Two new species of Epistephium (Orchidaceae, Vanilloideae) from Colombia

Abstract

Two new species of Neotropical Orchidaceae, Epistephium epiphyticum Szlach. & Kolan. and E. cardonae Szlach. & Kolan., are described and illustrated based on Colombian material. So far the new entities are known exclusively from the type locations. Both species are placed within a key to Colombian Epistephium Kunth.

Full text

Polish Botanical Journal 58(2): 633–637, 2013
DOI: 10.2478/pbj-2013-0069
TWO NEW SPECIES OF EPISTEPHIUM
(ORCHIDACEAE, VANILLOIDEAE) FROM COLOMBIA
Da r i u s z L. sz L a c h e t k o & Ma r t a ko L a n o w s k a 1
Abstract. Two new species of Neotropical Orchidaceae, Epistephium epiphyticum Szlach. & Kolan. and E. cardonae Szlach.
& Kolan., are described and illustrated based on Colombian material. So far the new entities are known exclusively from the
type locations. Both species are placed within a key to Colombian Epistephium Kunth.
Key words: biodiversity, Neotropics, South America, taxonomy
Dariusz L. Szlachetko & Marta Kolanowska, Department of Plant Taxonomy and Nature Conservation, University of Gdańsk,
ul. Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland; e-mail: martakolanowska@wp.pl
in t r o D u c t i o n
1 Corresponding author
The genus Epistephium Kunth was proposed by
Karl Kunth (1822) in Synopsis Plantarum Ae-
quinoctialium Orbis Novi. The generic name is
derived from the Greek epi- (‘upon’) and steph-
anos (‘crown’), referring to the shallow cup, the
so-called calyculus, observed at the apex of the
ovary. The nominal species of this Neotropical
genus is E. elatum Kunth, which was described
based on Colombian material.
The genus comprises terrestrial erect plants
with chartaceous to coriaceous leaves. Showy
owers are gathered in terminal or axillary ra-
cemes. The lip usually is ornamented with a central
row of retrorse, barbate or lacerate crests (Cam-
eron 2003). The gynostemium is elongate, more
or less incurved at the apex only. The conspicuous
column part is connate with the lip in the lower
half. The anther is incumbent, ellipsoid-ovoid to
ellipsoid-conical, motile and 2-chambered. The
four pollinia are oblong and very powdery. The
3-lobed ventral stigma is transversely elliptic, cup-
like, and deeply concave in the center (Szlachetko
& Rutkowski 2000).
So far ca 25 species of Epistephium have been
described (Carnevali & Ramírez-Morillo 2003),
10 of them recorded from Colombia (Ortiz Val-
divieso & Uribe Vélez 2007). Their occurrence
was reported from northern Argentina to Guiana
and Belize. The plants usually are found growing
in open grassy areas or savannas on lateritic soil.
The altitudinal range of Epistephium extends from
100 m up to 1200 m a.s.l. (Garay 1978; Cameron
2003; Carnevali & Ramírez-Morillo 2003).
The genus is poorly understood due to the
insufciency of herbarium collections and dif-
ficulties in hydrating and examining flowers
from dried material. A comprehensive revision
of the herbarium material stored in the National
Colombian Herbarium produced descriptions of
ve new Epistephium species (Szlachetko et al.
2013a, b).
Recent studies of Columbian vanilloid orchids
revealed the existence of another two species of
the genus, described here as new.
De s c r i p t i o n s o f t h e n e w s p e c i e s
Epistephium epiphyticum Szlach. & Kolan.,
sp. nov. Fig. 1
Epiphytic plant characterized by sessile leaves, petals
subequal in width to sepals and entire, ovate lip, nearly
free from the gynostemium and ornamented with several
Unauthenticated
Download Date | 5/18/17 10:33 PM

