Selbyana 27(1): 8-12. 2006. LIGEOPHlIA LONGIBRACTEATA (ORCHIDACEAE), A NEW JEWEL ORCHID OF THE GOODYERINAE SUBTRIBE FROM THE NEOTROPICS TRAVIS SOROKA 2270 Griffin Road, PMB 432, Lakeland, FL 33810, USA. ABSTRACT. A new species, Ligeophila longibracteata, from Ecuador is described and illustrated. It rep resents the twelfth known species of the neotropical genus Ligeophila, first described by Garay in 1977. An updated overview of the genus precedes the species description. Key words: Ecuador, Goodyerinae, Ligeophila longibracteata, Orchidaceae INTRODUCTION ered in cultivation: Florida, July 2004. Soroka 60504 (Holotype: Herbarium The center of diversity of the Goodyerinae Soroka). FIGURES 2, 3. subtribe of orchids lies in Asia, but a significant Herbula terrestris, decumbens, usque ad 24 cm alta; secondary concentration is located in the neo foliis 6-10, lanceolatis, involutis, petiolo inc1uso usque tropics. Prior to 1977, these New World taxa had ad 12 X 3 cm, late univittatis pallide viridibus argen been assigned either to the pan-global, type-ge teis notatis; inflorescentia brevi, subsessili, dense mul nus of the subtribe, Goodyera R.Brown or to a tiflora, circa 6 cm longa, rhachi pubescenti; bracteis broad concept of the genus Erythrodes Blume. conspicuis, contractis ad medium, involutis, usque ad Prior to 1922, the latter had mostly been de 30 X 5 mm, glabris; floribus 8 mm longis, glabris; scribed under the invalid synonym Physurus ovario c1avato, 6 X 1.2 mm, sparse pubescenti; sepalo L.C.Richard. postico lanceolato, 4 mm longo, sepalis lateralibus ob Leslie A. Garay (1977) proposed that more than lanceolatis, 4 mm longis; petalis subfa1catis, 4 mm lon gis, lobo ventrali circulari 1 mm lato; calcare ellipsoid half of the neotropical species then assigned to Er ythrodes be split off from that genus and trans eo, 4 X 1.6 mm; labello, 4 X 3 mm, basin subcuneatis et involutis cum bilamellata ante aperturam ca1caris; ferred to seven new genera, which he described. mesochilio marginem undulato prope utrinque lamel One of these segregate genera is Ligeophila, de lato serpentino; epichilio sessili, semilunato, deflexo, rived from the Greek words 'lyge' (shadow) and 1.2 X 3 mm; columna 2.9 X 1.1 mm, axe brevi, di 'phila' (loving), referring to the shaded habitat of latato distali truncato; rostello ovato, subterstigmato the plants. Garay transferred six species of Ery articulato, membranaceo, stigmate transverse obovato, throdes to Ligeophila and described two new ones 6 X 9 mm; anthera ovata, concava, articulata; polli in his revision. He described two more species in nario concavo, 1.4 X 1 mm, polliniis c1avatis, viscidio deltato et atro. his contribution to the Flora of Ecuador (Garay 1978). Paul Ormerod (2004) described an addi Plant small, terrestrial, decumbent herb to 24 tional species and has indicated that two species cm, leafy part of stem to 18 cm; inflorescence described in 2005 are to be reduced or reassigned. ca. 6 cm. Rhizome prostrate, creeping, rooting The subject of this article thus represents the from nodes; roots fleshy, villose. Stem increas twelfth known species of the genus to date. ingly ascendant, then erect at terminal inflores Given the expansion of species assigned to cence, terete, to 5 mm thick, green. Leaves 6- Ligeophila since its description nearly 3 decades 10, lax; blade lanceolate, moderately involute, ago, the development of a botanical key for the apex acuminate and lightly crispate, margin hy genus would be useful and a worthwhile goal. aline, base attenuate, to 9 X 3 cm, velutinous, Construction of such a key, however, had best medium green with single broad, pale silvery wait description of taxa represented in various green longitudinal stripe along midvein, 6-12 other collections. Included here, in lieu of a Lig mm wide with spargate (scattered) margin. Pet eophila key is an updated overview of the genus iole to 3 cm including sheathing base. Transi (TABLE 1) and an accompanying map depicting tional leaves 2-3, at inflorescence base, lance the distribution of the type species (FIGURE 1). olate, crispate, to 6 X 1 cm. Inflorescence al most sessile, short, pale purple. Peduncle 1 cm TAXONOMIC TREATMENT