Four new species of Lepanthes (Pleurothallidinae) from the Southwestern Andes in Colombia

Abstract

Four new species of Lepanthes from the southwestern Andes of Colombia are described, illustrated, and compared with morphologically similar species. The new species were found in San José
del Salado, the Municipality of Dagua, Department of Valle del Cauca where several new species have
been found and described in the past years.

Full text

LANKESTERIANA 22(2): 85–100. 2022. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.15517/lank.v22i2.51696
FOUR NEW SPECIES OF LEPANTHES (PLEUROTHALLIDINAE) FROM
THE SOUTHWESTERN ANDES IN COLOMBIA
Juan SebaStián Moreno1,2,5, robinSon Galindo-tarazona3,
MeliSa aleGría-Valencia1,4 & aleJandro zuluaGa tróchez1,4
1Departamento de Biología, Universidad del Valle, Calle 13 # 100-00, Cali, Colombia.
2Grupo de Investigación Schultes, Fundación Ecotonos, Cali, Colombia.
3Parques Nacionales Naturales de Colombia, Dirección Territorial Pacíco, Carrera 117 # 16B-00,
Cali, Colombia.
4Grupo de Investigación Ecología y Diversidad Vegetal, Universidad del Valle, Calle 13 # 100-00,
Cali, Colombia.
5Author for correspondence: juan.moreno.silva@correounivalle.edu.co
ORCID of the Authors: JSM , RGT , MAV , AZT
Received 5 April 2022; accepted for publication 13 June 2022. First published online: 6 July 2022.
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivs 3.0 Costa Rica License.
Introduction. Lepanthes Sw., one of the most diverse
genera in species number within the Orchidaceae (Kar-
remans & Vieira-Uribe 2020), comprises more than
300 species described in Colombia, and new species
are discovered and described every year (Baquero et al.
2021, Luer & Thoerle 2012, Restrepo et al. 2022). In
the last seven years in San José del Salado, located on
the western slope of the Western Andes of Colombia,
Department of Valle del Cauca in the Municipality of
Dagua, eleven new species from the genera Pleurothal-
lis R.Br., Epidendrum L. and Lepanthes (Moreno et al.
2021) have been described. Furthermore, in 2022, sev-
eral expeditions to the mountains of San José del Salado
were made, and during these eld trips, four new spe-
cies of Lepanthes were discovered. Here, we describe,
illustrate, and provide information about their distribu-
tion and similarity with the most closely related species.
Materials and methods. Descriptions and draw-
ings.— The descriptions and drawings were prepared
from living specimens and owers preserved in 70%
alcohol. Flowers were dissected, measured, and photo-
graphed using Celestron Handheld Digital Microscope
Pro. Vegetative structures were measured from dried
material and reproductive structures from spirit mate-
rial. Digital images were taken with a Nikon d750 or
Nikon D810 and a 105mm f/2.8 macro lens. Sketches
from living and preserved specimens were digitized,
and the images were used for diagramming a draft
composite template in Adobe Photoshop® CS6. A dig-
ital composite line drawing was then made (lines and
stippling) in Procreate illustration application for iPad
6th generation tablet computer (Bogarín et al. 2019).
The new species were described following the bo-
tanical terminology by Stearn (1992), Beentje (2012),
and Luer & Thoerle (2012). In addition, all original
descriptions of related species were consulted for de-
tailed comparisons (Dodson & Luer 2011, Luer 1996,
Luer & Thoerle 2012).
Plant material.— Specimens from the following her-
baria: AMES, CAUP, COL, CUVC, HUA, JAUM,
JBB, VALLE, and MO (online) were consulted, and
no additional material of the new species was found.
abStract. Four new species of Lepanthes from the southwestern Andes of Colombia are described, il-
lustrated, and compared with morphologically similar species. The new species were found in San José
del Salado, the Municipality of Dagua, Department of Valle del Cauca where several new species have
been found and described in the past years.
reSuMen. Se describen, ilustran y comparan cuatro nuevas especies de Lepanthes del suroeste de los Andes
occidentales de Colombia con especies morfológicamente similares. Las nuevas especies fueron encontradas
en el Municipio de Dagua, en San José del Salado, Valle del Cauca donde se han encontrado y descrito varias
especies nuevas en los últimos años.
KeywordS/PalabraS claVe: Cordillera Occidental, Dagua, Neotrópico, Neotropics, Orchidaceae, San
José del Salado, Valle del Cauca, Western Cordillera.

