Bhutanthera fimbriata B.B.Raskoti, 2012

Raskoti, Bhakta Bahadur, 2012, A new species of Bhutanthera (Orchidaceae; Orchidoideae) from Nepal, Phytotaxa 62 (1), pp. 57-60 : 57-58

Bhutanthera fimbriata B.B.Raskoti sp. nov. ( Figs. 1 , 2)

This new species is similar to Bhutanthera albomarginata (King & Pantling 1998: 322) Renz in Pearce, Cribb & Renz (2001: 101), but it differs by having opposed leaves, larger flowers, shallowly fimbriate apical portions of the sepals, oblique lateral sepals, spreading lip lobes and longer spur. With this species, it shares green sepals with white margins ( Chen et al. 2009; Pearce & Cribb 2002).

TYPE: ⎯ NEPAL. Langtang National Park , 3800 m, 14 July 2008, Raskoti 234 (holotype KATH).

Terrestrial herbs, 11 cm tall. Tubers subglobose, 5 mm in diameter. Stem with an ovate, tubular sheath at base. Leaves opposite, elliptic-ovate, 3.0–3.5 × 2.0– 2.2 cm, apex obtuse. Inflorescence up to 8-flowered; peduncle 7 cm long, rachis 2.5 cm long, lower floral bracts ovate-triangular, 1 × 1 mm, apex acute, upper bracts lanceolate, 2 × 1 mm, apex acuminate. Flowers 1 cm across, nutant, sepals green with white margins, petals and lip white; pedicel and ovary fusiform, ridged, 7 mm long. Dorsal sepal broadly ovate, 4.0–5.0 × 2.5 mm, margin of the apical portion weakly fimbriate, apex obtuse; lateral sepals elliptic-ovate, oblique, 5.0–6.0 × 2.0– 2.5 mm, margin of the apical portion weakly fimbriate, apex obtuse. Petals orbicular-elliptic, concave, 2.5 mm long and 2.5 mm wide, apex rotund. Lip oblong, 4.0 × 1.5 mm, fleshy, trilobed below the middle; side lobes oblong-lanceolate, 2.0 × 0.5 mm, apex acute; midlobe oblong, 2.5 × 1.0 mm, apex obtuse; spur cylindric with slightly dilated apex, 3.0–4.0 mm long, apex obtuse. Column 1 mm long, pollinia clavate-elliptic.

Flowering time: ⎯July.

Habit, habitat and distribution: ⎯This species is terrestrial in subalpine meadows, growing in open moist humid areas. It is only known from the type locality in central Nepal .

Conservation status:⎯Fieldwork was conducted over three consecutive years, but only three plants were observed in the first year. In the second and third year, no plants were found despite an extensive search. The new species is considered to be ‘Endangered’ ( EN) according to IUCN Red List criteria based on its extent of occurrence and area of occupancy ( IUCN 2001). Over-grazing is the major threat to this species.

Etymology:—The name of the new species refers the fimbriate apical portions of the sepals.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Bhutanthera fimbriata. A. Flowering plant. B. Flower in front view. C. Lateral sepal. D. Column, ovary and floral bract. E. Dorsal sepal, F. Petal. G. Lip. H. Pollinia. (All drawn by the author from the type specimen.)