Elleanthus bractescens (Lindl.) Rchb.f., Annales Botanices Systematicae 6: 479. 1861.

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 bractescens (Lindl.) Rchb.f., Annales Botanices Systematicae 6: 479. 1861.

Evelyna bractescens Basionym. Evelyna bractescens Lindl., Orchidaceae Lindenianae 10,11, no 59. 1846. Type: Venezuela, Merida, "on the stunted trees skirting the paramos of the Province Merida at the height of 8000 to 10 000 feet [2438-3480 m], July", Linden 2215.

Note.

In the protologue of Evelyna bractescens , Lindley (1846:11) included just a short note concerning the locality and collector of the reference specimen. In his Orchids of Peru, Schweinfurth (1958) noted that the type of Evelyna bractesces is stored in Lindley Herbarium at Kew. We were, however, unable to locate there any sheets labelled Evelyna bractescens . Interestingly, instead we found a specimen of Maxillaria longissima Lindl. collected by Linden in Merida Province and numbered 2215 (K-000779830). This sheet has the original label with Linden’s handwriting. Additionally, we checked a protologue of M. longissima and it appeared that this species was described, based on the gathering named Linden 2215 [coll. orig. 'Forests of Merida, at the height of 6000 feet; July (No. 2215)'] ( Lindley 1846).

During our research in herbaria, we located only a single Linden 2215 collection corresponding to Evelyna bractescens . It is deposited in the Naturhistorisches Museum in Vienna (W-R13950). This sheet includes five plant fragments and Reichenbach’s drawing, signed as E. bractescens and Lin. 2215 (Fig. 1a, b ). The first fragment, including a sterile stem with leaves, but no flowers, has a label with the locality recorded as 'Tungurahura [Ecuador] in fruticetis, alt. 1000 ’-11000’, Jan. 1859' (Fig. 1a ). Therefore, it is not mentioned in the protologue. Fragments 3, 4 and 5 (Fig. 1a ) have no labels; they comprise only a very small part of the stem and a few leaves, hence they are indeterminable. However, Fragment 2 (Fig. 1a ) is the only one to include an inflorescence with flowers. After a detailed analysis of the flower’s parts and a comparison with the original description, it seems that Fragment 2 corresponds to the description of Evelyna bractescens . However, it has no locality data to confirm the information contained in the protologue. Only the note on the drawing suggests Linden’s gathering. We can suspect that Reichenbach prepared this drawing (Fig. 1b ), based on Fragment 2. Unfortunately, we are unable to clearly indicate where the type collection is stored, so we decided not to lectotypify this name.

Figures

Figure 1. Evelyna bractescens Lindl. a specimen Linden 2215 at the Naturhistorisches Museum, Vienna (W-R 13950) b Reichenbach's drawing c based on Szlachetko's drawing of the Fragment 2 of original material (Baranow): A - dorsal sepal, B - lateral sepal, C - petal, D - lip, E - gynostemium.