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taxonoMic treatMent
Lepanthes cardenasii J.S.Moreno, Gal.-Tar. & Zuluaga,
sp. nov. (Fig. 1, 2, 3A).
TYPE: Colombia. Valle del Cauca: Municipio de Da-
gua, Corregimiento de San José del Salado, 1716 m, 11
Jul 2020, R. Galindo-T, D.L. Mora, J. Serna & C. Silva
1485 (Holotype: CUVC-Spirit).
Diagnosis: Lepanthes cardenasii is most similar to L.
praemorsa Luer & R.Escobar but is differentiated by a
lip with the blades wide and lunate (vs. the blades thin
and oblong), with a reduced ovate and bid appendix
(vs. appendix thick and broadly triangular).
Plant small to medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose,
6.4–10.2 cm tall; roots slender, liform 0.5–0.6 mm in
diameter. Ramicauls sub-erect, weak, slender, horizon-
tal, 3.8–7.5 cm long, enclosed by 6–10 closely tting,
microscopically ciliate-scabrous long acuminate lepan-
thiform sheaths with narrowly dilated, acuminate ostia.
Leaves with brown edges, elliptic, thinly coriaceous,
long acuminate, the apex emarginate with an abaxial
apiculum in the middle, 1–8 × 0.5–2.0 cm, the base
obtuse, contracted into a petiole 4.3–7.0 mm long. In-
orescence a congested, distichous, successively many-
owered, 7–11, raceme up to 1.6 cm long, including
the peduncle, held appressed to the adaxial surface of
the leaf by a liform, terete peduncle, 3.4–7.8 cm long,
borne near the apex of the ramicaul; oral bracts coni-
cal, acuminate 0.7–1.0 mm long; pedicels terete, 1.4–1.7
mm long. Ovary terete, costate, curved up, 1.9 mm long.
Flowers with sepals pale green-brown; petals brownish
yellow; lip burgundy in the center brownish-yellow in
the borders, ovary red. Dorsal sepal suborbicular, con-
vex, acute, 3-veined, 2.35 × 2.49 mm, connate to the
lateral sepals for 0.6 mm. Lateral sepals ovate, oblique,
acute, 2-veined, 1.9 × 1.4 mm, connate for 1.2 mm. Pet-
als microscopically pubescent, transversely bilobed, 3.6
× 1.3 mm, with a liform lateral midlobe, 1 mm long;
the upper lobe subquadrate, sharply truncate, with a
pronounced and acuminate inner corner, the upper edge
praemorse; the lower lobe sub-triangular, oblique, acute.
Lip minutely pubescent, bilaminate, the blades wide,
membranaceous, thin, adherent medially over the col-
umn, sub-lunate with rounded ends, minutely ciliate, 2.8
× 1.4 mm, supported by short, thin cuneate connectives,
from the base, the body wide, concave, adnate to the
base of the column, the sinus obtuse, with a reduced,
ovate, bid, ciliate appendix. Column urceolate, at-
tened, 1.5–2.5 mm long, the anther dorsal and stigma
ventral, the stigmatic cavity wide and expanded towards
the base, bilobulate. Anther cap cordate, cucullate, 0.4
mm wide. Pollinia yellow, two, pyriform, 0.5 mm long.
Eponymy: The name of the new species honors Dairon
Cárdenas López (1957–2022), one of the most prolic
Colombian botanists and plant collectors who worked
at Instituto Amazónico de Investigaciones Cientícas
– SINCHI. Dairon collected more than 50,000 plant
specimens, mainly in the most remote places of the
Colombian Amazon. Many of his collections represent
new species and new records of plants for the country.
Habitat anD Ecology: Lepanthes cardenasii was found
growing on Andesanthus lepidotus (Bonpl.) P.J.F.Guim.
& Michelang. (Melastomataceae) isolated trees in cattle
elds, close to a very well-preserved forest.
Lepanthes cardenasii is related to a group of spe-
cies morphologically similar to L. mucronata Lindl.,
with a weak habit, ovate and acuminate leaves, small
owers born on top of the leaf, proportionally large
petals compared with the size of the sepals, and a lip
with thin, well-developed blades and sometimes con-
cave appendices (Luer & Thoerle 2012). The most
similar species is L. praemorsa (Fig. 3B), an endemic
species from Colombia, but the new species could be
easily distinguished by its suborbicular and small se-
pals (vs. ovate and larger), the petals praemorse but
with a pronounced and acuminate inner corner and
almost as wide as the length of the sepals (vs. prae-
morse petals with an absent inner corner, as wide as the
length of the dorsal sepal); the lip bilaminate, with the
blades wide and lunate (vs. the blades thin and oblong),
with a reduced ovate and bid appendix (vs. appendix
thick and broadly triangular).
Lepanthes davidii Gal.-Tar., Zuluaga & J.S.Moreno,
sp. nov. (Fig. 4, 5, 6C).
TYPE: Colombia. Valle del Cauca: Municipio de Da-
gua, corregimiento El Limonar, Quebrada La Españo-
la, 1700 m, 24 Jan 2021, A. Zuluaga, R. Galindo-T &
D.L. Mora 5077 (Holotype: CUVC-Spirit).