long, enveloped by vaginate bases of 2-3 bracts. Sheathing bracts unguiculate with central con Ligeophila longibracteata Soroka, sp. nov. striction, involute, apex acute and undulate, to TYPE: Ecuador-Azuay Province, Bella 30 X 5 mm, glabrous; rachis ca. 5 cm, laxly Rica. Montane cloud forest, 1600 m. Flow- pubescent, tightly congested with ca. 30-40 8 SOROKA: NEW NEOTROPICAL UGEOPHlLA 9 TABLE 1. Generic overview of Ligeophila Garay. Species Description Describing no. years(s) Specific name botanist( s) Holotype provenance 1 1840 [1977] Ligeophila rosea (Lindley) Garay Brazil: Minas Gerais 2 1856 [1977] L. clavigera (Rchb.f.) Garay Officially unknown** 3 1873 [1977] L. stigmatoptera * (Rchb.f.) Garay Brazil: Amazonas 4 1895 [1977] L. peteriana (Cogn.) Garay Suriname 5 1906 [1977] L. bicomuta (Cogn.) Garay Brazil: Amazonas 6 1910 [1977] L. juruensis (Hoehne) Garay Brazil: Mato Grosso 7 1977 L. amazonica Garay Venezuela: Amazonas 8 1977 L. umbraticola Garay Colombia: Amazonas 9 1978 L. jamesonii Garay Ecuador 10 1978 L. lutea Garay Ecuador: Zamora-Chin. l1 2004 L. misera Ormerod Peru: Cusco 12 2006 L. longibracteata Soroka Ecuador: Azuay Note: Species numbers correspond with those in the FIGURE 1 distribution map. * Type species of the genus Ligeophila designated by Garay in 1977. ** No definitive data, but Costa Rica is widely suspected as origin. flowers. Floral bracts conspicuous, lanceolate glabrous; petals subfalcate with a circular lobe above an auriculate base, involute, apex acute on ventral margin, 4 X 0.2-1 mm, white. Spur and undulate, to 25 X 5 mm decreasing in size, ellipsoidal, depressed, straight, 4 X 1.6 mm and ascending rachis, glabrous;.flowers extrorse, ex 0.9 mm high. Labellum 4 X 0.7-3 mm, extend serted around base of each ascendant floral ing to 5 X 1.1-3 mm when flattened out. Hy bract. Ovary and pedicel collectively clavate, 7 pochile and Mesochile collectively subcuneate, X 0.2-1.2 mm, sparsely pubescent. Dorsal sepal and involute above a pair of longitudinal fleshy lanceolate, apex acute, 4 X 1.3 mm, glabrous. ridges that form a central groove on internal sur Lateral sepals oblanceolate, ventral margin ar face tapering toward nectary spur entrance; me cuate, dorsal margin serpentine, 4 X 1.2 mm, sochile margins undulate, adjacent to a pair of FIGURE 1. Distribution map of Ligeophila Garay in Central America and South America. Numbers correspond to the Ligeophila species listed in TABLE 1. 10 SELBYANA Volume 27(1) 2006 FIGURE 2. Ligeophila longibracteata Soroka. A flowering plant drawn by the author from a cultivated spec imen of the holotype/Herbarium Soroka. Scale: double bar 1 cm. serpentine ridges on external surface. Epichile mm. Column 2.9 X 1.1 mm; rostellum ovate, sessile, naturally deflexed, distally introrse, sem articulated underneath the stigma at its base, ilunate, trilobed, a pair of sinuses separate the membranous, translucent. Stigma transversely lateral lobes from the apiculate apex, 1.2 X 3 obovate, 6 X 9 mm, papillose; anther ovate, cen- SOROKA: NEW NEOTROPICAL LIGEOPHlLA 11 FIGURE 3. Ligeophila longibracteata Soroka. A. Mature leaf. B. Transitional leaf. C. Sheathing bract. D. Floral bract. E. Flowerllateral. F. Flower/distal. G. Labellumllateral. H. Labellumldorsal. I. Labellum and spurt spread. J. Dorsal sepal. K. Petal. L. Lateral sepal. M. Columnllateral. N. Column and anther. O. Column and rostellum. P. Pollinarium. Drawn by the author from the holotype/Herbarium Soroka. Scale: single bar 1 mm. double bar 1 em. 12 SELBYANA Volume 27(1) 2006 trally concave, apex acuminate and recurved, its Ligeophila, regardless of whether the ovary is base forms articulation above column's short, included or excluded in flower length. distally dilated, then truncate axis. Pollinarium Paul Ormerod (pers. comm.) has examined a dorsally concave at pollinia apices, 1.4 X 1 mm. collection of Ligeophila rosea (Lindley) Garay Pollinia 2 broadly clavate, yellow. Viscidium that bears exceptionally long floral bracts as deltoid, 0.4 X 0.3 mm, black. well. Although this trait is not found in the type Hierbas pequefias, terrestres, decumbentes ca. of that species, his careful analysis of all other 24 cm alto. Hojas 