A New Pleurothallis from Colombia, with a Note on Ancipitia and Colombiana (Orchidaceae: Pleurothallidinae)

Abstract

Abstract—
A new species of Pleurothallis from Valle del Cauca, Colombia, is described and illustrated. Pleurothallis ottocari is similar to the Ecuadorian P. scoparum, but differs in the widely elliptic leaf, the smaller flowers, the incurved dorsal
sepal, the purplish-tinted petals, which are conspicuously curved downwards above the middle, and the basally sub-truncate lip. Brief comments are given as to the reason for not using the generic names Ancipitia and Colombiana, to which the new species would otherwise belong.

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A New Pleurothallis from Colombia, with a Note on Ancipitia and Colombiana
(Orchidaceae: Pleurothallidinae)
Source: Systematic Botany, 40(1):75-78.
Published By: The American Society of Plant Taxonomists
URL: http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.1600/036364415X686350
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Systematic Botany (2015), 40(1): pp. 75–78
©Copyright 2015 by the American Society of Plant Taxonomists
DOI 10.1600/036364415X686350
Date of publication February 12, 2015
A New Pleurothallis from Colombia, with a Note on Ancipitia
and Colombiana (Orchidaceae: Pleurothallidinae)
Lizeth Rodrı
´guez-Martı
´nez,
1,4
Cristian Rinco
´n-Useche,
1
and Adam P. Karremans
2,3
1
Universidad Nacional de Colombia-sede Palmira, Carrera 32 No 12 - 00 Valle del Cauca, Colombia.
2
Lankester Botanical Garden, University of Costa Rica, P. O. Box 302-7050 Cartago, Costa Rica.
3
Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden University, PO Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands.
4
Author for correspondence (lkrodriguezm@unal.edu.co)
Communicating Editor: Jimmy Triplett
Abstract—A new species of Pleurothallis from Valle del Cauca, Colombia, is described and illustrated. Pleurothallis ottocari is similar to the
Ecuadorian P. scoparum, but differs in the widely elliptic leaf, the smaller flowers, the incurved dorsal sepal, the purplish-tinted petals, which
are conspicuously curved downwards above the middle, and the basally sub-truncate lip. Brief comments are given as to the reason for not
using the generic names Ancipitia and Colombiana, to which the new species would otherwise belong.
Keywords—New species, Pleurothallis ottocari, Valle del Cauca.
Colombia is one of the most biologically diverse countries
worldwide. Unfortunately, the increase in knowledge of that
diversity has been below expectations and a large effort is still
needed in order to get a better perspective of its current state
(Caldero
´n et al. 2002). The accelerated rate of human impact
on the natural ecosystems makes that knowledge of diversity
essential for conservation efforts (Salinas and Betancur 2005).
The Valle del Cauca occupies just under 2% of the territory of
Colombia, but with several hundred species it is one of the
richest areas in orchid species diversity in the world
(Kolanowska and Szlachetko 2012). Located in the south-
western part of the country, it is an area of great ecosystem
complexity derived from the Central and Western mountain
ranges, producing high endemism in its flora. During a field
inventory of Orchidaceae diversity in Valle del Cauca an
undescribed species belonging to subtribe Pleurothallidinae
was discovered and is described here (Figs. 1, 2).
The new species is only the ninth of a group of species
closely related to Pleurothallis scoparum Rchb. f., and allo-
cated to Pleurothallis subgen. Scopula Luer (Luer 1989). Spe-
cies of Pl. subgen. Scopula are easily recognized by “the tuft
of single-flowered peduncles emerging near the apex of the