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Moreno et al. — Four new Lepanthes from Colombia
FigurE 1. Drawing of Lepanthes cardenasii J.S.Moreno, Gal.-Tar. & Zuluaga. A. Habit. B. Flower. C. Dissected perianth.
D. Ovary, column and lip, side view. E. Expanded lip. F. Pollinia and anther cap. Drawn by J.S. Moreno from the plant
that served as the holotype.
Diagnosis: Lepanthes davidii is most similar to L. ankis-
tra Luer & Dressler, but can be easily distinguished by
the petals with the lower lobe triangular, acute (vs. petals
with the lower lobe subfalcate and strongly uncinate),
the lip with blades oblong-lunate with the apex and base
sub-acute, (vs. blades ovate with the apex rounded and
an acute base), and a bisegmented slender appendix
with an ovoid deexed apical portion (vs. single seg-
ment concave appendix with an apical gland).
Plants medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose, 13.1–
17.4 cm tall; roots, slender, exuous, liform, 0.4 mm

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FigurE 2. Photographs of Lepanthes cardenasii J.S.Moreno, Gal.-Tar. & Zuluaga. A. Leave and ower. B. Front view of the
ower. C. Habit and plant in-situ. Photographs by R.G. Tarazona.

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Moreno et al. — Four new Lepanthes from Colombia
in diameter. Ramicauls slender, suberect to horizontal
10.8–15.3 cm long, enclosed by 6–13 acuminate, fur-
rowed, and microscopically pubescent lepanthiform
sheaths, with a dilated, ciliate ostia. Leaves purple, more
or less vertical at an angle of 90º from the ramicaul,
coriaceous, corrugate, reticulate-veined, with 8 main
veins, corrugate, ovate, attenuate, 6.1–6.9 × 2.3–3.4
cm, the apex emarginate with an abaxial apiculum in
the middle, the obtuse base cuneate contracted into a
petiole 2–3 mm long. Inorescence a congested, disti-
chous raceme, 12–26, successively many-owered, up
to 1.3–4.4 cm long, including the peduncle, held ap-
pressed to the adaxial surface of the leaf by a liform,
terete peduncle, 0.7–3.1 cm long, borne near the apex of
the ramicaul; oral bracts conical, acuminate, minutely
ciliate, 0.5–1.1 mm long; pedicels terete, 2.2–2.6 mm.
Ovary terete, costate, 2.5 mm long. Flowers with sepals
fulvous-yellow, dorsal sepal reddish-brown in the cen-
ter; petals with lobes dull green, reddish-brown in the
center; lip dull red-violet, column dull green. Dorsal
sepal broadly ovate, acute, slightly revolute in natural
position, 3-veined, 3.3–4.0 × 2.7–2.9 mm connate to the
lateral sepals for 0.9 mm. Lateral sepals, ovate, oblique,
slightly attenuate, 2-veined, 2.9–3.4 × 1.9–2.0 mm, con-
nate for 1.6–1.7 mm long. Petals transversally bilobed,
pubescent, imbricate 0.9–1.3 × 4.3–6.5 mm, with a li-
form marginal midlobe, 1.1–1.7 mm long, 3-veined; the
upper lobe oblong, sub-falcate, truncate, minutely erose;
the lower lobe triangular, sub-sigmoid towards the apex,
acute. Lip bilaminate, microscopically pubescent, the
blades oblong-lunate, with sub-acute base and apices,
thin, at, adherent medially to each other over the col-
umn, 2.2–3.1 × 0.6–0.8 mm, supported by cuneate con-
nectives from near the middle, the body broad, adnate to
the base of the column, the sinus obtuse, with a biseg-
mented slender, recurved, pubescent appendix with an
ovoid apical portion deexed and the basal portion con-
cave. Column, terete, bilobed with short, lateral, triangu-
lar lobes, 1.5 mm long, the clinandrium large, rostellum
oblong-truncate, the anther dorsal, and stigma ventral.
FigurE 3. Comparison of Lepanthes cardenasii J.S.Moreno, Gal.-Tar. & Zuluaga with the most similar species. A. Lepan-
thes cardenasii. B. Lepanthes praemorsa Luer & R.Escobar. Photographs by R.G. Tarazona (A) and Esteban Domín-
guez Vargas (B).

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FigurE 4. Drawing of Lepanthes davidii Gal.-Tar., Zuluaga & J.S.Moreno. A. Habit. B. Flower. C. Dissected perianth. D.
Ovary, column and lip, side view. E. Dorsal view of the appendix without the column (left) and dorsal view of the
column showing the short wings. F. Anther cap and pollinia. Drawn by J.S. Moreno from the plant that served as the
holotype.

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Moreno et al. — Four new Lepanthes from Colombia
FigurE 5. Photographs of Lepanthes davidii Gal.-Tar., Zuluaga & J.S.Moreno. A. Front view of the ower. B. Leave with ino-
rescence. C. Habit and plant in-situ. Photographs by R.G. Tarazona.

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FigurE 6. Comparison of Lepanthes davidii Gal.-Tar., Zuluaga & J.S.Moreno with the most similar species. A. Lepanthes
ankistra Luer & Dressler. B. Lepanthes brunnescens Luer. C. Lepanthes davidii. D. Lepanthes sinuosa Luer & R.Esco-
bar. Photographs by J.S. Moreno (A, D), Peter Peeters (B), and R.G. Tarazona (C).

