Lepanthes peruviana Damian & B.T.Larsen, 2017

Damian, Alexander & Larsen, Bruno, 2017, Three new species of Lepanthes (Pleurothalldinae: Orchidaceae) From Amazonas, Peru, Phytotaxa 291 (2), pp. 149-156 : 151-153

Lepanthes peruviana Damian & B.T.Larsen , sp. nov. ( Fig. 2 , 4C )

Type:— PERU. Amazonas: Prov. Chachapoyas, Dist. Magdalena, above “Saula”, 187463.00 m E, 9291401.00 m S, 2800 m, 20 March 2016, A. Damian & J. Torres 7001 (holotype MOL!, isotype UFV!).

This species is similar to Lepanthes vasquezii Luer (1983: 375) , but differs from it by its flowers more spread throughout the raceme, larger and longer pedicelate flowers.

Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose, to 25 cm tall. Roots slender, flexuous, to 0.5–0.7 mm in diameter. Ramicauls slender, erect, 4–7 cm, enclosed by 4–6, closely adpressed, ribbed, minutely ciliate-muriculate, pale brown lepanthiform sheaths with obliquely acute dilated apices. Leaves erect, coriaceous, eliptical, subacute to obtuse, 3.7–5 cm long, 1.2–2.7 cm wide, cuneate at the base into a conduplicate petiole 2–3 mm long, the apex cuspidate-acute, excise, with the tip of the central vein protruding abaxially within the sinus. Inflorescence exceeding the leaf, a loose, secund, successively many-flowered raceme up to 23 cm long, borne by a peduncle 6–10 cm long; floral bracts conduplicate, acute, muricate, 2 mm long; pedicels terete, persistent, 1.8–2.3 cm long. Ovary ribbed, 4 mm long. Flowers large, equal long or longer than the leaves, resupinate, sepals puce, with green margins, petals bright green, suffused with brown near the middle, lip bright green, column and anther pinkish. Sepals, glabrous, dorsal sepal ovate, concave, acute, the apex atenuated into a slender tail, 3.2 cm long, 1.2 cm wide, 3-veined, connate to the lateral sepals by 1 mm, the lateral sepals 2 veined, connate almost one third of their length into an ovate, acute, bilobed synsepal, the attenuated apex bifurcated into slender tails that are approximate each one, 3.4–4.2 cm long, 1–1.4 cm wide. Petals, densely papillose, transversely and unequally bilobed, 3 mm long, 7 mm wide, the upper lobe triangular, apex rounded, the lower lobe abruptly narrow-oblanceolate, apex acuminate, slightly oblique. Lip, minutely pubescent, 2.5 mm long, 1 mm wide, fused to the column almost at middle of it, the blades falcate-oblanceolate, apically acute, basely rounded, cilliate, connectives short, the appendix oblong, densely pubescent, thickened at the apex. Column terete, 1.5 mm long; anther apical, stigma ventral. Anther cap cucullate, 2-celled. Pollinia 2, obpyriform. Capsule not seen.

Etymology:—The specific name is in reference to the country where the type was collected, Peru.

Distribution and hábitat:—Up to now this species is known only from Peru, in the high mountains of Amazonas. We have also seen photos from other two locations, one in the Colan Cordillera, close to district of Cajaruro (L.R.), and one more in the vicinity of Leymebamba (M.S.), both from Amazonas. The plant grows as an epiphyte forming colonies on lower branches in very humid cloud forest, at about 2,800 m elevation.

Comments:—Both vegetatively and florally, this handsome large flowered species is superficially similar to Lepanthes vasquezii , from neighboring Bolivia. The flowers of Lepanthes peruviana are distinguished from those of L. vasquezii by their larger size, smooth ovary, and lateral sepals connate by about one third of their length into a long tailed, bifid synsepal. The petals are similar in shape, but L. peruviana has the lower lobes more acuminate, and upper lobes more oblong.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Lepanthes peruviana Damian & B.T.Larsen. A. Habit. B. Flower. C. Dissected flower. D. Lip and column, ventral view; lip ventral view dissected from the column; lip and column lateral view. Drawn from the holotype by Greta Damian P.

FIGURE 4. Flowers of Lepanthes. A. Lepanthes pseudoprofusa. B. Lepanthes odobenus. C. Lepanthes peruviana (Photographs by A. Damian).