leaf from the median sulcus,” a feature that also precipitated
their generic recognition as Colombiana Ospina (Ospina 1974).
However, aside from the aberrant emergence position of the
inflorescence, plant and flower morphology are very similar
to other species of Pleurothallis R. Br. (in the sense of its type
Pleurothallis ruscifolia (Jacq.) R. Br.), and especially species
of Pleurothallis subgen. Ancipitia Luer (Luer 1989), a close
relationship that is confirmed by DNA data (Pridgeon et al.
2001; Karremans et al. 2013; Wilson et al. 2013).
Luer (1989) noted that the inflorescence of Pl. subgen.
Scopula “suggests some relationship with subgen. Ancipitia,”
and in turn about Pl.subgen.Ancipitia that “the leaves are
ovate and sessile, sometimes decurrent on the ramicaul,
which suggests some relationship with subgen. Scopula
which is very similar florally,” but maintained that the
“ancipitous ramicaul distinguishes subgen. Ancipitia.” He
would later segregate both from Pleurothallis,elevatingthe
subgenus to generic level as Ancipitia (Luer) Luer, and recog-
nizing the generic name Colombiana for the species of subgen.
Scopula (Luer 2004).
Colombiana and Ancipitia, although recognized by Luer
(2004, 2006, 2011), have otherwise received little support as
distinct genera (Pridgeon et al. 2001; Pridgeon 2005). The
authors of the present paper agree that species of Ancipitia
and Colombiana are closely related to each other, in fact find
that the morphological differences among the members of
Ancipitia are greater than between some species of Ancipitia
and the species of Colombiana. The ancipitous ramicaul used
as a diagnostic feature for Ancipitia is however lost in species
such as Pleurothallis eumecocaulon Schltr. and P. instar Luer.
Meanwhile, Pleurothallis inornata Luer & Hirtz and
Pleurothallis dubbeldamiana Karremans & Rinco
´n-Useche,
placed in Ancipitia as well (Luer 2004; 2011), do not share the
brush-like inflorescence made of long pedicels, and the long
lanceolate sepals and petals with a relatively small lip, typical
of most other species of both Ancipitia and Colombiana.
The unclear generic and subgeneric delimitations among
the segregates of Pleurothallis was suggested by Karremans
and Mun
˜oz (2011) when describing Pleurothallis silvae-pacis
Karremans, a species with some Ancipitia-like features. Like-
wise we consider that species of Ancipitia and Colombiana
are likely to be interrelated, and as currently defined are also
difficult to distinguish from species of Pleurothallis, and
therefore prefer to use the latter in a more conservative
approach. A thorough phylogenetic study of this group cou-
pling DNA data with a morphological analysis might help
establish the relationships among these species.
Materials and Methods
This study was conducted between 2012 and 2014 in Valle del Cauca,
Colombia. The plants were preserved in alcohol prior to drying the
plants. Individual plants were photographed, illustrated, and preserved
as herbarium specimens deposited at COL (holotype) and VALLE
(paratype). Phenology data was recorded in the field. Morphological
studies were carried out using a Zeiss DV4 stereomicroscope provided
by each herbarium. The new species was described and illustrated by
composite line-drawings from the preserved material. Images were
diagrammed using Adobe PhotoshopÒ. The distribution map was pro-
duced using ArcGIS.
Taxonomic Treatment
Pleurothallis ottocari Rodr.-Martı
´nez, Rinco
´n-Useche &
Karremans, sp. nov.—TYPE: COLOMBIA. Valle del Cauca:
Dagua, San Jose
´del Salado, remnant cloud forests at
1,850 m elevation, temperature 20C. March 3, 2014,
L. Rodrı
´guez-Martı
´nez & C. Rinco
´n-Useche 057 (holo-
type: COL!).
75

