NEW PLEUROTHALLID ORCHIDS FROM THE CORDILLERA DEL CONDOR OF ECUADOR

LOU JOST
Moore Institute, Baños, Tungurahua, Ecuador
South American Explorers Club, Apdo. 17-21-431, Eloy Alfaro, Quito, Ecuador
loujost@pi.pro.ec, loujost@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT

Recent expeditions to the Cordillera del Condor in southeastern Ecuador have uncovered three new species of Orchidaceae, subtribe Pleurothallidinae. Brachionidium condorense L. J. Jost, B. deflexum L. J. Jost, and Lepanthes neillii L. J. Jost are described. The overall species composition of the primarily epiphytic genus Lepanthes in the Cordillera del Condor is similar to that of other front-line foothill ranges in the eastern Andes of Ecuador. The species composition of primarily terrestrial Brachionidium, on the other hand, appears to be unusual and distinctive.
Key Words: Brachionidium, Lepanthes, condorense, deflexum, neillii, Ecuador

INTRODUCTION

     The Cordillera del Condor is a remote mountain range on the border between Ecuador and Peru. The highest peaks of this range reach elevations of 2900 m, and these are separated from similar elevations in the main body of the Andes by the 40 km wide valley of the Rio Zamora. The peaks are not only geographically isolated but geologically unique in Ecuador, consisting of a complex mosaic of white sand, limestone, and granite, very different from the primarily volcanic Andes. Because of this isolation and unusual geology, the Cordillera del Condor supports a very unusual flora, including several disjunct genera otherwise found only on Venezuelan tepuis (D. Neill, pers. com.) The flora remains poorly known in spite of its biological interest, because the area has long been the focus of border conflicts between Ecuador and Peru, and entry was restricted. Since the signing of a peace treaty in the year 2000, the Missouri Botanical Garden Cordillera del Condor Project under Dr. David Neill, director of the Herbario Nacional del Ecuador (QCNE), has undertaken a thorough study of the area.

     The author accompanied Dr. Neill and other botanists on two of the project’s expeditions. The first expedition, in March 2000, reached a white sand mesa at an elevation of 2000 m near the Shuar settlement of Tinkimints. The second expedition, in December 2002, reached high granite peaks at an elevation of 2700 m. Both expeditions resulted in the discovery of new Orchidaceae, including Maxillaria jostii Dodson (Dodson 2003) and the following three new species in the subtribe Pleurothallidinae.


SPECIES DESCRIPTIONS

1. Brachionidium condorense L. J. Jost, sp. nov. Type: Ecuador. Prov. Morona-Santiago: terrestrial on mountaintop above Warints, Cordillera del Condor, 3° 15' 24" S, 78° 19' 10" W, approx. 2700 m, 15 Dec 2002, L. Jost, D. Neill, J. Clark, W. Quishpe et al. 4686 (Holotype: QCNE). Figure 1.

Ety.: After the Cordillera del Condor, where this species was found, and in allusion to the broad wing-like lobes of the lip.

Planta mediocris erecta rhizomate crasso vaginis longimucronatis, foliis ellipticis, flore atropurpureo cupuliformi, sepalis petalisque ciliatis, synsepalo superiore profunde concavo bicaudato, sepalo impare caudato, petalis longicaudatis, labello transverse obovoideo, lobis lateralibus planiformibus incurvis, apice obtuso apiculato, marginibus ambabus concavis, disco incrassito cum callo pubescenti supra basem.

