Corresponding author: Yun-Hong Tan (
Academic editor: V. Droissart
Yang B, Zhou S-S, Liu Q, Maung KW, Li R, Quan R-C, Tan Y-H (2017)
The genus
Historically, the study of
During recent China–Myanmar joint field expeditions to survey plant diversity in north Myanmar in May 2016 and 2017, specimens of
Measurements and morphological character assessments of the putative new
MYANMAR. Kachin State: Putao, Hponkan Razi Wildlife Sanctuary, 96°58'56.45"E, 27°36'32.42"N, alt. 2450 m, 11 May 2017,
Epiphytic or lithophytic herb, 11–15 cm tall. Rhizome stout, 3–4 mm in diameter, covered by brown, scaly sheaths. Pseudobulbs clustered, developing serially, less than 1 cm apart from each other, ovoid or oblong-ovoid, strongly wrinkled when dried, 3–3.5 × 1.1–1.7 cm, covered with brown sheaths at the base, sheaths narrow triangular ovate, 1.5–4.5 × 0.7–1.5 cm long; bifoliate at apex. Leaf blade obovate-oblong or narrowly ovate, coriaceous, 8–11.2 × 1.8–2.6 cm, with 6–7 veins, acute; petiole grooved, 0.4–0.8 cm long. Inflorescence proteranthous to synanthous, peduncle arching, 5–6 cm long, embraced by sheaths below middle, rachis 1.5–2 cm long; raceme 2- to 3-flowered (simultaneously opening); floral bracts oblong-lanceolate, 1.9–2.1 × 0.4–0.5 cm, acute, caducous. Flowers fleshy, white, lip adaxially on mid-lobe with two bright yellow patches surrounded by shiny brownish red and connected to front part of each of the side lobes, keels consisting of two parallel crests with white fimbriate prominence. Pedicel and ovary ca. 1.8–2.5 cm long, glabrous. Dorsal sepal lanceolate, 4.0–6.0 × 1.0–1.3 cm, with 7–9 veins, acute or shortly acuminate; lateral sepals similar to dorsal sepal, somewhat narrower than dorsal sepal, 5.0–5.5 × 0.9–1.5 cm, with 5-7 veins, acute or shortly acuminate; petals lanceolate, 4.0–5.3 × 0.6–1.0 cm, acute or shortly acuminate; lip narrowly ovate when flattened, 3.8–4.9 × 1.7–2.2 cm, 3-lobed; lateral lobes erect, sub-orbicular, 2.0–2.5 × 0.7–1.0 cm, fimbriate or erose-lacerate on margin, adaxially with reddish brown longitudinal stripe; median lobe ovate-triangular or triangular-lanceolate, 1.8–2.5 × 1.0–1.2 cm, acute to apiculate, margin fimbriate or erose-lacerate; two low lateral keels, extending from lip base to base of median lobe, margin fimbriate or erose-lacerate; column arcuate, 2.0–2.5 × 0.4–0.6 cm long, yellow at front below apex, both sides winged, wings gradually broadening from the middle to the apex, apex margin white, irregularly toothed; anther cap elliptic triangular, adaxially light pale yellow-green, abaxially white, margin membranous at base, apex obtuse; pollinia two; rostellum ligulate-triangular.
Flowering from April to May and fruiting from June to July.
The species epithet refers to its large attractive flowers.
