Hemipilia galeata Y.Tang, X.X.Zhu & H.Peng, 2016

Tang, Ying, Zhu, Xin-Xin, Peng, Hua & Ma, Jin-Shuang, 2016, Hemipilia galeata (Orchideae, Orchidaceae), a new species from Fujian Province, southeastern China, Phytotaxa 245 (4), pp. 271-280 : 276-279

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/phytotaxa.245.4.4
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03AA878D-4565-FFEE-FF54-FA917A60FB24
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Hemipilia galeata Y.Tang, X.X.Zhu & H.Peng
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Hemipilia galeata Y.Tang, X.X.Zhu & H.Peng View in CoL , sp. nov. ( Figs. 3–5 View FIGURE 3 View FIGURE 4 View FIGURE 5 )

Type:— CHINA. Fujian: Wuyishan City , 250 m, 27°41’ N, 117°57’ E, 18 April 2015, Tang & Zhu 203 (holotype: KUN!; isotype: CSH!) GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis:—Differing from all known species of Hemipilia in having a hemispheric dorsal sepal. Similar to H. hemipilioides , H. occidensichuanensis Tang & Peng in Tang et al. (2015: 96) and H. thailandica (Seidenf. & Thaithong) Tang & Peng in Tang et al. (2015: 96), from which it can be distinguished by an elliptic, purple-spotted leaf, suborbicular petals, oblong lateral lip lobes and an ovate midlobe ( Table 3).

Terrestrial, erect herbs, 5–13 cm tall. Tubers ovoid, 4–6 mm long, 3 mm in diameter, neck with few roots. Stem slender, 1 mm in diameter, green with purple markings, with 1 tubular basal sheath. Leaf subbasal, solitary, elliptic, 1.5–3.0 × 0.8–2.2 cm, apex acute, base contracted into amplexicaul sheath, adaxially green with purple markings, rarely uniformly green, abaxially pale green. Inflorescence terminal, 1–13-flowered. Flowers pink and white, not scented. Ovary straight to slightly incurved, cylindrical, 5.0– 9.5 mm long; floral bract connivent to ovary, elliptic to ovate, 2.8–3.0 × 1.8–2.3 mm, apex acuminate; dorsal sepal free, 1-veined, hemispheric, 2.3 × 2.1 mm, apex acute and forming a brim, adaxially white with pink markings; lateral sepals free, spreading, 1-veined, ovate, oblique, concave, 3.1–3.4 × 1.8 mm, apex obtuse, white to pale pink; petals connivent with dorsal sepal and forming a hood, suborbicular, oblique, 2.6 × 2.5 mm, apex obtuse, white above median vein and pink below; labellum spreading, rhomboidal, spurred at base, trilobed above middle; lateral lobes oblong, 2.4–4.2 × 0.7–1.5 mm, apex obtuse, pink; midlobe not divided, obovate, 4.2–5.3 × 2.1–3.3 mm, apex sometimes undulate, pink; disk white with pink markings; spur white, straight to slightly incurved, cylindrical, 5.0– 9.5 mm long, slightly shorter than or equal to ovary, apex slightly bilobed, entrance 1.5–2.0 mm wide, with both a few hairs on abaxial interior surface and purple markings on lateral interior surface near entrance; anther erect, 1.8 mm long, 2-locular, locules parallel and closely spaced, purple; pollinia 2, sectile; caudicles strap-like, 1.1 mm long, transparent; viscidia 2, closely spaced, elliptic, 0.3 × 0.2 mm, transparent, each enclosed within a separate bursicle; bursicles formed by folding of rostellar arms; rostellum median lobe inconspicuous, lateral lobes grooved; stigma ventral, lobes 2, divergent, lamelliform, 0.8 × 0.3 mm, with purple markings at apex and a few hairs at base; auricles 2, stout, 0.6 mm long, each placed laterally at base of anther.

Flowering: ––Peaking in late April.

Distribution & habitat: —Currently known from a single population, which occurs within a small area on mosscovered Danxia rocks.

Etymology: —The epithet refers to the hemispheric, helmet-like dorsal sepal, by which the new species can be readily distinguished.

Taxonomic notes: — Hemipilia galeata belongs to H. sect. Hemipilia sensu Tang et al. (2015) . Table 3 provides the detailed comparisons among H. galeata and morphologically similar species. Besides the easily distinguished, hemispheric dorsal sepal ( Fig. 3E View FIGURE 3 ), H. galeata also has a unique set of characteristics: leaf solitary, elliptic, adaxially green with purple-markings; sterile bract absent; petal suborbicular; lateral lip lobes oblong; spur cylindrical, slightly shorter than or equal to ovary.

Particularly, H. galeata can be distinguished by suborbicular petals plus an ovate midlobe of the lip from H. hemipilioides , by an elliptic leaf plus oblong lateral lip lobes from H. occidensichuanensis (≡ Ponerorchis limprichtii ), and by a purple-spotted leaf plus suborbicular petals from H. thailandica .

The remaining species in H. sect. Hemipilia are easily distinguished from H. galeata . Hemipilia brevicalcarata Finet has a saccate spur, whereas H. galeata has a cylindrical spur. Hemipilia purpureopunctata is characterized by a spur that is contracted near its apex, whereas in H. galeata the spur is slightly bilobed at the apex. Moreover, H. galeata ( Figs. 3J–L View FIGURE 3 , 5A–C View FIGURE 5 ) lacks a protruding, tongue-like rostellum that characterizes the well-circumscribed Hemipilia s.s. species.

view of gynostemium. D. Front view of pollinium. Abbreviations: an, anther; au, auricle; bur, bursicle; ro l, lateral rostellum lobe; stg, stigma; sp, spur; mas, massulae; cau, caudicle; vi, viscidium. Scale bar, 1 mm.