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Phytotaxa 559 (1): 055–063
https://www.mapress.com/pt/
Copyright © 2022 Magnolia Press Article PHYTOTAXA
ISSN 1179-3155 (print edition)
ISSN 1179-3163 (online edition)
Accepted by Edlley M. Pessoa: 12 Jul. 2022; published: 19 Aug. 2022
https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.559.1.6
55
Lepanthes florenciana (Orchidaceae: Pleurothallidinae), a new species from the
Eastern Andes of Colombia
JUAN SEBASTIÁN MORENO1,2,8*, DAVID HOYOS3,4,9, MILTON RINCÓN5,6,10, MARIO SIERRA-ARIZA2,5,11,
MARIA FERNANDA VALENCIA ESCALANTE2,12 & NICOLÁS GUTIÉRREZ MORALES2,7,13
1 Departamento de Biología, Universidad del Valle, Calle 13 # 100-00, Cali, Colombia.
2 Grupo de Investigación Schultes, Fundación Ecotonos, Valle del Cauca, Cali, Colombia.
3 Grupo de Investigación en Recursos Naturales Amazónicos – GRAM, Facultad de Ingenierías y Ciencias Básicas, Instituto
Tecnológico del Putumayo – ITP, Mocoa, Putumayo, Colombia.
4 Herbario Etnobotánico del Piedemonte Andino Amazónico HEAA, Instituto Tecnológico del Putumayo – ITP Cra 17 14-85
(Corpoamazonia), Mocoa, Putumayo, Colombia.
5 Grupo de investigación en Biodiversidad y Dinámica de Ecosistemas Tropicales (GIBDET), Universidad del Tolima, 730006299,
Ibagué, Colombia.
6 Grupo de investigación y conservación de la flora de la Región Capital como estrategia de adaptación al cambio climático, Jardín
Botánico José Celestino Mutis,111071, Bogotá, Cundinamarca, Colombia.
7 Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Biologia Vegetal), Instituto de Biociências de- Rio Claro, Departamento de
Botânica, Universidade Estadual Paulista - UNESP, Av. 24 A 1515, Bela Vista, 13506-900, Caixa Postal 199, Rio Claro, São Paulo,
Brazil
8
juan.moreno.silva@correounivalle.edu.co; https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4325-1232
9
david_076-@hotmail.com; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2339-9478
10
miltonrincon.g@gmail.com; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9696-5725
11
mrsierraariza80@gmail.com; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5148-0871
12
mfvalenciae@ut.edu.co; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0428-8625
13
nicolas.gutierrez-morales@unesp.br; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6592-9326
*Author for correspondence
Abstract
A new species of Lepanthes from the Eastern Andes of Colombia is described and illustrated. Lepanthes florenciana is most
similar to Lepanthes niphas, but it can be distinguished by the petals transversely trilobed with the upper and lower lobe
dolabriform (vs. transversely bilobed with the lobes narrowly triangular), a lunate lip blades (vs. semi-orbicular) and an
oblong pubescent appendix (vs. a minute apiculum in the sinus).
Keywords: Andean-Amazon foothills, Caquetá, Eastern slope, Florencia, Systematics, Taxonomy
Introduction
Lepanthes Swartz (1799: 85) is one of the genera most diverse of vascular plants in the Americas (Ulloa-Ulloa 2017).
With almost 1160 species (Vieira-Uribe & Moreno 2022), it is also the second richest among the Pleurothallidinae
Lindley ex G.Don in Sweet (1839: 636) subtribe (Karremans & Vieira-Uribe 2020). It is distributed from southern
Mexico and the Antilles to Bolivia, with the largest number of species recorded in the Andes of Colombia and Ecuador,
and a few species in the Amazon (Luer & Thoerle 2012). This genus like any other of Pleurothallidinae, they are plants
without pseudobulbs, with single leafed stems called ramicauls, with terminal, fasciculate and distichous inflorescence,
pedicel and gynoecium visibly separated (Vásquez & Ibisch 2000). It is distinguished for their caespitose habit and
ramicauls with lepanthiform sheaths (Pridgeon et al. 2001). But all Lepanthes shares bilobed lip with a basal appendix,
the transversely bilobed petals, elongate column with apical anther and viscidium (Bogarín et al. 2019).