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Moreno et al. — Four new Lepanthes from Colombia
Anther cap cordate, cucullate, 0.5 mm wide. Pollinia 2,
yellow, pyriform, narrowly obovoid, 0.7 mm long.
Eponymy: The name honors Andres David
Galindo Rey, son of Robinson Galindo-Tarazona, the
rst author of the species.
Habitat anD Ecology: Lepanthes davidii has been
found up to 1.5 m high in a humid secondary forest
and shares a habitat with L. irmae Gal.-Tar., Zuluaga,
J.S.Moreno & Mora-Aguilar. It has been observed in a
second locality sharing habitat with L. satyrica Luer &
Hirtz, L. yubarta E.Calderón, and L. dumbo Luer.
Lepanthes davidii is most similar to L. ankistra
from Costa Rica, Panama, and Colombia, a species
also with reticulate leaves but distinguished easily
by its transversely bilobed petals with the lower lobe
strongly uncinate (Fig. 6A) (vs. the lower lobe triangu-
lar, falcate towards the apex and acute). The most rele-
vant feature that denes the identity of L. davidii is the
appendix, which is bisegmented, slender, recurved, pu-
bescent with an ovoid apical portion deexed, and the
basal portion concave (vs. a concave and ciliate appen-
dix but with an apical gland (Luer & Dressler 1986).
Another similar species from Colombia is L. brunne-
scens Luer, recognized and separate from this species
by having no uncinate lower lobes in its transversely
bilobed petals (Fig. 6B) but with the same blades of
the lip and appendix as L. ankistra. From the western
Andes of Colombia, L. sinuosa Luer & R.Escobar
(Fig. 6D) is also recognized by its thin ovate leaves,
acute, slightly acuminate, and reticulate with mark-
edly sinuate margin (vs. margin entire), truncate lower
lobe of the transversely bilobed petals (vs. the lower
lobe triangular, sub-sigmoid towards the apex, acute),
the blades of the lip at, falcate, adherent below the
middle over the column (vs. the blades oblong-lunate,
with sub-acute base and apices, thin, at, adherent me-
dially to each other over the column) and the appendix
is boat-shaped and pubescent, with a bid gland at the
apex (vs. bisegmented slender, recurved, with an ovoid
apical portion deexed and the basal portion concave).
Lepanthes dorae J.S.Moreno, Gal.-Tar. & Zuluaga, sp.
nov. (Fig. 7, 8, 9A).
TYPE: Colombia. Valle del Cauca: Municipio de Da-
gua, corregimiento El Limonar, quebrada La Española,
1700 m, 24 Jan 2021, A. Zuluaga, R. Galindo-T, D. L.
