Epipactis krymmontana Kreutz, Fateryga & Efimov, 2014

Fateryga, Alexander V., Fateryga, Valentina V. & Efimov, Petr G., 2014, Epipactis krymmontana (Orchidaceae), a new species endemic to the Crimean Mountains and notes on the related taxa in the Crimea and bordering Russian Caucasus, Phytotaxa 172 (1), pp. 22-30 : 24

Epipactis krymmontana Kreutz, Fateryga & Efimov , sp. nov. ( Figs 1–2)

Differs from Epipactis condensata by its looser and usually much shorter inflorescence, ovary relatively more elongate, epichile greenish-white to dirty-pink versus bright-pink, bosses near the base of epichile less protruding, viscidium absent versus present.

Type: — UKRAINE. Crimea: Zemlyanichnoye ( Belogorsk District ), 27 June 2012, Kreutz & Fateryga s.n. (holotype L 0689932 !; isotypes L!) .

Rhizomous perennial herbs. Plant 10–30(–70) cm tall, with 1–2(–5) stems. Stem erect or slightly inclined, pale-green, sometimes tinged purple at the base, densely pubescent, with 3–5 leaves arranged ± in two rows. Leaves green, rarely with purplish suffusion, ± arching, with slightly undulate margins, some shorter or not much longer than the internodes; lower ones orbiculate to ovate, (15–)20–35(–45) × 6–22 mm, the medium ones ovate to elliptic, 20–45(– 62) × 5–22(–26) mm; the upper ones elliptic to lanceolate, 21–41 × 3–8(–17) mm. Inflorescence loose, relatively short, secund, 3–15(–28) cm long, with (4–)8–32 flowers. Bracts narrow, lanceolate, acute, diminishing in length higher up; the lower ones (15–)18–32(–42) × 4–5 mm, exceeding the flowers, the medium ones (10–)14–17(–20) × 3–4 mm, the upper ones 6–13× 2–3 mm, shorter than the flowers. Pedicel pale-lilac to grayish-green, (2–)3–5(–6) mm long. Ovaries relatively elongate, (5.0–)6.0–8.0 × 2.5–3.0(–3.5) mm, green, pubescent as well as the stem. Perianth campanulate, sepals 8.5–10.0 × 3.0– 5.5 mm, whitish-green, petals 6.5–8.0 × 2.5–3.5 mm, much paler than the sepals. Hypochile cupshaped, 4.0–5.5 × 3.5–4.5 mm, greenish-white to pinkish-white outside and brownish-red inside, containing liquid; junction of hypochile and epichile broad; epichile cordate, 3.5–4.5 × 4.0– 50 mm, with two distinct ± crenate bosses near the base, greenish-white to pinkish-white at the margins and dirty-pink at the central part; sides of the epichile rolled up, ± undulate. Viscidium absent, pollinia friable, flowers self-pollinating.

Etymology: —The specific epithet “ krymmontana ” means “inhabiting the Crimean Mountains”. The name is of mixed origin: “ Krym ” is the Russian name of the Crimean Peninsula translated to Latin; “montana” is Latin for “mountain”.

Distribution: —The species is presumably endemic to the Crimea. There it occurs from Mt Baydarskaya Yayla in the vicinity of Sevastopol eastwards to Stary Krym in Kirovskoye District.

Habitat, elevation, and phenology: —Beech forests, often mixed with oak and hornbeam, on calcareous soils, 350–1250 m. Flowering season is mid-June to early July; mature fruits appear in July–August.

Additional specimens examined (paratypes): — UKRAINE. Crimea: Alupka, June 1876, Egorov s.n. ( LE) ; Bakhtchisaray District , near Kokkoz [Sokolinoye], 22 July 1897, Golde s.n. ( LE) ; Bakhtchisaray District , riv. Tchaanbair [Kokkozka basin near Sokolinoye], 22 July 1897, Golde s.n. ( LE) ; vicinity of Yalta , near waterfall Utchansu , 24 July 1909, Milutin 2103 ( LE) ; vicinity of Yalta , Miskhor , 20 June 1914, Sprygin s.n. ( LE) ; Stary Krym, 27 June 1915, Wanjkow s.n. ( YALT) ; vicinity of Yalta, Koreiz, 13 June 1951, Zefirov s.n. ( YALT) ; without locality, 1973, sin coll. ( KW); E Baydary Gates [pass through Mt Baydarskaya Yayla ], 2 June 1981, Kossych s.n. ( YALT) ; Belogorsk District , Zemlyanichnoye, 23 June 2012, Fateryga s.n. ( PHEO) ; ibid., 23 June 2013, Fateryga s.n. ( LE, CSAU, and PHEO) ; Bakhtchisaray District , near Sokolinoye, 29 June 2013, Fateryga s.n. ( CSAU and PHEO) ; Simferopol District , near Perevalnoye, 5 July 2013, Fateryga s.n. ( CSAU and PHEO) .

Notes: —It is not always easy to recognize the differences between E. condensata and E. krymmontana when working with the herbarium material, especially old specimens. However, we determined that several specimens of E. krymmontana (including one from Alupka listed above) were previously misidentified by Efimov (2008) as E. condensata . The exceptions are specimens collected at Mt Karadag (see below). Therefore, it is not yet clear if E. krymmontana completely replaces E. condensata in the Crimea or if both species occur here. As for E. purpurata , we are convinced that all records of this species from the Crimea are misidentifications of E. krymmontana , the new species described above. A comparison of the main diagnostic characters of E. krymmontana with those of the related taxa is present in the Table 1. Epipactis krymmontana is the second obligate self-pollinating species of the genus Epipactis discovered in the Crimea (the first one was E. muelleri ). Together with E. taurica , it is one of the rarest Epipactis species in the Crimean flora.

Morphologically, E. krymmontana (as well as E. condensata ) occupies somewhat intermediate position between E. microphylla and taxa of E. helleborine s.l. lineage, and theoretically it might have originated from such cross in the past. However, it is not a result of the crosses in situ, since no E. microphylla plants co-occur with E. krymmontana and crosses with E. microphylla are highly improbable due to facultatively autogamous nature of this species with a nonfunctional viscidium. Also, as far as we are aware, hybrids with E. microphylla have never been observed in the Crimea.