Corresponding author: Hong Jiang (
Academic editor: Cai Jie
Wu X-F, Ye D-P, Pan B, Lin X-Q, Jiang H, Liu Q (2019) Validation of
The genus
During our field investigation in the limestone forest of Southeast Yunnan Province, a species of
Morphological observations of the new species were based on living plants (five individuals) and dried herbarium specimens (three specimens kept in the herbaria of HITBC) from two flowering seasons (2015 to 2016). All morphological characters were measured by using the vernier caliper. Both herbarium specimens and fresh material of
CHINA. Yunnan Province: Malipo County, Xia jinchang town, limestone forest, 1550–1650 m a.s.l., epiphytic on tree trunks or on rocks, 15 Mar. 2016, Qiang Liu
Epiphytic herbs, stem pendulous, 10–15 cm long, ca. 1.25 mm in diameter, slender, unbranched with tiny red-purple spots. Leaves alternate, distichous, ovate, 0.9–1.3 × 0.3–0.5 cm, margin significantly serrate; leaf apex acuminate with 2 unequally awns; abaxial leaves with purple spots and sometimes on the adaxial leaves. Inflorescences several, opposite to leaves, subumbellate, 2–3-flowered; peduncle 0.9–1.1 cm, slender, upper part enlarged, lower part with 2 cupular sheaths; floral bracts ovate-lanceolate, 1.0–1.2 mm; pedicel and ovary 0.9–1.1 cm. Flower yellow-green, with reddish brown spots. Dorsal sepal concave, oblong-elliptic, 3.4–3.7 × 2.3–2.6 mm, apex obtuse; lateral sepal concave, oblong-elliptic, 3.6–4.2 × 2.6–3.0 mm, apex obtuse; petals subobovate, 3.5–4.1 × 2.3–2.5 mm, apex obtuse. Lip with an epichile and a saccate hypochile; epichile nearly reniform, 2.8–3.3 × 4.9–5.3 mm, adaxially glabrous, with a thicken central cushion and 2 conic calli near base, margin irregularly denticulate; hypochile subconic, laterally compresses, 5.0–5.7 mm tall, 4.5–5.0 mm in diameter, apex rounded. Column stout, ca. 2.5 mm long; anther cap narrowed into a beak toward apex; rostellum bilobed with acuminated tip, and arising a horn-like awn from the center of each lobe (obvious in the lateral view).
The specific epithet refers to the significantly serrate margin of leaf blades.
At present, the new species is only to be found in Malipo town, Yunnan, China. It was also recorded in Ha Giang province of North Vietnam according to Prof. L.V. Averyanov’s comment.
ju ye pen ju lan (锯叶盆距兰)
CHINA. Yunnan: Malipo County, Xia jinchang town, limestone forest, 1600m a.s.l., 4 Mar. 2016, Qiang Liu
At present,
1 | Thick fleshy leaves and margin significantly serrate, epichile reniform and margin with dentation, and hypochile subconic |
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– | Fleshy leaves and margin without serrate, epichile suborbicular or rhomboid and margin without dentation, and hypochile cupular |
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2 | Epichile with thickened cushion on the center |
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– | Epichile without cushion on the center |
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3 | Subumbellate inflorescence, orbicular cushion on the central epichile |
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– | Corymb inflorescence, diamond cushion on the central epichile |
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4 | Hypochile narrower than epichile |
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– | Hypochile broader than epichile |
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5 | Epichile with two ridges ranging from base to apex |
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– | Epichile membranous with longitudinal ridges centrally |
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6 | Inflorescence 1 or 2-flowered; leaves without awns at apex |
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– | Inflorescence 5 or 6-flowered; leaves with 1–3 short awns at apex |
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7 | Epichile cordiform and without papillate |
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– | Epichile subobucular and with palillate |
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Note: The long and pendulous stem of this new species indicate that it belongs to the sect.
Morphological comparison of
Character |
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Habitat | Limestone forest | Subalpine rhododendron forest | Monsoon evergreen broad leaved forest |
Plant length | 10–15 cm | 10–15 cm | 10–30 cm |
Leaf | Ovate, acuminate with 2 awns, margin serrate | Ovate, acuminate, without awn, margin entire | Lanceolate, acuminate with 2–3 awns, margin entire |
Inflorescence | Subumbellate, peduncle 1.0 cm in length, 2–3 flowers | Corymb, peduncle1.3 cm in length, 4 flowers | Subumbellate, peduncle 2.5–3.0 cm in length, 2–4 flowers |
Epichile | Reniform, with thickly and orbicular central cushion, and margin with dentations | Rhomboid, with diamond-shaped central cushion, and margin entire | Suborbicular, with orbicular central cushion, and margin entire |
Hypochile | Subconic | Cupular | Subcupular |
Flower period | March– April | October–November | January–May |
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant no. 31500164) and Southeast Asia Biodiversity Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. Y4ZK111B01) to Q. Liu and CAS 135 program (Grant No. 2017XTBG-F03). We are grateful to B. Pan for the excellent illustration and thanks to Y. P. Wu, Y.L. Li, T.P. Lin, X.H. Jin, L.V. Averyanov and H.A. Pedersen for access to literature and X. B. Guo for assistance in the field.