Mora & J.S.Moreno 5078 (Holotype: CUVC-Spirit).
Diagnosis: Lepanthes dorae is similar to L. pachyglossa
Luer, but the new species can be distinguished by ovate-
lanceolate sepals (vs. triangular-ovate); the transversely
bilobed petals with the lower lobe triangular and falcate
(vs. the lower lobe broadly uncinate), and the most dis-
tinguishing characteristic is the oblong, bilobed pubes-
cent appendix, located into an anterior cavity from the
sinus (vs. an external, short, minute appendix).
Plants medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose,
11.3–15.5 cm tall; roots, slender, exuous, liform,
up to 0.65 mm in diameter. Ramicauls slender, erect,
8.7–12.0 cm long, enclosed by 8–15 acuminate, fur-
rowed, and long-ciliate lepanthiform sheaths, with a
dilated, ciliate ostia. Leaves erect, coriaceous, ellipti-
cal, attenuate, the blade subplicated above the base,
with three main veins, 5.90–8.47 × 1.73–2.19 cm, the
apex emarginate with an abaxial apiculum in the mid-
dle, the obtuse base cuneate contracted into a petiole
of 2–3 mm long. Inorescence a congested, distichous
raceme, 13–15, successively many-owered, 2.73–
3.75 cm long, including the peduncle, held appressed
to the abaxial surface of the leaf by a liform, terete
peduncle, 1.65–2.68 cm long, borne near the apex of
the ramicaul; oral bracts conical, acuminate, mi-
nutely verrucose, 1.45–1.66 mm long; pedicels terete,
1.44–1.87 mm. Ovary terete, costate, 2.03–3.10 mm
long. Flowers with sepals pale green-yellow; petals
dark red in the borders, yellow in the middle; lip red-
brown. Dorsal sepal ovate-lanceolate, slightly con-
vex, acute, 3-veined, 5.85–8.26 × 2.99–4.62 mm con-
nate to the lateral sepals for 0.9 mm. Lateral sepals,
ovate-triangular, oblique, acute, sometimes imbricate
in natural position, 2-veined, 5.17–7.61 × 1.86–2.87
mm, connate for 1.2–1.85 mm long. Petals transver-
sally bilobed, microscopically pubescent, imbricate,
3-veined, 1.45–2.05 × 3.09–4.63 mm; the upper lobe
broadly-oblong, rounded; the lower lobe triangular,
falcate towards the apex, rounded. Lip bilaminate, the
blades with the base obtuse and the apices acute, hir-
sute, embracing the column, clavate, 3.5–2.25 × 0.33–
0.61 mm, supported by broadly cuneate connectives,
the body broad, thick, adnate to the base of the column,
the sinus thick, protuberant with a cleft cavity on the
anterior surface into which the oblong, pubescent and

