Uleiorchis M.E.Engels & E.C.Smidt

Uleiorchis M.E.Engels & E.C.Smidt View in CoL , sp nov. ( Figs. 3 View FIGURE 3 , 4 View FIGURE 4 ).

Uleiorchis prataënsis is similar to Uleiorchis ulei , but differs in its lip that is adnate to the floral tube for 3/5 its length.

TYPE: — BRAZIL. Paraná: Paranaguá, Parque Nacional de Saint Hilaire Lange, Trilha do Hotel , 27 November 2013, fl., Engels et al. 556 (holotype: MBM! , isotypes UPCB! , SP! , RB! , UNOP! ).

Holomycotrophic herbs, ca. 12 cm tall. Roots 8.90–23.50 cm long, ca. 0.05 cm in diam., cylindrical, glabrous, light brown, starting in the area where the scape is connected to the stem. Underground stem 2.0–9.5 × 0.3–1.2 cm, cylindrical to slightly flattened, verrucose to muricate, glabrous, dark brown. Leaves absent. Inflorescence a raceme, 1–5-flowered, 10.8–16.5 cm long, 0.2–0.3 cm in diam., glabrous, grayish brown, scape bracts 0.5–0.6 × 0.4–0.5 cm, clasping at the base, apex truncate, near the rachis free, large-deltoid, apex acute, glabrous, greyish brown; rachis 2.0–7.6 × 0.1–0.2 cm, glabrous, greyish brown; flower bracts 0.4–0.5 × 0.2–0.3 cm, lanceolate to wide-deltoid, free, glabrous, brown, apex acute. Ovary + pedicel 5 mm long, 3–4 mm wide, glabrous, brown. Flowers erect, resupinate; dorsal sepal 12.0 × 1.5 mm, glabrous, trinerved, greyish brown, base attached to the petals ca. 2/3 of the length, free portion lanceolate, apex acute, margin smooth; lateral sepals 12.0 × 1.5 mm, glabrous, trinerved, greyish brown, base attached to the lip and petals ca. 2/3 of the length, free portion lanceolate, apex acute, margin smooth; petals 11.0 × 1.5 mm, glabrous, greyish brown, base attached to the sepals ca. 2/3 of the length, uninerved, free portion broadly-lanceolate, apex acute, margim smooth; lip 11 × 3 mm wide, glabrous, pentanerved, greyish brown, base attached to lateral sepals ca. 3/5 of the length, free portion broadly-lanceolate, apex acute, margin undulate; column 5 mm long, 1.5–2.0 mm wide, light brown, rostellum absent; stigma ca. 2 × ca. 1 mm, simple; anther ca. 2.5 × 2.0 mm wide, apical, persistent; 2 sectile pollinia, ca. 2 × 1 mm, elliptic, tetrads ca. 30 μm long, 30 μm wide. Fruit 2.1 × 0.5 cm, narrowelliptic, dehiscent, greyish brown, perianth persistant; pedicel 2.2–3.0 × 0.1 cm wide in immature fruit, elongating to 9.3–12.4 × 0.1 cm wide in the ripe fruit. Seeds filiform, twisted, poles obtuse, ca. 1,300 × 85 μm, length/width ratio = 23; epidermal cells oblong, parallel, anticlinal walls and cell junctions raised, smooth.

Additional material examined:— BRAZIL. Paraná: Guaratuba, Parque Nacional de Saint Hilaire Lange , 29 November 2013, fr., Engels et al. 58 3 ( MBM) ; Morretes, Parque Nacional de Saint Hilaire Lange, Trilha da Torre da Prata , 28 November 2013, fr., Engels et al. 55 7 ( UPCB, MBM) .

Distribution:— Uleiorchis prataënsis is known only from Paraná State, Guaratuba, Morretes and Paranaguá municipalities in the Atlantic Rain Forest of Serra da Prata, located in the National Park of Saint Hilaire Lange. This is the only reported species of Uleiorchis from Paraná State.

Etymology:— The specific epithet refers to the location where the species was found, the Serra da Prata mountain range.

Ecology:— Uleiorchis prataënsis is found in leaf litter in pristine, well-shaded submontane Atlantic Rain Forest. Uleiorchis prataënsis was found in bloom and fruit in November.

Notes:— This species can be easily distinguished from other species of the genus by its perianth united for little more than half its length. In the previously known species, although the petals and sepals are united in a floral tube, the lip is completely free. Another distinguishing feature of this new species is its pedicel elongation.As the fruit develops, the pedicel increases in length 5–6 times. The study of herbarium material of U. ulei showed that pedicel elongation does not occur in collections with ripe fruits. However, more field studies should be done to verify whether this feature is diagnostic for U. prataënsis .