Lepanthes elizabethae O.Pérez, Kolan & E.Parra, 2013

Pérez-Escobar, Oscar Alejandro, Kolanowska, Marta & Parra-Sánchez, Edicson, 2013, Lepanthes elizabethae (Pleurothallidinae, Orchidaceae), a new species from Colombia, Phytotaxa 79 (2), pp. 58-62 : 58-60

Lepanthes elizabethae O.Pérez, Kolan & E.Parra , sp. nov. ( Figs. 1 , 2 )

Type:— COLOMBIA. Valle del Cauca: Municipio de Yumbo , Corregimiento de DAPA , Bosque de Niebla residual entre las fincas Cielo Azul y DEBUSALE, ca. 1800 m, 10 October 2010, Pérez, González & Bu β 999 (holotype CUVC!) .

Lepanthes elizabethae is similar to L. lycocephala , from which it is easily distinguished by the minute plant habit, triangular, strongly acuminate upper lobe of the petals, dolabriform blades of the lip without erect lobes near the base, and rounded, trilobed appendix of the lip.

Epiphytic, minute plant, up to 13 mm tall. Roots filiform, 0.5 mm in diameter. Ramicaul slender, erect, ca. 3.7 mm, covered by 2–4 ribbed lepanthiform sheaths with the ribs minutely denticulate and ostia minutely ciliate. Leaves suborbicular to obovate, obtuse, the apex slightly folded towards the abaxial surface, the base cuneate, contracted into a petiole 0.8 mm long, margin slightly undulate, shortly ciliate, 7.4 × ca. 5.0 mm. Inflorescence racemose, secund, successive, dense, 3.2 mm long, including the peduncle 1.6 mm long, borne from the abaxial surface of the leaf. Floral bracts cylindrical, 0.3–0.5 mm long. Pedicel 1 mm; ovary 1.2 mm long, smooth. Flowers minute, pink-reddish; slightly stained with yellow at the base of the sepals and petals. Sepals membranaceous, glabrous, ovate, acute, mucronate; the dorsal one triveined, entire, 3.6 × 2.1 mm, including a tail 1 mm long; the lateral ones connate to 1.8 mm, biveined, margin strongly dentate, teeth obtuse, 5.3 × 2.0 mm, including a tail 2 mm long. Petals minutely pubescent, transversely bilobed, 1.0 × 5.4 mm; the upper lobe triangular, strongly acuminate, 2.4 mm long; the lower lobe triangular, ending in a tail, 3.0 mm long, excluding the tail 2.1 mm long. Lip bilaminate, basally adnate to the column, pubescent, blades dolabriform, base of the blades obtuse, apex truncate, connective cuneate, 1.3 × ca. 2.0 mm, the appendix small, rounded, tomentose, parallel to the connective, trilobed, the lobes short, obtuse. Column arcuate, 1.7 mm long spread, with a pair of rounded apical wings. Pollinia 2, pyriform, ca. 0.5 mm long. Anther cap cordate in outline, base truncate, cucullate, translucent, 2-celled.

Distribution and habitat: — Lepanthes elizabethae is only known from the eastern slope of the Western Cordillera of the Andes, vicinity of Dapa, department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia (figure 3). It grows epiphytically in remnant cloud forest at about 1800–2000 m elevation. Plants were found growing on Tibouchina sp. (Melastomataceae) inside the forest, near creeks.

Conservation status:—According to the IUCN Red List ( IUCN 2011), the species can be assigned as critically endangered (CR, criterion D2–very small or restricted population) due to the small population found only in the vicinity of Dapa in Colombia.

Eponymy: —Named after Elizabeth Santiago Ayala, researcher at the AMO herbarium, who has greatly contributed to the taxonomy of Epidendrum .

Discussion: — Lepanthes elizabethae is closely related to L. lycocephala Luer & Escobar (1984: 147) , from which it differs by its minute habit, less than 1.3 cm tall, subrounded to obovate leaves (vs. ovate to elliptical, acute to subacute), length of the sepalar tails (2 mm long in L. elizabethae vs. 1 mm in L. lycocephala ), petals with the upper lobe triangular, strongly acuminate (vs. triangular, narrowly obtuse), blades of the lip dolabriform with an obtuse base (vs. zoomorphic lip, blades subquadrate with acute lobes at the base) and rounded, tomentose lip appendix (vs. oblong, pubescent). All differences between these species are summarized in the Table 1.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Illustration of Lepanthes elizabethae. A. Plant habit. B. Flower. C. Floral dissection. D. Lip details. E. Column. F. Pollinarium and anther cap; drawn by O. Pérez from the holotype.

FIGURE 2. Lepanthes elizabethae. A. Habit. B. Flowering plant. C. Sepals and one petal. D. Lip (side view). E. Lip (ventral view— note the appendix just below the sinus). F. Column. (Photos O. Pérez.)