The mountains and steep hills of the municipality of Florencia, in the department of Caquetá, are part of the eastern
slope of the eastern Colombian Andes (Figure 1), one of the northernmost sectors of a biogeographic area called the
Napo province, that includes the Andean-Amazon foothills that comes from Ecuador and northern Peru (Morrone
2014). Taxa of Amazonian origin and those of Andean origin constitute the most representative groups of the flora of
MORENO ET AL.
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northern South America, which is twice as diverse as that of the tropical regions of Asia and Africa (Van der Hammen
2000). However, considering the well-preserved forests that dominate the steep hills of this particular Andean-Amazon
transition area, floristic studies are considerable reduced when compared to other Amazon and Andean regions (Trujillo
et al. 2015).
As evidence of it, Alvarez et al. (2019) in an Andean-Amazon foothill forest found a considerable number of
species that represented endemism, chorological and taxonomic novelties (e.g. Barboza et al. 2020, Hágsater & Duarte
2021, Trujillo & Jaramillo 2021). Paradoxically, this region is part of the largest Nucleus of High Deforestation NAD
in the country (González et al. 2018), consequence of anthropic activities such as logging, cattle ranching, legal and
illegal crops (Meza-Elizalde & Armenteras 2021). Taxonomic novelties in highly diverse and threatened ecosystems
could indicate the possible loss of taxa unknown to science. This new discovery was found during a short field trip
in the framework of the 10th Colombian Botanical Congress in August of 2019 and corresponds to a new species of
Lepanthes recorded in a small forest relict. We present its description, illustration, discussion and comparison with its
closest relatives.
FIGURE 1. Mountains of Florencia, view of the Eastern Slope of Colombian Andes, a landscape sample of the entrance to the department
and the city.
Taxonomy
Lepanthes florenciana J.S.Moreno & D.Hoyos, sp. nov. (Figures 2, 3, 6, 7A)
Typ e :—COLOMBIA. Caquetá: Municipio de Florencia, vía Florencia – Neiva, entre el puente Mirador y Viaducto Losada, 1698 m, 13
January 2022, D. Hoyos, O. López & A. Fonseca 945 (holotype: COAH!, isotype: HUAZ!).
Lepanthes florenciana is similar to Lepanthes niphas Luer & Escobar (1991: 68), but easily distinguished by the presence of petals
transversely trilobed with the lobes dolabriform (vs. transversely bilobed with the lobes narrowly triangular); lunate lip blades (vs.
semi-orbicular) and an oblong pubescent appendix (vs. with a minute apiculum in the sinus).
Description:—Plant small in size, epiphytic, caespitose, 3.7–5.25 cm tall; roots, slender, flexuous, filiform, up to
0,6 mm in diameter. Ramicauls, slender, erect 1.7–3.4 cm long, enclosed by 6–8 acuminate, ribbed and short-ciliate
lepanthiform sheaths, with a dilated and ciliate ostia. Leaves occasionally suffused with purple on the abaxial surface,
erect, broadly elliptic 1.25–1.82 × 0.82–1.03 cm, the apex contracted into an abaxial small apiculum in the middle, the
base cuneate, contracted into a petiole of 0.97–1.39 mm long. Inflorescence 1–2 per ramicaul, a congested raceme, borne
near the apex of the ramicaul at the abaxial surface of the leaf, almost as long as the leaf, 0.82–1.45 cm long including
the filiform, terete peduncle, 3.34–4.59 cm long, carrying 9–25, successively, distichous flowers; floral bracts conical,
acuminate, 1.02–1.43 mm long; pedicels terete, more or less arcuate, 1.13–1.90 mm. Ovary terete, costate, 1.37–3.02
mm long. Flowers have two color variation within the same population, light green and yellow, the type species with
