Gastrodia motuoensis X.H. Jin & H.C. Wang, 2025

Gastrodia motuoensis X.H. Jin & H.C. Wang , sp. nov.

(尖唇天※)

( Figs. 1 View FIGURE 1 and 2 View FIGURE 2 )

Type:— CHINA. Xizang: Motuo, Beibeng Village (Ñ崩乡), in rainforest, 1450–1500 m, 4 Sep 2009, SET-ET 1196 (holotype, PE!).

Diagnosis: Gastrodia motuoensis shows morphological affinity with congeners G. theana Averyanov ( Averyanov 2005) , G. sikkimensis M. Khanal & S. Sarkar ( Khanal et al. 2024) , G. albida T.C. Hsu & C.M. Kuo ( Hsu et al. 2011) , and G. nipponica (Honda) Tuyama ( Tuyama 1939) , but it is distinct in its larger petals, lip shortly caudate at apex, two lamellae on disc and the stigma positioned at the middle of the column ( Table 2 View TABLE 2 ).

Description: Holomycoheterotrophic. Plant without leaves, ca. 10 cm tall at flowering. Roots 3–6, cylindrical, up to 8 cm long, 0.6–1 mm in diameter. Tuber fusiform, 2–3.5 cm long, 1–1.5 cm in diameter, dark brown, covered with tiny scales. Inflorescence terminal, to 20 cm long, curved, light brown, narrowing from 4.5 mm at base to 3 mm at apex in diameter, 6–7 nodded, glabrous, sheaths 3–5 × 4–6 mm, brownish, glabrous; rachis very short, densely 5–8-flowered. Floral bracts 4–5.5 × 2.2–2.6 mm, brown, oblong-lanceolate, glabrous, apex acute. Flowers campanulate, erect, half opening, 23–26 mm long, 11–12 mm in diameter, brownish to brown. Pedicel and ovary 11–13 mm long, up to. 2.3 mm in diameter at the swollen part connecting perianth tube, brown with elevated ribs, glabrous. Sepals and petals fused for 2/3 of their length to form a 5-lobed perianth tube. Perianth tube 12–13 mm long, with slightly dentate margin, sparsely verrucose on outer surface, with distinct verruca along midribs of lateral sepals. Sepals fleshy, thickened, subsimilar, free parts broadly triangular, ca. 4 × 7 mm, apex rounded or slightly retuse; lateral sepals fused for 1/2 to 2/3 of their length; petals fleshy, thickened, free parts broadly triangular, apex subobtuse, slightly shorter and narrower than sepal lobes. Lip 6.6–7.1 × 3.3–3.6 mm, brownish to whitish, margin entire, apex slightly recurved; hypochile with a pair of calli; calli whitish, subsessile, globose, slightly verrucose, ca. 0.8 mm in diameter; epichile ovate, shortly caudate at apex; disc glabrous, concave, with a pair of parallel longitudinal lamellae stretching from base to middle part. Column 5.7–6.1 × 2.7–3.0 mm, shorter than lip, dark brown at base and whitish at other parts, upper part with a pair of broad wings; wings up to 2 mm wide each, elevated parts bent inwards, tips extending into rounded apex parallel to anther; stigma positioned at middle part of the column; column foot inconspicuous.

Etymology: The specific epithet refers to Motuo County (墨ª县), the type locality of this species.

Phenology: Flowering in August and September.

Distribution: Currently found only in China (Motuo, Xizang).

Habitat: Occurring in understory of subtropical rainforest dominated by broadleaf trees, among leaf litter ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 ).

Conservation status: Gastrodia motuoensis is currently known only from the type locality, and the collection of holotype represents its only documented occurrence, where one population of ca. 10 individuals was discovered. The type locality and its surrounding habitats were extensively surveyed for multiple times since its collection but this species has not been found since then (by the publication of this paper). Recently, the type locality has undergone land use change due to road constructions. Therefore, we tentatively assess its status as critically endangered (CR) following IUCN criterion D ( IUCN Standards and Petitions Committee 2024).