Plant Diversity ›› 2021, Vol. 43 ›› Issue (05): 390-400.DOI: 10.1016/j.pld.2021.05.003

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Four new species and a new record of Orchidinae (Orchidaceae: Orchideae) from China

Dong-Liang Lina,e, Ji-Dong Yab, André Schuitemanc, Chong-Bo Maa, Cheng Liub, Xue-Lian Guoa, Shi-Si Chena, Xi-Long Wangd, Zhi-Rong Zhangb, Wen-Bin Yuf, Xiao-Hua Jina   

  1. a State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany and Herbarium, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanxincun 20, Xiangshan, Beijing, 100093, China;
    b Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanhei Road 132, Heilongtan, Kunming, Yunnan, 650201, China;
    c Herbarium, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AB, UK;
    d Tibet Plateau Institute of Biology, Lhasa, Xizang 850001, China;
    e University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China;
    f Center for Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Mengla 666303, Yunnan, China
  • Received:2020-11-04 Revised:2021-05-21 Online:2021-10-25 Published:2021-11-18
  • Contact: Xiao-Hua Jin
  • Supported by:
    We are grateful to Lian-Yi Li for his help with image processing. Our special thanks go to Wei Zhang, and Changhong Li for their kind assistance during fieldwork. Funds were provided by Project of Orchid Biodiversity Survey of China, National Forestry and Grassland Administration, the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31670194), the Large-scale Scientific Facilities of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. 2017-LSFGBOWS-02) and the National Wild Plant Germplasm Resource Center.

Abstract: Four new species of Orchidaceae from China, Heminium lijiangense, Peristylus fasciculatus, Platanthera milinensis, and Ponerorchis gongshanensis, together with a new country record, Peristylus tenuicallus, are described and illustrated based on morphological and/or phylogenetic analyses. Heminium lijiangense is closely related to H. elisabethae but differs from it by having the dorsal sepal ovate-orbicular and lip mid-lobe distinctly shorter than lateral lobes. P. fasciculatus is close to Peristylus tradescantifolius but is distinguished from it by having several fascicled and straight, root-like tubers (vs. one or two oblongoid tubers), old stems usually persistent, middle lobe of lip narrowly ligulate-lanceolate and half as long as the lateral lobes (vs. middle lobe deltoid, about a third as long as the lateral lobes or less), a raised callus at the base of each lateral lobe (vs. callus absent), spur gradually attenuate toward the apex (vs. spur clavate). Platanthera milinensis is similar to P. stenochila by sharing small green flowers and lip without a spur, but differs in having a creeping rhizome, a corymbose inflorescence, and a broadly ovate and slightly 3-lobed lip. Ponerochis gongshanensis is similar to P. faberi in its small flowers, but differs in having a linear leaf c. 3 mm wide (vs. leaf 5-13 mm wide), in the lip having collar-like raised margins on the sides of the spur entrance, and a mid-lobe which is notched at the apex but not divided into two divergent lobules that are nearly as large as the lateral lobes, as in P. faberi. All the proposed species obtained high support in phylogenetic analysis as new species. The recently described genus Apetalanthe is reduced to synonymy of Ponerorchis and a new combination is made.

Key words: Orchidaceae, Herminium, Ponerorchis, Peristylus, Platanthera, China