homogeneous light green, sepals translucent white or primrose to strong translucent pale yellow; petals and lip white
to whitish green or yellow to lemon, bright yellow with a hint of green. Dorsal sepal ovate-lanceolate, slightly convex,
acute, 3-veined, 3.70–5.51 × 1.70–2.21 mm, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.67–0.97 mm. Lateral sepals, ovate-
lanceolate, oblique, acute, 2-veined, 3.68–5.72 × 1.57–1.91 mm, connate for 0.99–1.21 mm long. Petals transversally
trilobed, microscopically pubescent, convex, 1-veined, 0.64–0.81 × 2.11–2.46 mm; the upper and lower dolabriform;
the midlobe triangular. Lip, bilaminate, the blades lunate, embracing the column the base rounded, the apex sub-acute,
repand, 0.98–1.63 × 0.37–0.55 mm, supported by cuneate connectives, the body broad, adnate between the outer and
A NEW SPECIES OF LEPANTHES FLORENCIANA Phytotaxa 559 (1) © 2022 Magnolia Press • 57
middle thirds to the column, the sinus rounded, with an oblong, pubescent appendix. Column terete, 0.83–1.89 mm
long, the anther dorsal and stigma ventral. Anther cap cordate, cucullate, 0.25 mm wide. Pollinia 2, yellow, pyriform,
obovoid, 0,32 mm long. Fruits not seen.
FIGURE 2. Drawing of Lepanthes florenciana J.S.Moreno & D.Hoyos. A. Habit. B. Flower. C. Dissected perianth. D. Ovary, column
and lip, side view. E. Lip, dorsal view (extended) and lip embracing the column. F. Anther cap and pollinia. Drawn by J.S. Moreno from
the plant that served as the holotype.
MORENO ET AL.
58 • Phytotaxa 559 (1) © 2022 Magnolia Press
FIGURE 3. Photographs of Lepanthes florenciana J.S.Moreno & D.Hoyos. A. 3/4 side of flower. B. Habit and plant in-situ. C. Side view
of the flower. Photographs by J.S. Moreno (A), D. Hoyos (B) from D.Hoyos et al. 945 (COAH), and E. Dominguez (C) from N.Gutierrez
et al. 151 (TOLI).
Distribution and Ecology:—Lepanthes florenciana growths at mid elevation in the Eastern slope of the Andes
mountains (Figure 4). Despite the height of the locality in which this species is found, it may have affinities with the
Amazon. It can be explained because the environmental changes have facilitated dispersal of the Amazon towards
the Andes, process known as barrier displacement (Musher et al. 2019). The highest amounts of precipitations are
recorded in the Eastern or Amazon slope (Ruiz-Hernández et al. 2021). Thus, in the Northern Andes, the outer sides of
the Eastern and Western Cordilleras, floristic diversity decreases from the base upwards as a function of precipitation
A NEW SPECIES OF LEPANTHES FLORENCIANA Phytotaxa 559 (1) © 2022 Magnolia Press • 59
and temperature, for this reason, mentioned slopes are more diverse than the slopes towards the relatively dry inter-
Andean valleys (Van der Hammen 2000). The new species was found in a very wet premontane forest, in a remnant
of secondary forest by the side of the road. This discovery occurred during the X Colombian Congress of Botany
(Trujillo-Trujillo et al. 2020), when a team of botanical researchers carried out an approach to the flora of the area
(Figure 5).
FIGURE 4. Distribution map of Lepanthes florenciana J.S.Moreno & D.Hoyos, located in Florencia, Caquetá, Colombia. Map made by
D. Hoyos
MORENO ET AL.
60 • Phytotaxa 559 (1) © 2022 Magnolia Press
FIGURE 5. Habitat of Lepanthes florenciana J.S.Moreno & D.Hoyos. A. Secondary premontane forest. B. Evidence of the forest relict
from the road. C. The team that carried out the expedition to the mountains of Florencia to record a sample of plant diversity of the area.
Photographs by D.Hoyos (A,B) and E. Dominguez.
FIGURE 6. Color variation within the same population of Lepanthes florenciana J.S.Moreno & D.Hoyos. A. White variation (dominant).
