Bulbophyllum anodon J.J.Vermeulen, Thavipoke & Phelps, 2014

Vermeulen, Jaap J., Phelps, Jacob & Thavipoke, Patana, 2014, Notes on Bulbophyllum (Dendrobiinae; Epidendroideae; Orchidaceae): two new species and the dilemmas of species discovery via illegal trade, Phytotaxa 184 (1), pp. 12-22 : 14

Bulbophyllum anodon J.J.Vermeulen, Thavipoke & Phelps , sp. nov. ( Figs. 2 , 3 )

Type:— Probably northwestern Thailand, Phelps 8078 ( BKF) .

Bulbophyllum cylindricoides Chen & Shui (2006: 217) (invalid name).

Diagnosis: Most similar to B. fissibrachium Smith (1927: 166 ; Sumatra) and B. repens Griffith (1851: 293 ; China, Myanmar, Thailand, Sumatra) of section Brachystachyae; both species differ by having a patent, triangular, acute tooth along the lower margins of the stelidia. The first also differs by having a deltoid median sepal of approx. 3.6 mm wide, as well as by the auriculate lip; the second also differs by the retuse to truncate petal apex. Shares the diverging midveins of the lateral sepals with B. divergens Vermeulen & O’Byrne (2011: 88 ; Borneo, Sulawesi and New Guinea). The last species has longer pedicels (2.0– 4.5 mm long), an obtuse median sepal, and elliptic(-obovate) lateral sepals.

Short-creeping epiphyte. Rhizome c. 5 mm diam., sections between pseudobulbs c. 1 cm long, rhizome scale fibres persistent. Pseudobulbs ovoid, c. 0.5 × 0.5 cm, not angular. Leaf erect to patent; petiole 0.2–5.0 cm long; blade elliptic to obovate, 6.0–14.0 × 1.6–3.5 cm, ratio length/width 3.3–4.8, rounded to obtuse. Inflorescence a dense, cylindrical raceme, 10—19 cm long, 50–60-flowered. Peduncle 7.5–15.0 cm long, scales c. 4. Rachis nodding, 2.5–4.0 cm long. Floral bracts c. 2 mm long. Flowers with pedicel plus ovary c. 1.5 mm long. Sepals creamy white to pale pink-purple, with slightly darker purple (-brown) veins and margins; median sepal free, somewhat recurved, ovate-triangular, c. 2.8 x 1.7 mm, ratio length/width 1.6–1.7; acute-acuminate, margins entire; glabrous, 3–5-veined; lateral sepals free, porrect, oblique, ovate, c. 3.5– 1.9 mm, ratio length/width 1.8–1.9, rounded, margins entire, glabrous, triveined. Petals white with purple(-brown) vein, porrect, obovate-oblong, c. 2.2 × 1.0 mm, ratio length/width c. 2.2, acuminate, margins entire, erose apically, glabrous, 1-veined. Lip yellow, suffused brown-purple, or pale green, white towards the margins and with a dark brown spot near the base, slightly recurved above half-way along its length, elliptic, c. 2.1 × 1.4 mm, ratio length/width c. 1.5 (without spreading), obtuse, margins entire, minutely papillose basally, adaxially somewhat concave near the base, with 2 ridges that start near the base close to the margin and then converge but leave a depression in between, and end at about 3/5 along the length of the lip, apical part of lip slightly convex, adaxial surface glabrous but finely papillose towards the base, abaxially with a ridge near the base with a rounded crest, somewhat concave towards the apex, surface glabrous. Column including stelidia c. 1.2 mm long, stigma transversely elliptic. Stelidia porrect, c. 0.6 mm long, oblong-triangular, acute, upper margin with an inconspicuous, antrorse, rounded wing near the apex, lower margin with a slight, patent, rounded wing lower down. Anther connective in front not or hardly drawn out. Pollinia 4.

Distribution:— Probably northwestern Thailand (plant purchased at Jatujak Market, Bangkok, from a longestablished trader who reported an origin of Mae Hon Song Province); China (see below).

Etymology:— Anodous (Gr.) = toothless.

Ecology:— Unknown.

Conservation status:— Unknown, but occasionally found in the commercial trade in Thailand.

Notes:— Species indigenous to Thailand showing some similarity to B. anodon are B. cylindraceum Lindley (1830: 53 ; see below), which has a large bract just below the rachis, and B. khasyanum Griffith (1851: 284) , which has flowers approximately twice as large as B. anodon . Bulbophyllum cylindraceum Lindley (1830 –1840: 53) differs from B. khasyanum Griffith (1851: 284) by having a large bract just below the base of the rachis. Seidenfaden (1979: 180) erroneously lists the single Thai specimen of B. cylindraceum (Kerr 187 from Doi Suthep) under B. khasyanum .

Bublophyllum cylindricoides (Yunnan, China) is the same but was not validly published because no Latin description or diagnosis was provided and no type was indicated (Vienna Code, Art. 36.1 and 37.1); Chen & Vermeulen (2009: 436) incorrectly list B. cylindricoides as a synonym of B. repens .

Figures

FIGURE 2. Bulbophyllum anodon. A. Plant. B. Flower. C. Flower analysis, from left to right: median sepal, petal, lateral sepal, lip. D. Lip, above: adaxial side, below: abaxial side. E. Column and lip, lateral view. F. Anther, above: abaxial side, below: adaxial side. G. Pollinia, two pairs (origin: probably Thailand, Phelps 8078). Illustration: J.J. Vermeulen

FIGURE 3. Bulbophyllum anodon (origin: probably northwestern Thailand, Phelps 8078). Photo: P. Thavipoke