Fig. 1. Bracionidium condorense L. J. Jost

Plant small in size, terrestrial, suberect to erect, up to 11 cm tall; rhizome relatively stout, occasionally branching, 10-12 mm long between ramicauls, enclosed by 2-3 pale, tubular, long-mucronate muriculate sheaths; roots stout. Ramicauls relatively stout, suberect, 4-5 mm long, enclosed by 2 long-mucronate pale sheaths. Leaf suberect, thickly coriaceous, ovate to lanceolate, acute, olive green above, purple below, 15-18 mm long, 7-8 mm wide, with 7 veins, the round base contracted into a stout petiole .5 mm long. Inflorescence a solitary, nonresupinate flower born by a slender suberect peduncle 20 mm long, with a bract near the middle, from near the apex of the ramicaul; floral bract 4.5 mm long, inflated, acute, mucronate, enclosing the pedicel and part of the ovary; pedicel .6 mm long, with a filament 6 mm long; ovary 2.3 mm long; sepals purple with green bases and yellow tips, ciliate, the dorsal sepal elliptical, acute, long-acuminate, the blade 7 mm long, 6 mm wide, 3-veined, the tail filiform, 4 mm long; lateral sepals connate into an ovate, acute, long-acuminate synsepal, the blade 8 mm long, 7 mm wide, 5-veined including suture; the filiform connate tails 5 mm long, free for 1.5 mm ; petals purple, green basally, ovate, subfalcate, acute, acuminate, the blade 7 mm long, 5 mm wide, 3-veined, margins ciliate, abruptly contracted into filiform tails 5 mm long; lip green suffused purple, subquadrate, extended laterally into incurving flattened wings 1.3 mm long, bimarginate, the apex apiculate, 1.9 mm long, about 3.3 mm wide in the natural position, the disc raised, densely long-papillose basally, longitudinally channeled apically, forming two confluent straight parallel longitudinal ridges on the apical half of the lip, hinged to the column foot; column stout, 1.6 mm long, bidentate; pollinia 8.

Paratype: Ecuador. Prov. Morona-Santiago: terrestrial on mountaintop above Warints, Cordillera del Condor, 3° 15' 24" S, 78° 19' 10" W, approx. 2700 m, 15 Dec 2002, L. Jost, D. Neill, J. Clark, W. Quishpe, et al. 4685 (MO).

This species and the next are characterized by thick dark olive green leaves flushed purple below, and by purple flowers bearing a cucullate synsepal. Both are superficially similar to sympatric B. galeatum Luer and Hirtz (Luer 1995). B. condorense is easily distinguished by the broad flat incurved lateral lobes of the strongly bimarginate lip.

2. Brachionidium deflexum L. J. Jost, sp. nov. Type: Ecuador. Prov. Morona-Santiago: terrestrial on mountaintop above Warints, Cordillera del Condor, 3° 15' 24" S, 78° 19' 10" W, approx. 2700 m, 15 Dec 2002, L. Jost , D. Neill, J. Clark, W. Quishpe et al. 4775 (Holotype: QCNE). Figure 2.

Ety.: From the Latin deflexum, “deflexed”, in reference to the sharply deflexed lip.

Species haec B. condorense similis, sed foliis minoribus obovatis et labello ovato deflexo bimarginato sine lobis planiformibus, et cum callo basali papilloso differt.

Fig. 2. Bracionidium deflexum L. J. Jost

Plant small in size, terrestrial, erect, up to 10 cm tall; rhizome relatively stout, occasionally branching, 10-12 mm long between ramicauls, enclosed by 3-4 pale, inflated, tubular, long-mucronate, muriculate sheaths 5 mm in total length; roots stout. Ramicauls relatively stout, suberect, 2-3 mm long, enclosed by 2 long-mucronate muriculate sheaths. Leaf suberect, thickly coriaceous, ovate, acute, olive green above, purple below, 8-10 mm long, 6 mm wide, 7- veined, the round base contracted into a stout petiole 1 mm long. Inflorescence a solitary, nonresupinate flower born by a slender suberect peduncle 18 mm long, with a bract near the middle, from near the middle of the ramicaul; floral bract 4 mm total length, inflated, acute, mucronate, enclosing the pedicel and part of the ovary; pedicel .6 mm long, with a filament 4 mm long; ovary 2 mm long; sepals purple, sparsely ciliate, the dorsal sepal elliptical-ovate, acute, long-acuminate, the blade 5 mm long, 4.6 mm wide, 3-veined, with a shallow mentum, the tail filiform, 4 mm long; lateral sepals connate into an ovate, acute, long-acuminate synsepal, the blade 4 mm long, 5 mm wide, 4-veined; the filiform connate tails 4.2 mm long, free for 1.8 mm; petals purple, ciliate, ovate, acute, acuminate, the blade 4 mm long, 3 mm wide, 3-veined, abruptly contracted into filiform tails 4 mm long; lip purple, broadly lingulate, completely deflexed above the middle, bimarginate, the apex rounded, 3-4 mm long, 2.4 mm wide, the disc raised, densely long-papillose basally, longitudinally channeled apically, forming two incurved ridges on the apical third of the lip, with a small depression between the terminus of the ridges and the apex of the lip, hinged to the column foot; column stout, 1.8 mm long, bidentate; pollinia 8.