Fig. 1. Pleurothallis ottocarii Pleurothallis ottocarii Rodr.-Martı
´nez, Rinco
´n-Useche & Karremans. A. Habit. B. Flower. C. Dissected perianth. D. Column
and lip, lateral view. E. Lip details. F. Anther. Drawings by Lizeth Martı
´nez-Rodrı
´guez from the holotype (L. Rodrı
´guez-Martı
´nez & C. Rinco
´n-Useche 016).
76 SYSTEMATIC BOTANY [Volume 40

Pleurothallis ottocarii is similar to P. scoparum but can be
recognized by the widely elliptic (vs. narrowly-elliptic) leaves,
the immaculate white (vs. white to pinkish with purple
spots) sepals, which are shorter and narrower, the dorsal is
5
+
2 mm (vs. 8–9
+
3 mm) and the synsepal is 4.6
+
2.3 mm
(vs. 7– 9
+
3 mm). The dorsal sepal has an incurved apex
(vs. apex not incurved). The petals are white with large
dark-purple spots on the basal half (vs. many small pinkish
dots) and are shorter and narrower (4.5
+
1.3 vs. 7–8
+
2 mm),
they are strongly curved downward especially above the
middle (vs. almost horizontal). The lip is suborbicular (vs.
ovate), denticulate-serrulate (vs. fimbriate) and smaller, 1.5–
1.6
+
1.2 mm (vs. 2.5
+
2.0 mm).
Plant epiphytic, herbaceous, erect, up to 35 cm tall; roots
flexuous, thin, 0.3–0.5 mm diameter, densely fasciculate.
Ramicaul erect, thin, cylindrical, up to 14–23 cm long, covered
by tubular papyraceous bracts close to the base; leaf sub-erect,
sessile, coriaceous, broadly-elliptic, 5– 10
+
2.5– 3.5 cm. Inflo-
rescence a fascicle of successive, single-flowered peduncles,
up to 7 cm long, born close to the apex of the leaf; peduncle
5– 10 cm long, pedicels 40–80, persistent, 1.6–2.3 cm long,
floral bracts 4, 2.1–5.8 mm long; ovary 4.8 mm long; flowers
translucent white, with dark purple spots and stains, succes-
sive, up to at least 7 open at once; sepals immaculate white, the
dorsal one semi-erect, 3-veined, 4.7–5.1
+
1.8– 2.1 mm; lateral
sepals fully fused into a synsepal, concave, narrow towards
the apex, 4-veined, 4.6–5.0
+
2.2– 2.4 mm; petals white,
heavily tainted with dark purple below the middle, conspicu-
ously curved above the middle, basally hispid, 4.0–4.5
+
1.0–
1.2 mm; lip white, heavily spotted with dark-purple in the
middle, articulate to the column foot, sub-orbicular, thickened
in the middle with a central depression, margin dentate-
serrate, apiculate, 1.3–1.6
+
0.7–1.2 mm, column white with
a pinkish suffusion apically, cylindrical, slightly arched
above, with a short column foot, 1.3–1.9
+
0.8 mm. Anther
and stigma apical; rostellum conspicuous, erect, triangular;
pollinia 2, narrowly ovoid, joint by a bubble-like viscidium.
Figure 1.
Distribution and Ecology—It is known only from two
collections from around the mountains of San Jose
´del
Fig. 2. Pleurothallis ottocarii Rodr.-Martı
´nez, Rinco
´n-Useche & Karremans photographed in situ by Cristian Rinco
´n-Useche (L. Rodrı
´guez Martı
´nez &
C. Rinco
´n-Useche 057). A & B show different angles of the inflorescence.
Fig. 3. Distribution map of Pleurothallis ottocarii Rodr.-Martı
´nez,
Rinco
´n-Useche & Karremans in Colombia.
2015] RODRI
´GUEZ-MARTI
´NEZ ET AL.: A NEW PLEUROTHALLIS 77

Salado, Dagua municipality, in the Valle del Cauca, Colombia
(Fig. 3), at elevations around 1,850 m. It is found as an
epiphyte in the cloud forests on the occidental mountain
range. Both specimens were found growing on Tibouchina
sp. (Melastomataceae).
Eponymy—The name honors professor Ottocar Reina Barth,
who allowed access to the type locality and who has pro-
moted conservation efforts of the orchids of Valle del Cauca.
Additional Specimens Examined—COLOMBIA. Valle del Cauca:
Dagua, San Jose
´del Salado, remnant cloud forests at 1,850 m elevation,
temperature 20C. September 21, 2012. L. Rodrı
´guez-Martı
´nez & C. Rinco
´n-
Useche 016 (paratype: VALLE!).
Acknowledgments. LRM and CRU thank the Universidad Nacional
de Colombia– Palmira, and the dean of the Agricultural Science faculty,
Nora Cristina Mesa. APK thanks the Vice-Presidency of Research of the
University of Costa Rica for providing support through the projects
“Inventario y taxonomı
´a de la flora epı
´fita de la regio
´n Mesoamericana”
(814-A7-015), “Flora Costaricensis: Taxonomı
´a y Filogenia de la subtribu
Pleurothallidinae (Orchidaceae) en Costa Rica” (814-BO-052) and
“Taxonomı
´a, filogenia molecular, aislamiento reproductivo y diferenciacio
´n
de nichos de Specklinia endotrachys” (814-B3-075). The authors are very
thankful to Luis Eduardo Forero, director of VALLE herbarium, for
his support.
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