Prescottia ecuadorensis C.O.Azevedo & Van den Berg, Phytotaxa

Azevedo, Cecília Oliveira De, Berg, Cássio Van Den & Barros, Fábio De, 2014, A revision of Prescottia (Orchidaceae: Orchidoideae, Cranichideae), Phytotaxa 178 (4), pp. 233-286 : 252-253

3. Prescottia ecuadorensis C.O.Azevedo & Van den Berg, Phytotaxa 40: 60. 2012.

Type:— ECUADOR. Province Loja: Parque Nacional Podocarpus , vicinity of Lagunas de Compadre , ca. 6 hours walking from Centro de Información , 21 November 1989, Madsen & Pedersen 86457 (holotype MO4645295 !) .

Terrestrial herbs. Leaves at least 2, basal, petiolate; petiole 3.2–3.5 cm long; blade 3.7–4.0 × 2.7–3.3 cm, deltoid, apex acute, base truncate, margin serrulate to entire. Inflorescence at least 55-flowered; peduncle at least 19.0 × 0.4–0.5 cm; peduncle bracts at least 6, 20.0–40.0 × 8.0–10.0 mm, ovate, apex acute; rachis at least 8.0 × 1.2 cm. Flower bracts 5.9–6.1 × 2.2–2.5 mm, ovate, apex acute; flower erect; dorsal sepal strongly revolute, 2.9–3.2 × 1.0 mm, lanceolate to oblong, apex obtuse; lateral sepals strongly revolute, 3.7–4.0 × 1.0– 1.2 mm, lanceolate to ovate, apex obtuse; petals strongly revolute, 2.9–3.0 × 0.8 mm, linear, apex obtuse; lip 3.0–3.5 × 1.8–2.3 mm inner surface glabrous. Column at least 2.0 mm long, glabrous.

Distribution:— Prescottia ecuadorensis is known only from the type collection near Loja, Ecuador ( Fig. 14 ).

Habitat:— Ridge-top vegetation in elfin forest and páramos, 3,000–3,400 m.

Conservation Status:— Vulnerable (VU–D2). It is known to exist at only a single locality, represented by a single specimen.

Etymology:— In reference to the country where the type specimen was collected. Notes:— Morphologically, P. ecuadorensis is most similar to P. lojana Dodson , P. carnosa and P. stachyodes (Sw.) Lindl. Prescottia ecuadorensis can be distinguished from these taxa by its leaves, inflorescence, flowers and fusiform seeds that lack intercellular spaces ( Azevedo & Van den Berg 2012).

Figures

FIGURE 14. Distribution of Prescottia carnosa, P. ecuadorensis and P. lojana.