This species, with its leathery dark olive leaves flushed purple below, and with purple flowers bearing a somewhat cucullate synsepal, closely resembles B. condorense, though all parts are smaller. The lip, however, is very different, being completely deflexed at the middle, and without the long flat incurved lobes of B. condorense. The large basal callus is densely papillose. Only one plant was found in flower.

3. Lepanthes neillii L. J. Jost, sp. nov. Type: Ecuador. Prov. Morona-Santiago: flowered in cultivation by L. Jost in Dec 2001; epiphytic in cloud forest above Tinkimints, 3° 16' W, 78°10' S, 2000 m, 21 March 2000, L Jost, D. Neill, P. Berry, J. Manzanares, B. Patterson, E. Escobar 3154 (Holotype: QCNE; Isotypes: MO, QCA). Figure 3.

Ety.: After Dr. David Neill, Director of the Herbario Nacional del Ecuador, and leader of its Cordillera del Condor expeditions.

Planta mediocris caespitosa inflorescentia racemosa laxa longipedicillata, folio elliptico, sepalis lateralibus ovatis tenuicaudatis, petalis transverse bilobis, lobo superiore oblongo apice oblique obtuso, lobo inferiore triangulare, labelli laminis subquadratis grandibus, connectivis late cuneatis, corpore crasso antice concavo, appendice bilobata, columna ovarioque cristatis.

Fig. 3. Lepanthes neillii L. J. Jost

Plant small in size, epiphytic, caespitose; roots slender. Ramicauls slender, erect, 2-6 cm long, enclosed by 4-8 tightly fitting, ciliate, lepanthiform sheaths, purplish when fresh, drying light tan. Leaf erect, thinly coriaceous, elliptical, acute, 2.5-3 cm long, .7-.9 cm wide, the tapering base contracted into a petiole 1 mm long. Inflorescence a loose, lightly flexuous, successively 2-10 flowered raceme up to 3 cm long, born below the leaf by a minute peduncle up to 2 mm long; floral bract about .6 mm long; pedicel about .7 mm long; ovary .8 mm long, carinate; sepals yellow, the dorsal sepal ovate, 3.5 mm long, 2.5 mm wide, the apex prolonged into a tail 2.5-3.5 mm long, connate to the lateral sepals for .6 mm, the lateral sepals oblique, ovate, 3.5 mm long, 2.5 mm wide, connate 1.5-2 mm, the apices prolonged into tails 4-5 mm long; petals yellow, heavily suffused with red, transversely bilobed, minutely pubescent, 1 mm long, 3 mm wide, the upper lobe triangular-oblong, apex rounded, the lower lobe shorter, triangular, rounded; lip red, bilaminate, the blades broadly subquadrate with rounded apices, 1 mm long, short-pubescent, embracing the column, the connectives thin, nearly as long as blades, the body narrow, the appendix a small bilobed flap, pubescent; column 1.3 mm long, with an apical crest, the anther dorsal, the stigma ventral.

      This species from a white sand region of the Cordillera del Condor is easily distinguished from all other Ecuadorian species (Luer 1996, 1998a, 1998b, 1999, 2000, 2002) by the combination of the loose inflorescence, ornately crested column and ovary, broad wing-like blades of the lip, and long sepaline tails. It appears to have no close relatives. Only one plant was found in spite of extensive searching; it was flowered in cultivation.

DISCUSSION

     The Lepanthes species diversity of the high Cordillera del Condor is less than that of similar elevations in the main body of the eastern Andes. Species found during our expeditions include L. bifalcis Luer, L. condorensis Luer and Hirtz, L. monitor Luer, L. mucronata Lindl., L. orchestris Luer and Vasquez, L. papyrophylla Rchb. f., L. serialina Luer and Jost, L. series Luer and Hirtz, L. surrogata Luer and Hirtz, L. tachirensis Foldats, and L. tectorum Luer and Hirtz, in addition to the presently described L. neillii. Most of these species are also found on the main body of the eastern Andes of Ecuador, on foothill ranges such as the Cordillera Guacamayos (Napo Province) or the Cordillera Abitagua (Tungurahua/Pastaza Provinces). The geographic isolation of the Cordillera del Condor does not appear to be a significant impediment to the dispersal of orchid seeds. With respect to Lepanthes, a mostly epiphytic genus, the Cordillera del Condor appears to be just another eastern foothill range, though bigger than most. One suspects that L. neillii will also eventually be found outside the Cordillera del Condor; this genus has been very incompletely sampled in eastern Ecuador.