634 POLISH BOTANICAL JOURNAL 58(2). 2013
folds running from the base up to the lip apex, and a crest
of subulate appendages in the central part.
hoLotype: COLOMBIA, Antioquia. Mun. Santo
Domingo, Correg. Santiago, sector La Negra, 9 km de
Santiago, 13 Aug. 1986, R. Callejas, S. Churchill, P.
Acebedo, C. J. Castańo & M. Escobar 2382 (HUA).
Stem erect, over 50 cm high. Leaves 9–13 cm
long, 3.5–6.0 cm wide, ovate-lanceolate to ovate,
acute or short-acuminate, cordate at base. Inores-
cence terminal, erect, ca 25 cm long, several-ow-
ered, rather dense. Flowers 4–5 cm long, ± thin in
texture, purplish, fragrant. Floral bracts 7–9 mm
long, cymbiform, acute. Ovary up to 17 mm long,
cylindrical, sessile, crowned with shallow denticu-
late cup. Dorsal sepal 48–50 mm long, ca 13 mm
wide, oblong, obtuse. Lateral sepals 46–48 mm
long and 10–11 mm wide, oblong, acute. Petals
38–40 mm long, 9–10 mm wide, oblong-elliptic,
obtuse. Lip 28–30 mm long, 19–20 mm wide,
nearly free from the column, ovate in outline, un-
dulate, apex short-acuminate, subacute, recurved;
disc with several folds running from base up to lip
apex, ornamented in center by crest of subulate ap-
pendages extending for ca 10 mm. Gynostemium
elongate, slender, erect.
et y M o L o g y . In reference to the epiphytic life
form.
ha b i t at anD ecoLogy. Epiphytic in humid
tropical forest at ca 1150 m a.s.l. Flowering in
August.
Dis t r ibut i o n. Known only from the Colom-
bian Central Cordillera (Fig. 2).
Fig. 1. Epistephium epiphyticum Szlach. & Kolan. – dissected
perianth. A – dorsal sepal; B – petal; C – lateral sepal; D – lip.
Drawn by S. Nowak from the holotype. Scale bar = 20 mm.
Fig. 2. Distribution of Epistephium epiphyticum Szlach.
& Kolan. (circle) and E. cardonae Szlach. & Kolan. (square)
in Colombia.
Unauthenticated
Download Date | 5/18/17 10:33 PM

M. KOLANOWSKA & D. T. SZLACHETKO: A NEW SPECIES OF PORROGLOSSUM FROM COLOMBIA 635
no t e s . This species resembles E. amplexicaule
(Ruiz & Pav.) Poepp. & Endl. and E. frederici-
augusti Rchb. f. but is easily distinguished from
both of them by having small oral bracts and a
smaller lip, ovate in outline, with an acute recurved
apex and ornamented with a crest of subulate ap-
pendages in the central part. The unique feature
of E. epiphyticum is its lip nearly free from the
gynostemium.
The new species was found in humid tropical
forest, a habitat uncommon for the genus; most
Epistephium species prefer open areas character-
ized by warm climate. This is the rst report of
an epiphyte within the genus.
Epistephium cardonae Szlach. & Kolan., sp. nov.
Fig. 3
Terrestrial plant characterized by shortly petiolate leaves
and an entire quadrate-orbicular lip ornamented with
3 longitudinal folds and retrorsely bearded in the apical
part.
ho L o t y p e : COLOMBIA, Amazonas. Santa Isabel,
sitio sabanas de Solarte, 71°10′W 1°05′S. 4–6 Dec. 1996,
M. V. Arbeláez, U. Matapi & N. Matapi 690 (HUA).
Stem branching, at least 100–150 cm tall,
sometimes over 150 cm tall. Leaves basally at-
tenuate into short petiole 2.5–3.0 cm long, blade
up to 13 cm long, 2.3–4.5 cm wide, lanceolate,
ovate-lanceolate or lanceolate-elliptic, shortly
acuminate, acute. Inorescences few, axillary,
racemose, up to ca 15 cm long, several-owered.
Flowers purplish, ca 2.5 cm long. Floral bracts
minute, ca 2.5 mm long, triangular-ovate. Ovary
up to 35 mm long, sessile, crowned with shallow
cup. Dorsal sepal 24–25 mm long, 3.8–4.0 mm
wide, oblong-lanceolate, acute. Lateral sepals
16–17 mm long, 3.8–4.0 mm wide, obliquely
oblong, obtuse to short acuminate. Petals 19–20
mm long, 2.7–4.0 mm wide, oblong-elliptic,
acute. Lip 15–16 mm long, 5.2–5.5 mm wide,
shortly clawed, quadrate-orbicular in outline,
acute and shortly acuminate at apex, margins un-
dulate; disc with 3 longitudinal folds, retrorsely
bearded on apical 1/3. Gynostemium elongate,
slender, erect.
et y M o L o g y . Named to honor Felipe Alfonso
Cardona Naranjo, Curator of the herbarium of the
University of Antioquia (HUA).
ha b i t at anD ecoLogy. Grows in scrub on
white sand and decaying organic matter at 100–
150 m elev. Flowering in December.
Dis t r ibut i o n. Known only from the Colom-
bian department of Amazonas (Fig. 2).
Fig. 3. Epistephium cardonae Szlach. & Kolan. – dissected
perianth. A – dorsal sepal; B – petal; C – lateral sepal; D – lip.
Drawn by S. Nowak from the holotype. Scale bar = 10 mm.
Unauthenticated
Download Date | 5/18/17 10:33 PM

