Acianthera pubescens (Lindl.) Pridgeon & Chase (2001: 245)

Gomez, Rodolfo Solano, 2015, A taxonomic synopsis of the Mexican species of Acianthera (Orchidaceae: Pleurothallidinae) including a new species, Phytotaxa 218 (1), pp. 39-60 : 50

14. Acianthera pubescens (Lindl.) Pridgeon & Chase (2001: 245) . Pleurothallis pubescens Lindley (1836b: 355) ; Humboltia pubescens (Lindl.) Kuntze (1891: 668) . Type:— Mexico. Unknown locality, Barker s.n. (holotype K[not located], drawing at AMES[74658]!).

Pleurothallis vittata Lindley (1838: 73) . Type:— MEXICO. Unknown locality. “A Mexican species imported by Messrs. Loddige s” (holotype K[not located]).

Pleurothallis polystachya Richard & Galeotti (1845: 16) . Type:— MEXICO. Veracruz: unknown locality, 1840, Galeotti 5135 (holotype W, isotype G[168993]!).

Pleurothallis mandibularis Kränzlin (1920: 169) . Type:— MEXICO. Veracruz: “Wahrscheinlih aus Mexico stammend”, Liebmann s.n. (holotype C, drawing at AMES[74462]!).

Pleurothallis bourgeavi Kränzlin (1921: 15) . Type:— MEXICO. Veracruz: “Provinz des tropischen Zentralamerika: Région d’Orizala”, 17 May 1869, Bourgeau 2469 (holotype P[485787]! isotypes AMES[74092]!! BR[6585914 6585587]! G[168991]! K[583977]! MPU[18067]! P[485788]! S[6998]!).

Distribution:— Mexico (Puebla, Veracruz, Oaxaca [ Fig. 5 ]), Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and Panama; recorded in Venezuela, apparently from plants identified as Pleurothallis truxillensis Reichenbach (1854: 25) .

Specimens:— MEXICO. Puebla: región de Zacapoaxtla, Z. Eslava s.n. (Photo). Veracruz: Trinidad, ca. Córdoba, 15 March 1866, Bourgeau ( P!) ; Orizaba, Bourgeau s.n. ( P!) ; Xalapa, June 1970, Diguet s.n. ( P!) ; Totutla, Zacuapan, Purpus 2142 ( AMES!) ; Purpus 6397 ( AMES!) ; Purpus sub Oestlund 6732 ( AMES!) ; Zacualpan, Viccón s.n. (photo!).

Notes:—The concept of Acianthera pubescens is somewhat obscure and problematic. Although this name has been applied to species ranging from eastern Mexico to northern Argentina, the country of origin was listed as Mexico. Several phenetically similar taxa have been described from Mexico to South America, but the differences between these species are unclear and these plants have been frequently grouped into the A. pubescens synonymy. Plants from Honduras, Costa Rica, and Panama have narrower leaves, longer stems, and smaller flowers and are herein recognized as a different species, A. breedlovei . However, plants from Chiapas and adjacent Oaxaca, which grow under more xeric conditions at higher elevations and are smaller plants with larger flowers, are considered here as A. majakoluckae .

Figures

FIGURE 5. Map showing the known Mexican localities for Acianthera johnsonii, A. majakoluckae, A. obscura, A. pollardiana and A. pubescens.