VANILLA HIRSUTA (ORCHIDACEAE), A NEW SPECIES FROM PAPUA NEW GUINEA Mark A. Clements & David L. Jones Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian National Herbarium, G.RO. Box 1600, Canberra, A.C.T., AUSTRALIA, 2601 ABSTRACT: Vanilla hirsuta (Orchidaceae), from Papua New Guinea, is described as new. A key to the species is provided. Three species of Vanilla Jackson are known KEY TO PAPUA NEW GUINEA SPECIES OF from New Guinea, all being described by VANILLA Schlechter (1911) from collections he made 1. Leaves sessile, tepals narrow, not imbri- in what was then known as German New cate at the base, labellum distinctly trilobed, Guinea. A new species, collected by one of hirsute V hirsuta us (MAC) on the Schlechter-Lauterbach Commemorative Expedition, 1989-90 la. Leaves petiolate, tepals broad, imbricate (Clements and Ziesing 1990) is described at the base, labellum entire or obscurely here. trilobed, glabrous 2 2. Leaves to 35 cm long, racemes to 30 cm MATERIALS AND METHODS V. wariensis Schltr. The description of the new species was 2a. Leaves less than 30 cm long, racemes to made from a range of sources including fresh 10 cm long 3 living plants, spirit preserved specimens stored in BANG mix (65 % ethanol, 5 % 3. Leaves to 11 cm wide, racemes to 10 cm long, labellum margins irregularly erose glycerol 30% water), floral dissection cards V.k empteriana Schltr. and 35 mm colour transparencies of flow- ers and plants. Specimens were examined 3a. Leaves to 7 cm wide, racemes to 5 cm from the following herbaria: BM, BRI, CANB, long, labellum margins undulate CBG, K and MEL. Herbarium abbreviations V kaniensis Schltr. follow Holmgren et al. (1990). Unless oth- erwise indicated, all types (or photographs thereof) and collections cited have been seen. Vol: 1 Iss: 1 TAXONOMY vergent; apex subacute. Petals oblong-ellip- tical, 5-5.6 cm x 8-10 mm, porrect to Vanilla hirsuta M.A. Clem. et D.L. Jones, spreading; apex subobtuse. Labellum spec. nov. porrect, 4.5-5 cm x 20-24 mm when flat- tened, tubular, the dorsal margins enclosing affinis V. kaniensis Schltr. sed tepalibus the column, the anterior margins flared; angustis, late effusis, ad basin vix imbricatis; basal 1.5 cm adnate to the anterior surface labello distincte trilobato, lobis lateralibus of the column forming a tube, the internal et medio erosis, pagina proximali dense surface densely hirsute, these hairs extend- hirsuta, callo tumore medio papillato, striis ing onto the proximal surface of the lamina; pluribus ad apicem extensis, et columnae lamina roughly obovate when flattened, dis- pagina antica hirsuta, differt. tinctly three-lobed, the anterior surface with numerous narrow, sinuate, shallow, longi- tudinal ridges; lateral lobes c. 23 mm x 7 TYPE: cultivated at Australian National mm, the anterior margins rounded and Botanic Gardens, Australian Capital Territory, shortly erose; mid-lobe oblong-ovate, c. 10 Canberra, 6 Jul. 1995, M.A. Clements mm x 8 mm, the margins shortly to deeply (Holotype CANB; Isotype NCBG). PROY- erose. Callus prominently veined, thin, ENANCE: plant originally collected near smooth, with a median papillate swelling, c. Garassa, Morobe Province, Papua New 4 mm x 4 mm, consisting of imbricate, Guinea, 400 m, 11 Apr. 1990, M.A. Clements cuneate lamellae with an erose dorsal mar- 6742, P. Ziesing, D. Benzing, E. Dauncey, A. Kairo and gin, several obscure dark lines extending to O. Simeon. the apex. Column porrect from the end of the ovary, narrowly linear, semiterete, 3-3.3 Plant climbing. Stems about 1 cm across cm xc. 3 mm, hirsute medially on anterior with internodes up to 12 cm long, produc- surface, incurved slightly and gibbous near ing a leaf