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FigurE 7. Drawing of Lepanthes dorae J.S.Moreno, Gal.-Tar. & Zuluaga. A. Habit. B. Flower. C. Dissected perianth. D.
Ovary, column and lip, side view. E. Expanded lip. F. Pollinia and anther cap. Drawn by J.S. Moreno from the plant
that served as the holotype.

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FigurE 8. Photographs of Lepanthes dorae J.S.Moreno, Gal.-Tar. & Zuluaga. A. Front view of the ower. B. Habit and plant
in-situ. Photographs by J.S. Moreno.
FigurE 9. Comparison of Lepanthes dorae J.S.Moreno, Gal.-Tar. & Zuluaga with the most similar species from Colombia.
A. Lepanthes dorae. B. Lepanthes porracea Luer & R.Escobar. C. Lepanthes troglodytes Luer & R.Escobar. Photo-
graphs by J.S. Moreno (A, C) and A. Posada (B).

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bilobed appendix ts. Column terete, 1.24–1.99 mm
long, the rostellum protruding, the anther dorsal, and
stigma ventral. Anther cap cordate, cucullate, 0.63–
0.67 mm wide. Pollinia 2, yellow, pyriform, narrowly
obovoid, 0.44–1.07 mm long.
paratypE: Colombia. Valle del Cauca: Municipio de
Dagua, corregimiento El Queremal, vereda El Des-
canso km 55, Avistamiento de Aves Doña Dora, 1400
m, 6 Dec 2016, J.S.Moreno & A.L.Erazo 337 (CAUP).
Eponymy: The name of the new species honors Dora
Alicia Londoño Hoyos “Doña Dora”, a woman who
has developed a spot for bird watching in the km 55, El
Descanso, El Queremal, Valle del Cauca Department,
one of the locations where the new species was found.
Habitat anD Ecolo gy: Lepanthes dorae has been
found growing in two localities in Valle del Cauca. In
the rst locality in San José del Salado, it was found
in a very humid area in a secondary forest, growing
close to the ground near a small creek that ows into
the Quebrada Española, sharing the habitat with L.
aciculifolia Luer, L. pogonochila Zuluaga, Alegria-
Valencia, J.S.Moreno & Gal.-Tar., L. escifera Luer &
R.Escobar, L. agglutinata Luer, and L. posadae Luer
& R.Escobar. In El Queremal, the new species was
found growing in dead branches covered by moss
next to L. lamentosa Luer & Hirtz.
Lepanthes dorae is most similar to Lepanthes pachy-
glossa from Panama (Luer 1985), which is character-
ized by having the petals transversely bilobed with the
upper lobe oblong-rounded and the lower lobe smaller,
broadly-uncinate (vs. the upper lobe broadly-oblong; the
lower lobe triangular, falcate towards the apex, round-
ed), and the lip with the appendix with a minute, exter-
nal appendix (vs. a large bilobed appendix located into a
cleft cavity on the anterior surface). From Colombia two
species are very similar. Lepanthes porracea Luer &
R.Escobar (Fig. 9B) is distinguished by its petals which
are transversely broadly oblong with rounded apices (vs.
the upper lobe broadly-oblong; the lower lobe triangu-
lar, falcate towards the apex), the blades of the lip at,
elliptical with the ends rounded (vs. the blades with the
base obtuse and the apices acute) and with a small and