B. Yellow variation. Photographs by M.Rincon (A) and E. Dominguez (B).
A NEW SPECIES OF LEPANTHES FLORENCIANA Phytotaxa 559 (1) © 2022 Magnolia Press • 61
FIGURE 7. Comparison with the most similar species. A. Lepanthes florenciana J.S.Moreno & D.Hoyos from N. Gutierrez et al. 151
(TOLI). B. Lepanthes niphas Luer & R. Escobar (Photographed from the type locality). Photographs by J.S. Moreno
In the same population two color variation of white and yellow were recorded (Figure 6), with a dominance of
the white-flowered individuals within the population. This unique population was recorded at the base of a trunk of
Cupania scrobiculata Richard (1792: 109) (Sapindaceae), growing less than one meter above the ground. The new
species was found growing next to Lepanthes agglutinata Luer (1983: 327), Marcgravia sp. Linnaeus (1753: 503)
(Marcgraviaceae), Philodendron sp. Schott (1829: 780) (Araceae) and Serpocaulon fraxinifolium (Jacquin 1789: 187)
A.R. Sm. in Smith et al. (2006: 928). (Polypodiaceae). No additional populations of Lepanthes florenciana were found
in posterior expeditions to this area.
Flowers have been found in January, June and August, but probably flowering all year long based on the observation
of the long lasting successive inflorescences.
MORENO ET AL.
62 • Phytotaxa 559 (1) © 2022 Magnolia Press
Etymology:—Lepanthes florenciana is named after the Municipality of Florencia located in the department of
Caquetá, where the new species was found.
Additional material examined (paratypes):—COLOMBIA. Caquetá: Municipio de Florencia, borde de
carretera que conduce al Huila, 1698 m, N. Gutierrez, H. Mendoza, F. Limón, J. S. Moreno, S. Guzmán, E. Domínguez,
C. Betancourt, M. Rincón, M.F. Valencia & M. Sierra 151 (TOLI!); Vía Florencia – Neiva, entre el puente Mirador y
Viaducto Losada, 1698 m, 13 June 2020, D. Hoyos & M. Cuellar 326 (CUVC!).
Taxonomic Discussion:—Lepanthes florenciana may be part of an informal group of species proposed by Moreno
et al. (2017), with large and protruding column and sepals ovate-lanceolate to triangular. The most similar species to
Lepanthes florenciana is the Colombian endemic Lepanthes niphas (Figure 7B), subsection Breves (Luer 1993: 442)
Luer (1996: 7), found in Antioquia and Risaralda departments (Luer & Thoerle 2012). Both species share similar small
white crystalline flowers, but Lepanthes florenciana can be recognized by its leaves broadly elliptic (vs. narrowly
ovate); the inflorescence as long as the leaf (vs. longer than the leaf); the lateral sepals 2-veined (vs. 1-veined); the
petals transversely trilobed (vs. transversely bilobed) with the upper and lower lobe dolabriform (vs. the upper and
lower lobe narrowly triangular) and a bilaminate lip with the blades lunate, the base rounded, the apex sub-acute with
an oblong, pubescent appendix (vs. the blades semi-orbicular with a minute apiculum in the sinus).
Acknowledgements
We appreciate for their filed support to Humberto Mendoza, Francisco Limón, Sergio Guzman, Cristobal Betancourt,
Camilo Alvarez, Daniela Castaño, Mauricio Cuellar, Andrés Fonseca-Cortés and Oscar López. We also thank to
Esteban Domínguez Vargas for his support in field, friendly and for providing us photographs of the new species.
JSM is thankful to Melisa Alegría-Valencia from Universidad del Valle who helped with the flower dissection of the
new species. DH thanks to Instituto Tecnológico del Putumayo (ITP) for its funding for the dissemination of new
knowledge products and he highlights the kindness and disposition of Miguel Canchala, Nilsa Andrea Silva, Miller
Obando, Jennisel Melo, Kiara Chaves, Derly Colorado, Jorge Contreras, José Yepes and Ivan Sánchez.
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