The type locality of this new species is within the Hponkanrazi Wildlife Sanctuary, which is an officially protected area under the management of the Myanmar Forest Department. During field investigations in 2016 and 2017, three populations were found in the reserve area, each of which consisted of ca. 100 individuals. As found, inhabitants are well protected and almost undamaged and flowering individuals are not vulnerable to human interference or picking. Based on current information and according to IUCN Red List category (
Myanmar. Kachin State: Putao, Hponkanrazi Wildlife Sanctuary, 97°53'10.48"E, 27°41'17.60"N, alt. 2400 m, 4 May 2016,
1 | Inflorescence hysteranthous |
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– | Inflorescence proteranthous or synanthous |
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2 | Lowermost bract of rachis with flower |
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– | Lowermost bract of rachis sterile |
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3 | Pseudobulb obovoid, born distantly, 1.3–5.0 cm apart |
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– | Pseudobulb ellipsoid, born clustered, less than 1.3 cm apart |
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4 | Keels on lip plate-like shaped |
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– | Keels on lip clavate or rod-shaped |
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5 | Keels starting 0.3 cm away from the base of the hypochile |
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– | Keels starting right from the base of the hypochile |
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6 | Lateral lobes of lip length 3–3.2 cm when flattened |
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– | Lateral lobes of lip length 1–2.5 cm when flattened |
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7 | Margin of lateral lobes of lip crenulate or crispate |
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– | Margin of lateral lobes of lip erose or denticulate |
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8 | Flowers almost solid yellowish brown, lip with a large, bright yellow patch |
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– | Flowers creamy-yellow, lip with four dark red patches |
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9 | Lateral keels of lip clavate and with erose lacerate or crenulate margins |
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– | Lateral keels of lip rod-shaped and with entire margins |
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10 | Sepals and petals more than 4.0 cm long |
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– | Sepals and petals less than 3.5 cm long |
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11 | Flowers 4–8, mid-lobe acute at apex |
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– | Flowers 2–3, mid-lobe cuspidate at apex |
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12 | Yellow eyelike blotches surrounded by reddish orange on lip |
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– | Dark brown eyelike blotches surrounded by brownish-yellow on lip |
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According to monographic works (
Morphological comparison of
Characters |
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Pseudobulbs | ovoid or oblong-ovoid, 2–2.5 × 1–1.3 cm | oblong-ellipsoid to ovoid, 2–6 × 1.1–2.5 cm | ovoid, 2–2.5 × 1.3–1.8 cm |
Leaf blade | obovate-oblong or narrowly ovate, 4–6 × 0.8–1.4 cm, 5–7 veined | oblong-oblanceolate to obovate-oblong, 4.5–15 × 1–3 cm | elliptic or obovate, 9.8–13.5 × 2.2–2.3 cm |
Pedicel and ovary | 1.3–1.6 cm | 2.5–3.1 cm | 2.9–3.2 cm |
Flowers | white | white | creamy-yellow |
Dorsal sepal | lanceolate, 4.0–6.0 × 1.0–1.3 cm | elliptic to narrowly ovate, 2.6–3.5 × 0.8–1.3 cm | elliptic to narrowly ovate, 3–3.5 × 1.3–1.7 cm |
Lateral sepals | lanceolate, 5.0–5.5 × 0.9–1.5 cm | oblong-elliptic or narrowly ovate, 2.6–3.7 × 0.7–2.1 cm | oblong-elliptic or narrowly ovate, 3.2–3.5 × 0.8–1.2 cm |
Petals | lanceolate, 4.0–5.3 × 0.6–1.0 cm | narrowly elliptic or narrowly obovate, 2.4–3.2 × 0.6–1.2 cm | elliptic-oblong, 2.8–3.5 × 0.6–0.8 cm |
Lip | narrowly ovate, 3.8–4.9 × 1.7–2.2 cm | ovate or elliptic, 2.1–3.3 × 1.4–2.1 cm | ovate, 2.8–3.9 × 2.1–2.6 cm |
Patches or blotches | two bright yellow patches surrounded by shiny brownish red | four yellow blotches surrounded by reddish orange | four dark red patches |
Keels | 2 fimbriate or erose lacerate | 2–3 wavy, entire or crenulate | 3 crenulate to wavy and slightly papillose |
The authors are grateful to Xiaohua Jin and another two anonymous reviewers and editors for their positive and constructive comments and suggestions for this manuscript. We are also grateful to the Forest Research Institute of Myanmar for permission to conduct this study in northern Myanmar and for their support and collaboration. We are grateful to Myint Zaw and Myint Kyaw for their exhaustive help in the field work. We thank Yunxi Zhu for the illustration and Xiangle Zeng for providing us a photo. This work was financially supported by a project of the Southeast Asia Biodiversity Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No.Y4ZK111B01).