideae, Orchidaceae), PhytoKeys 79, pp. 1-74 : 40-41

47. Herminium tibeticum X.H. Jin, Schuit. & Raskoti sp. nov. Fig. 15

Type.

CHINA. Tibet, Medog, 52 km region of the road from Bomi to Motuo , 3600-3700 m, 28.08.2012, Jin X.H., Jin W.T. and Xu S.Z., 13185 (PE) .

Diagnosis.

Herminium tibeticum is similar to Herminium pygmaeum and H. josephi , but differs from the former in having strongly falcate petals and a lip with a callus; from the latter in having a 3-lobed and cuneate lip.

Description.

Plant 13-16 cm tall. Tubers subglobose, 4-8 × 4-6 mm, with slender roots. Stem with tubular sheaths at base, and often 1 or rarely 2-leaved. Leaves cauline, lanceolate, 4.0-5.0 × 0.8-1.0 cm, apex acute, base sheathing. Peduncle 7-8 cm, slender, without peduncle-scales; rachis 2.5-5.5 cm, with five to several subsecund flowers; floral bracts ovate,1-2 × 0.5-1.0 mm, about equal to the pedicel, apex acute. Flowers drooping, greenish, 4-5 mm across, ovary fusiform, shortly pedicellate, slightly arcuate, 4-7 mm long, ridged, apex strongly beaked. Dorsal sepal ovate, 3.0 × 1.9 mm, 1-veined, apex sub-obtuse; lateral sepals spreading, ovate, oblique, 3.0 × 1.3 mm, apex obtuse. Petals lanceolate, falcate, 3.0-5.0 × 1.0-1.5 mm, 1-veined, middle portion crenulate, apex acute. Lip cuneate, apiculate, 5.5-6.0 × 1.5-2.5 mm, base saccate, concave, with two longitudinal 1.9 mm long calli, 3-nerved, shallowly 3-lobed; lateral lobes triangular, smaller than the midlobe, 1.0 × 0.4 mm, crenulate, apex obtuse; midlobe narrowly triangular,1.2 × 1.0 mm, apex sub-obtuse. Column ca. 1.4 mm long; stigma transverse, ca. 2.8 mm long, rostellum 0.5 mm, three lobed, mid-lobe larger than the lateral lobes; auricle ca. 0.6 mm long; pollinia 1.2 mm, globose; viscidia globose.

Flowering time.

July.

Distribution.

Endemic to China.

Habitat.

Terrestrial in grassland on open slopes in evergreen forest at elevations of 3600-3700 m.

Etymology.

Named for Tibet, origin of type.

Notes.

Herminium tibeticum is most similar to Herminium pygmaeum Renz in petal and lip shape; it differs from the latter in having strongly falcate petals, and a lip with two parallel longitudinal calli at the base.

Figures

Figure 15. Herminium tibeticum. A Flowering plant B Flower (side view) C Flower spread (front view) D Dorsal sepal, lateral sepal and petal E Lip F Section of ovary with column G Floral bract H Column with stigma (front view) I Anther cap, auricles and viscidium.