and an adventitious root at each the apex; staminode extending prominently node. Leaves sessile, lanceolate, 10-20 cm x above the anther and laterally winged. An- 2.5-3.5 cm, thick, fleshy, dark green; apex ther c. obovoid, c. 1.6 mm x 2.2 mm. attenuate, often recurved. Racemes axillary, Pollinia ovoid, 0.8 mm across, light yellow, to 5 cm long, green, fleshy, 5 to c. 12-flow- mealy. Stigma c. 1.8 mm across. Rostel- ered. Floral bracts ovate-lanceolate, 10-20 lum ovate quadrate, c. 2 mmx 2 mm. Cap- mm x 7-9 mm, acuminate to spreading. sule not seen. Fig. 9 & Plate 10B. Pedicels and ovary, 3-4 cm long. Flowers c. FLOWERING PERIOD: June and July in cul- 7 cm across, opening widely; tepals fleshy, tivation. pale green; labellum greenish-white, yellow- DISTRIBUTION: Papua New Guinea where ish towards the centre. Dorsal sepal nar- known with certainty only from the type rowly elliptical-lanceolate, tapered to a nar- locality. row linear-oblong base, 6-7 cm x 1.1-1.3 cm, obliquely erect; apex subacute. Lateral HABITAT: Climbing on trees in rainforest sepals narrowly elliptical-lanceolate, tapered in small lateral gullies. Altitude: c. 400 m. to a narrow linear-oblong base, 6-7 cm x 1.1-1.3 cm, obliquely deflexed, widely di- Vol: 1 Iss: 1 RECOGNITION: Vanilla hirsuta is characterised LITERATURE CITED by the following combination of features; Clements, M.A. and PD. Ziesing (1990). Report on the Re- lanceolate leaves with an attenuate apex; sults of the Schlechter-Lauterbach Commemorative Expedition1, narrow, widely spreading tepals which 1989-1990: Studies in the Phylogeny of the Australasian Orchidaceae. Occasional publication 11, Australian National Botanic hardly overlap at the base; distinctly trilobed Gardens, Canberra. labellum with erose margins on the lateral Holmgren, PK., Holmgren, N.H. and L.C. Barnett lobes and mid-lobe; proximal surface of the (1990). Index Herbariorum, Part I:The Herbaria of theWorld (Eigth labellum densely hirsute; labellum callus edit.). New York Botanic Gardens, New York with a median, papillate swelling, several Schlechter, R. (1911-14). Die Orchidaceen von Deutch- obscure dark lines extending to the apex; Neu-Guinea. Repert. Spec. Nov. RegniVeg., Beih. 1: 1-1079. and, column with hirsute anterior surface. AFFINITIES: The three species described by Schlechter (1911) all differ markedly from the new species by having broad segments, imbricate at the base, a broadly obovate- cuneate, obscurely lobed, glabrous labellum and a glabrous column. CONSERVATION STATUS: Not known. ETYMOLOGY: Derived from the Latin, hirsutus, hairy, in reference to the hairy proxi- mal surface of the labellum and column. Plate 10A. Vanilla planifolia, cultivated at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, England. c ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The authors wish to express their sincere thanks for the support the Christenson Re- search Institute, the Australian Orchid Foun- dation, Matthew Jebb, Simeon Obedi, Alberto Kairo and the elders of the Korepo village, Morobe Province, for their generous help and assistance during our short visit to the area; Marion Garratt, Maggie Nightingale is and Karina Fitzgerald for technical assistance, Robin Hill for preparing the illustration and Plate 10B. Vanilla hirsuta. Alex George for the Latin translation. Vol: 1 Iss: 1 ROBIN HILL Figure 9, Vanilla hirsuta, Morobe Province, near Garassa, Papua New Guinea, Clements 6631: a. plant: b. flower from front: c. flower from side: d. labellum flattened: e. column from side: f. column from front: g. dorsal sepal: h. lateral sepal: i. petal: j. anther: k. pollinia. Plate 10B. Vanilla hirsuta, Clements 6631 Vol: 1 Iss: 1