     On the other hand, the diversity of the primarily terrestrial genus Brachionidium on the 2700 m peak of the Cordillera del Condor is exceptionally high, including B. ballatrix Luer and Hirtz , B. galeatum, B. condorense, B. deflexum, and an as yet unidentified fifth species represented by a sterile collection in cultivation. The unusual geology of the Condor probably facilitates the evolution of endemic species in such terrestrial genera. It is worth noting that the new Maxillaria found during these expeditions, M. jostii Dodson, is also a terrestrial species.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

     These expeditions were sponsored by the Missouri Botanical Garden Cordillera del Condor Project, and I would like to thank Dr. Neill, the project director, for inviting me. My work is sponsored by John and Ruth Moore, the San Diego County Orchid Society, and the Population Biology Foundation; I am grateful for their continued support. Special thanks to Dr. Carl Luer for his constant help and advice.

LITERATURE CITED

Dodson, C. 2003. Maxillaria jostii Dodson. Harvard Pap. Bot. 7: 437.

Luer, C. A. 1994. Icones Pleurothallidinarum XI. Systematics of Lepanthes subgenus Brachycladium and Pleurothallis subgenus Aenigma, subgenus Elongatia, subgenus Kraenzlinella. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 52: 1—50.

----- 1995. Icones Pleurothallidinarum XII. Systematics of Brachionidium, Addenda to Dresslerella, Platystele, and Porroglossum (Orchidaceae). Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 57:1—139.

----- 1996. Icones Pleurothallidinarum XIV. Systematics of Draconanthes, Lepanthes subgen. Marsipanthes and subgen. Lepanthes of Ecuador (Orchidaceae). Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 61:1--255.

----- 1998a. Icones Pleurothallidinarum XVI. Systematics of Pleurothallis subgenera Crocodeilanthe, Rhynchopera, Talpinaria, Addenda to Lepanthes of Ecuador, Masdevallia, Platystele, Pleurothallis, Restrepia, and Scaphosepalum (Orchidaceae). Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 65:101—107.

----- 1998b. Icones Pleurothallidinarum XVII. Systematics of subgenus Pleurothallis sect. Abortivae, sect. Truncatae, sect. Pleurothallis subsect. Acroniae, subsect. Pleurothallis, subgen. Dracontia, subgen. Unciferia, Addenda to Dracula, Lepanthes, Masdevallia, Porroglossum, and Scaphosepalum (Orchidaceae). Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 72: 104—109.

----- 1999. Icones Pleurothallidinarum XVIII. Systematics of Pleurothallis subgenus Pleurothallis sect. Pleurothallis subsect. Antenniferae, subsect. Longiracemosae, subsect. Macrophyllae-Racemosae, subsect. Perplexae, subgenus Pseudostelis, subgenus Acuminatia, Addenda to Dracula, Lepanthes, Masdevallia, and Pleurothallis. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 76: 139—148.

----- 2000. Icones Pleurothallidinarum XX. Systematics of Jostia, Andinia, Barbosella, Barbodria, and Pleurothallis subgenus Antilla, subgenus Effusia, subgenus Restrepioidia, Addenda to Lepanthes, Masdevallia, Platystele, Pleurothallis, Restrepiopsis, Scaphosepalum, and Teagueia. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 79: 117—135.

-----. 2002. Icones Pleurothallidinarum XXIV. A First Century of New Species of Stelis of Ecuador Part 1; Addenda to the Lepanthes of Ecuador, Addenda to Barbosella, Dracula, Dresslerella, Lepanthopsis, Platystele, Pleurothallis, Restrepia, Scaphosepalum, Teagueia, and Trichosalpinx. Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 88: 87—93.