636 POLISH BOTANICAL JOURNAL 58(2). 2013
no t e s . This species resembles E. parviorum
Lindl., from which is easily distinguished by its
narrower lip bearded on the apical 1/3 (vs lip ba-
sally retrorsely bearded) and longer leaf petiole
(2.5–3.0 cm vs 0.5–0.6 cm long).
ke y t o t h e co L o M b i a n s p e c i e s
o f Ep i s t E p h i u m
1. Plants small, 8–23 cm tall. Leaves shortly petiolate,
elliptic to elliptic-obovate, widest near middle or
above ... E. ellipticum R. O. Williams & Summerh.
1.
*
Plants much higher, at least 40 cm tall, usually much
taller. Leaves sessile or petiolate, oblong-lanceolate to
broadly elliptic-ovate, widest in basal part ..... 2
2. Leaves amplexicaul ..................... 3
2.
*
Leaves non-amplexicaul ................ 12
3. Lip orbicular or ovate to transversely elliptic, trun-
cate, acuminate or shortly apiculate at apex .... 4
3.
*
Lip ± oblong-obovate, ± incised at apex ....... 5
4. Lip orbicular in outline, disc papillose-barbate
along median nerve in upper half ............
................ E. frederici-augusti Rchb. f.
4.
*
Lip ovate to transversely elliptic in outline, disc
with only a tuft of eshy hairs or subulate append-
ages in center .......................... 6
5. Lip transversely elliptic in outline, wider than long
.... E. rhombilabium Szlach., Mytnik & Baranow
5.
*
Lip ovate in outline, longer than wide ..........
.............. E. epiphyticum Szlach. & Kolan.
6. Lamellae or hairs running from base to apex of
lip lamina ............................. 7
6.
*
Cristate lamellae or hairs of various kinds present
only in lip center ....................... 9
7. Floral bracts up to 15 mm long, sepals to 30 mm
long, thick and stiff, lip covered by 8 mm long hairs
along midvein ..............................
......... E. trianae Szlach., Mytnik & Baranow
7.
*
Not showing above combination of features .... 8
8. Lip in basal 23 mm connate with gynostemium;
free part broadly rhombic or broadly ovate, mar-
gins more or less undulate, crenulate-serrulate,
adorned in upper part by cuneate, lacerate calli
along midvein ..... E. lamprophyllum Schltr.
8.
*
Lip nearly free from column, broadly obovate or
subrotund, undulate, shortly lacerate and ciliolate
at margin; disc through longitudinal center with
bearded crest of subulate appendages extending
from base nearly to apex, and in front of crest
a cluster of numerous folds .................
.............E. amplexicaule Poepp. & Endl.
9. Lip apically deeply incised, hence appearing
bilobed ................................ 10
9.
*
Lip sinuously notched at apex .............. 11
10. Lip with oblique lamella just above base of
lip on either side of crest, clinandrium 3-lobed
..................... E. hernandii Garay
10.
*
Lip without lamellae on sides of central crest,
clinandrium unlobed ....... E. duckei Huber
11. Floral bracts to 20 mm long, sepals 10–17 mm wide,
petals 55–66 mm long and 26 mm wide ........
............... E. brevicristatum R. E. Schult.
11.
*
Floral bracts to 15 mm long, sepals to 10 mm wide,
petals to 55 mm long and to 20 mm wide .......
.......................... E. elatum Kunth
12. Leaves petiolate, petiole very prominent, at least
1 cm long .......................... 13
12.
*
Leaves sessile or subsessile, petiole up to 0.5 cm
long if present ....................... 15
13. Petals ca 4 times longer than wide, lip prominently
clawed, eshy hairs along midvein in upper part of
lip ................... E. parviorum Lindl.
13.
*
Petals up to twice longer than wide ......... 14
14. Lip shortly clawed, 16 × 5.5 mm, quadrate-
orbicular in outline ......................
............ E. cardonae Szlach. & Kolan.
14.
*
Lip sessile, 20–23 × 18–24 mm, deltoid in out-
line ................ E. sessiliorum Lindl.
15. Flowers small, sepals up to 25 mm long ..... 16
15.
*
Flowers medium-sized, sepals over 35 mm long
...................................... 17
16. Lip transversely elliptic-abellate in outline, disc
strongly thickened and covered by soft hairs
along midvein in basal half, and by very long
hairs above ............................
...... E. garayi Szlach., Mytnik & Baranow
16.
*
Lip almost orbicular in outline, disc with two
lamellae running from base to the center of lip,
covered by long hairs (to 5 mm long) from center
to apex of lip along midveins ..............
................... E. subrepens Hoehne
17. Leaves subsessile ..........................
..... E. kubiyuense Szlach., Mytnik & Baranow
17.
*
Leaves shortly petiolate .................. 18
18. Lip with oblong thickening running from base
of claw to apex of lamina, covered densely by
eshy soft hairs .... E. sclerophyllum Lindl.
18.
*
Lip without oblong thickening, central part with
crested lamellae, densely hairy above, with two
papillate keels below ....................
. . E. araracuarae Szlach., Mytnik & Baranow
Unauthenticated
Download Date | 5/18/17 10:33 PM