6-10, lanceoladas, involutas, details in that specimen agree with Ligeophila incluyendo los peciolos hasta 12 X 3 cm, mar rosea, including its much taller inflorescence cadas con una raya ancha y longitudinal verde with a longer peduncle. palido plateada. Inflorescencia corta, subsesil, The flowers of Ligeophila longibracteata pos densamente multiflora, ca. 6 cm de largo; raquis sess several distinctive characteristics that set pubescente. Brticteas conspicuas, contraidas en this species apart from all others in the genus. The relatively broad and short spur is ellipsoidal la mitad, involutas hasta 30 X 5 mm, glabras. in shape. The margins of the labellum's meso Flores 8 mm de largo, glabras. Ovario clavifor chile are prominently undulate, adjacent to me, 6 X 1.2 mm, ligeramente pubescente. Si which is a pair of narrow serpentine ridges on palo dorsal lanceolado, 4 mm de largo; sepalos the external surface of the lip. The unclawed la laterales oblanceolados, 4 mm de largo. Pitalos bellum's sessile, semilunate epichile is shaped subfalcados, 4 mm de largo con un lobulo ven overall much like the blade of a common garden tral redondeado 1 mm de ancho. Espo16n elip hoe. The dorsal and lateral sides of the column soideo, 4 X 1.6 mm. Labelo 4 X 3 mm; la por axis are dilated distally and then abruptly trun ci6n basal subcuneiforme y involuta con 2 quil cate at the articulated base of the anther. las delante de la entrada del espolon; los bordes This species displays an interesting leaf color de la porcion medial ondulados y con una lamela pattern that serves to increase its light-capture ondulada en cada lados; la porci6n apical sesil, efficiency. The involute leaf blades bear a broad semilunulada, reflexa, 1.2 X 3 mm. Columna longitudinal band of pale silvery green along the 2.9 X 1.1 mm; eje corto, dilatado hacia adelante midvein with a spargate border (see FIGURE 3). y truncado; rostelo ovado, articulado debajo del At this border, it intermingles with the darker estigma, membranaceo;estigma transversal green of the leaf margins, forming numerous in mente obovado, 6 X 9 mm; antera ovada, c6n clusions. cava, articulada; polinario concavo, 1.4 X 1 mm, polinios claviforme, viscidio triangular, negro. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author thanks the following people for DISCUSSION their kind assistance with the article in various ways: Wesley Higgins, Sarasota, Florida; the Ligeophila Garay is taxonomically character Portilla family, Gualaceo, Ecuador; and Paul Or ized by a short, unstalked column, an articulated merod, Cairns, Australia. rostellum that moves on its hinged base from porrect to erect after pollinarium removal, a LITERATURE CITED transversely confluent stigmatic surface, a con Cogniaux, A. 1906. Enumeratio Plantarum in Brasilia: cave anther, a spurred labellum that bears a pair Orchidaceae. pp. 225-240 in Flora Brasiliensis. of fleshy, ridged lamellae on the hypochile's in Frid. Fleischer, Munich and Leipzig. terior surface leading back to the nectary spur, Garay, L.A. 1977. Systematics of the Physurinae (Or and typically an elaborate lunate to anchoriform, chidaceae) in the New World. Bradea 2(28): 191- deflexed epichile. 208. ---. 1978. Orchidaceae (Cypripedioideae, Orchi Ligeophila longibracteata shares all of these doideae and Neottioideae). Flora of Ecuador, Vol. details yet does not appear to have any close 9, Part 225(1): 273-294. relatives in the genus, at least not among the Lindley, J. 1840. The Genera and Species of Orchi species described to date. It exhibits a number daceous Plants. Ridgways, Piccadilly, London. of features, both macro and micro characters, Ormerod, P. 2004. Notulae Goodyerinae. Oasis Suppl. which collectively serve to easily distinguish it. 3: 3-19. The floral bracts, which have an auriculate ---. 2005. Studies of neotropical Goodyerinae (Orchidaceae). Harvard Pap. Bot. 9(2): 391-423. base below a central contraction, are striking in Reichenbach, H.G. 1856. Physurus claviger. Bonplan their length and measure up to three times longer dia IV(13): 210-212. than the flowers. They are well over double the ---. 1873. Physurus stigmatopterus. Xenia Orch. proportional length found in any other described 2: 185.