densely pubescent appendix (vs. large bilobed appendix
located into a cleft cavity on the anterior surface). Lep-
anthes troglodytes Luer & R.Escobar (Fig. 9C) is rec-
ognized by its larger leaves, the lip with the blades at,
acute (vs. clavate, the base obtuse and the apices acute),
and a hinged oblong pubescent appendix (vs. an oblong
bilobed pubescent appendix).
Lepanthes morae Zuluaga, J.S.Moreno, Gal.-Tar., sp.
nov. (Fig. 10, 11, 12A).
TYPE: Colombia. Valle del Cauca: Municipio de Da-
gua, corregimiento El Limonar, Quebrada La Españo-
la, 1700 m, 10 Jan 2022, R. Galindo-T, D. L. Mora &
A. Zuluaga 1558 (Holotype: CUVC-Spirit).
Diagnosis: Lepanthes morae is most similar to Lepan-
thes declivis Luer & R.Escobar, but the new species
could be easily distinguished by its thick, mbriate,
and concave bilaminate lip with the blades narrowly-
oblong, shortly depressed laterally, externally with a
thick callus at the base of the connectives. Each blade
with spathulate, rounded apices overlapped beneath
the apex of the column, with no appendix (vs. bilami-
nate lip, with the blades elliptical, microscopically cili-
ate, the appendix small, oblong and ciliate).
Plant medium in size, epiphytic, caespitose,
8.4–13.3 cm tall; roots, slender, exuous, liform,
up to 0.46 mm in diameter. Ramicauls erect 4.3–7.4
cm long, enclosed by 6–14 acuminate, furrowed
lepanthiform sheaths, with a dilated, oblique ostia.
Leaves erect, coriaceous, elliptical-lanceolate, attenu-
ate, 3.84–5.79 × 0.90–1.14 cm, the apex emarginate
with an abaxial apiculum in the middle, the obtuse
base cuneate contracted into a petiole of 1.54–2.26
mm long. Inorescence a dense, congested, disti-
chous, long-pedicellate raceme, successively many-
owered, 30–56, 2/3 the length of the leaf, 1.7–3.4
cm long including the peduncle, held appressed to
the abaxial surface of the leaf by a liform, terete
peduncle, 1.0–2.1 cm long, borne near the apex of
the ramicaul; oral bracts conical, acuminate, muri-
cate, 0.81–1.25 mm long; pedicels terete, 1.52–1.88
mm. Ovary conical, costate, curved up 2.03–3.10 mm
long. Flowers with sepals translucent green-yellow;
bright yellow, with the center orange-yellow and bor-
der or the upper lobe red,; lip yellow-orange; column
purple. Dorsal sepal broadly-ovate, convex, acute,
3-veined, 1.63–2.47 × 1.40–2.25 mm connate to the
lateral sepals for 0.34 mm. Lateral sepals, ovate,
oblique, acute, 2-veined, 1.59–2.23 × 0.85–1.30 mm,

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97
Moreno et al. — Four new Lepanthes from Colombia
FigurE 10. Drawing of Lepanthes morae Zuluaga, J.S.Moreno & Gal.-Tar. A. Habit. B. Flower. C. Dissected perianth. D.
Ovary, column and lip, side view. E. Expanded lip. Drawn by J.S. Moreno from the plant that served as the holotype.

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FigurE 11. Photographs of Lepanthes morae Zuluaga, J.S.Moreno & Gal.-Tar. A. Flowers with the inorescence. B. Side
view of the ower. C. Habit and plant showing three congested racemes of the inorescence. Photographs by R.G.
Tarazona.