M. KOLANOWSKA & D. T. SZLACHETKO: A NEW SPECIES OF PORROGLOSSUM FROM COLOMBIA 637
ac k n o w L e D g e M e n t s . The Curator and staff of HUA
are thanked for their kind hospitality and assistance
during our visit. We are grateful to Sławomir Nowak
for preparing the illustrations and to the anonymous
reviewers for helpful suggestions on the manuscript.
The research described was supported by the Polish
Ministry of Science and Higher Education (grant no.
8124/B/PO1/2011/40).
re f e r e n c e s
ca M e r o n k. M. 2003. Epistephium. In: A. M. pr i D g e o n , P. J.
cr i b b , M. W. ch a s e & F. N. ra s M u s s e n (eds), Genera
Orchidacearum. 3: Orchidoideae (Part Two), Vanilloideae,
pp. 306–309. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
ca r n e va L i g. & ra M í r e z -Mo r i L L o i. M.. 2003. Epistephium.
In J. A. steyerMark, P. E. be r ry , K. yatskievych
& B. K. ho L s t (eds), Flora of the Venezuelan Guyana 7:
353–356. Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis.
ga r a y L. a. 1978. Orchidaceae (Cypripedioideae, Orchidoi-
deae, Neottioideae). In: G. ha r L i n g & B. sp a r r e (eds),
Flora of Ecuador. 9: 1–305. Department of Systematic
Botany, University of Goteborg and Section for Botany,
Riksmuseum, Goteborg.
ku n t h k. 1822. Synopsis Plantarum Aequinoctialium orbis
novi. 1. Levrault, Paris.
or t i z vaLDivieso p. & uribe vé L e z c. 2007. Galería de
Orquídeas de Colombia (CD edition). Asociación Bogotana
de Orquideología, Bogotá.
szLachetko D. L. & rutkowski p. 2000. Gynostemia
Orchidalium. 1. Apostasiaceae, Cypripediaceae, Orchi-
daceae (Thelymitroideae-Vanilloideae). Acta Bot. Fenn.
169: 1–322.
szLachetko D. L., My t n i k -ej s M o n t j. & ba r a n o w p.
2013a. Drei neue Epistephium-Arten (Orchidaceae, Vanil-
loideae). Die Orchidee 64(1): 14–18.
szLachetko D. L., My t n i k -ej s M o n t j. & ba r a n o w p.
2013b. New species of the genus Epistephium (Orchi-
daceae, Vanilloideae). Pl. Syst. Evol. 299: 1519–1522.
Received 13 May 2013
Unauthenticated
Download Date | 5/18/17 10:33 PM