Pabstiella crenata (Lindl.) Luer (2007: 119)

Morales, Nicolás Gutiérrez, Brito, A. L. V. Toscano De & Smidt, Eric De Camargo, 2023, Novelties and nomenclatural notes in Pabstiella (Orchidaceae) from the Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest of Bahia and Espírito Santo, Phytotaxa 625 (2), pp. 161-179 : 176-177

Pabstiella crenata (Lindl.) Luer (2007: 119) ( Figure 11C )

≡ Pleurothallis crenata Lindl. (1846: 207) . Humboldtia crenata (Lindl.) Kuntze (1891: 667) . Stelis crenata (Lindl.) Pridgeon & M.W.Chase (2001: 262). Specklinia crenata (Lindl.) Luer (2004: 259) .

Type:— Without locality, cultivated by Loddiges in Mexico, 18. III. 1846 [fl.], Loddiges s.n. (holotype: K!).

= Pleurothallis henrique-aragonii Pabst (1975: 488) . Specklinia henrique-aragonii (Pabst) Luer (2004: 261) . Pabstiella henrique-aragonii (Pabst) Chiron & Xim.Bols. ( 2010a: 64). Pabstiella henrique-aragonii (Pabst) L. Kollmann (2010: 96) . Effusiella henrique-aragonii (Pabst) Baptista (2011: 337), syn. nov.

Type:— BRAZIL. Rio de Janeiro: Nova Friburgo, Vale da Cruz e Vale das Duas Pedras, V. 1954 [fl.], J.P de Lima 10 (holotype: RB!).

= Pabstiella teschiana Chiron & Xim.Bols. (2011: 5) , syn. nov.

Type:— BRAZIL. Espírito Santo: Santa Teresa. 2011 [fl.], F. Tesch 11090 (holotype: MBML!).

Taxonomic note:— Pleurothallis crenata was described by Lindley based on a cultivated plant mistakenly labeled as from Mexico. This plant material was provided by Loddiges , who owned an extensive collection of Brazilian species (Gutierrez-Morales et al. 2021a). The holotype, deposited at K consists of a single leaf with its ramicaul, along with a separate portion of the inflorescence containing a single flower, the sheet also includes a detailed drawing of the lip and the column made by Lindley.

In the protologue, the author erroneously assumed that the portion of the inflorescence represents the whole inflorescence. This mistake was lately reproduced by Carl Luer in his treatment of Pleurothallis subgen. Effusia Luer (2000: 91) . His illustration exhibits an inflorescence as long as the leaf, up to 7.5 cm, with a reduced peduncle. However, upon examining Luer napkin drawing (unpublished), an interrogation mark at the base of the inflorescence portion indicates his doubt regarding the actual length of the inflorescences.

Pleurothallis henrique-aragonii was published by Guido Pabst based on the original description made by Paulo de Campos Porto, a former director of the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden. The original description was based on a specimen collected in Rio de Janeiro and it mentions a long inflorescence, up to 25 cm, carrying successive brown-green flowers maculate with purple. Pabst illustration complements this description, containing a detailed dissection of the perianth parts, but omits the habit of the type specimen.

A similar plant to that presented by Pabst, was illustrated in color by Miller et al. (2006: T.1178), who labeled it as Pleurothallis henrique-aragonii , native to the Organ Mountains in Rio de Janeiro. Both, the original drawing of the perianth made by Pabst and the color illustration presented by Miller et al. (2006), match Lindley´s description of P. crenata , except for the length of the inflorescence. It is worth mentioning that the illustration presented by Chiron et al. (2010a), does not correspond to P. henrique-aragonii , instead, it represents a yellow-flowered variation of a close relative species (Gutiérrez-Morales et al. 2021a), Pabstiella alligatorifera (Rchb. f. 1865: 299) Luer (2007: 119) .

Pabstiella teschiana was described from a cultivated specimen from Espírito Santo as a plant with long pedunculate inflorescences, twice as long as the leaves, carrying successive, yellow flowers, carinate sepals, and unguiculate-rhomboid petals. Upon comparing it with Pabstiella crenata and Pabstiella henrique-aragonii , it is evident that they belong to the same species, which occurs in two adjacent states from southeastern Brazil. The species exhibits variation in the color of the perianth. Plants native to Rio de Janeiro have brown-green flowers maculate with purple, as illustrated by Miller et al. (2006), while plants from Espírito Santo are almost completely yellow flowered with few purple stains, as evidenced by Silva et al. (2020), who reported a population of this species in Santa Teresa , Espírito Santo.

Figures

FIGURE 11. A. Pabstiella aurantiaca. B. Pabstiella rhombilabia. C. Pabstiella crenata. Photos by Nicolás Gutiérrez Morales.