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Moreno et al. — Four new Lepanthes from Colombia
connate for 0.80 mm long. Petals transversally bi-
lobed, microscopically pubescent, imbricate, 1.08–
1.12 × 2.78–2.88 mm; the upper lobe broadly-elliptic,
rounded, twice as wide as the lower lobe; the lower
lobe triangular, obtuse, oblique. Lip bilaminate, thick,
concave, the blades narrowly-oblong with the bases
rounded, mbriate, embracing the column, the apices
spathulate and rounded, overlapped beneath the apex
of the column in natural position, 1.11 × 0.36 mm,
supported by broadly cuneate connectives, shortly
depressed laterally in the outer side, externally with
a thick callus at the base of the connectives, the body
broad, very thick, adnate to the base of the column
with no appendix. Column terete, with an expanded
apex, 1.30–1.48 mm long, the anther dorsal, and stig-
ma ventral. Anther cap not seen. Pollinia not seen.
Eponymy: The name of the new species hon-
ors Danny Leandro Mora, who has been explor-
ing the ora and fauna of the forests around
his hometown San José del Salado, for several
years, leading us to discover several new species.
Habitat anD Ecology: Lepanthes morae shares habitat
with L. davidii, as they grow at the same locality.
FigurE 12. Comparison of Lepanthes morae Zuluaga, J.S.Moreno & Gal.-Tar. with the most similar species. A. Lepanthes
morae. B. Lepanthes declivis Luer & R.Escobar. Photographs by R.G. Tarazona (A) and J.S. Moreno (B).

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Lepanthes morae vegetatively is similar to other
species from Colombia with very congested racemes
that are born on the abaxial surface of an elliptical and
acuminate leaf, such as L. cogolloi Luer & R.Escobar, L.
declivis, L. perdita Luer & Hirtz, and L. setifera Luer &
R.Escobar. However, the most similar species is proba-
bly L. declivis (Fig. 12B), a species that can be identied
by its ovate and slightly convex leaves (vs. elliptical-
lanceolate), and long pedicels and ovaries, 2.0–2.5 and
4 mm long, respectively (vs. pedicel 1.52–1.88 mm and
ovary 2.03–3.10 mm long). Finally, the most distinctive
feature of L. morae is the lip with the bases of the ellip-
tical blades, abruptly reexed with the apices narrowed
and recurved beneath the column and the connectives
narrow with an oblong and ciliate appendix (vs. blades
of the lip narrowly-oblong with the apices spathulate
and rounded, overlapping beneath the apex of the col-
umn, thick and concave; the broad connectives cuneate,
shortly depressed laterally with a thick callus at the base
of each connective in the outer side with no appendix).
The most striking features that separates Lepanthes
morae from other similar species is the presence of a
small callus at the base of the outer face of the connec-
tives, and the spathulate and rounded apices of the lip
blades that overlap beneath the apex of the column,
and the absence of an appendix.
consErvation status: Lepanthes cardenasii, L. davidii,
L. dorae, and L. morae are known only from one or
two localities in the same mountain range. Therefore,
the IUCN classication is data decient (DD) because
adequate population and distribution information to
make an assessment is not available.
acknowlEDgmEnts. We would like to thank Humberto Do-
minguez Escobar from El Carare Natural Reserve for all-
owing us to explore his property in San José del Salado (Da-
gua) and Argemiro Vargas Rodriguez for providing access
to his territory in El Limonar (Dagua, Valle del Cauca). To
Fundación Grupo Conserva for its logistical support. Further-
more, the authors are very grateful to Danny Leandro Mora
for his support during the eld trips to the areas of San José
del Salado where the new species were found, and to “Doña
Dora” in km 55 of El Queremal for her kind hospitality in
her Eco Lodge “Avistamiento de Aves Doña Dora” close to
where Lepanthes dorae was found. Finally, we are very gra-
teful to Peter Peeters and Andres Posada for letting us use
the pictures of Lepanthes brunnescens and L. porraceae, re-
spectively, for comparisons. Finally, to Esteban Dominguez,
who allowed us to use the photo of Lepanthes praemorsa to
make the comparison with L. cardenasii. Collections of the
new species were done under permit 1070 of August 28th
of 2015, modied by permit 01004 of 07 June 7th of 2019.
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