Anoectochilus longilobus H.Jiang & H.Z.Tian, 2014

Anoectochilus longilobus H.Jiang & H.Z.Tian View in CoL , sp. nov. ( Figs. 1 View FIGURE 1 , 2A, B, D–F and H–L View FIGURE 2 )

Anoectochilus longilobus is similar to A. zhejiangensi and A. chapaensis , but differs from the former in having much bigger leaves and flowers and a straight spur with an acute angle between lip and from the later in having a cylindrical spur; it is distinguished from both by having longer, obliquely ligulate obcuneate, truncate epichile lobes.

Type: — CHINA. Yunnan: Malipo, Mt. Laojun 1550 m, in forests, 28 July 2006, Jiang 04240 (holotype KUN!) .

Terrestrial herbs up to 28 cm tall including inflorescences. Rhizome cauliform, creeping, rooting at nodes. Stem 5 mm in diam. Leaves 2–5, ovate, acute, nearly round at base, 2.5–6.0 × 1.5–4.5 cm, margin crenate, 3–5-veined, velvety blackish green to nearly dark purple, with sparse or minimal pale green reticulation above, pale pink beneath; petiole ca. 5 mm long, sheathed, amplexicaul, 0.8–1.0 cm long, sheaths 5–7 mm long. Inflorescence 4–10 flowered; peduncle 10–15 cm long, with articulate glandular hairs; sterile bracts 2–3, pale red, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, triveined, 8.0–15.0 × 0.8 mm, sparsely hairy; rachis 4–6 cm long; floral bracts similar to sterile bracts, 10 × 6 mm, rose, apex pointed, hairy. Ovary with pedicel fusiform, green brown, ca. 17 × 3 mm, densely hairy, white. Flowers non-resupinate. Sepals pale pink to green brown with rose apices and sparse hair outside. Dorsal sepal ovate, acuminate, ca. 7.0 × 4.5 mm, concave, appressed to petals, forming a hood. Lateral sepals obliquely oblong elliptic, subacute, spreading to reflexed, ca. 8 × 4 mm, 1-veined. Petals glabrous, dimidiately falcateelliptic, oblique, sharply narrowed towards apex, white, pale olive-green at base and with a rose vein along the inner side, ca. 7.0 × 2.5 mm. Labellum forward-projecting, Y-shaped, white, spured, ca. 1.8–2.0 cm long, white, apex bifurcate; hypochile subquadrate, 3 mm long, bilobed at apex; mesochile tubular, 5–6 mm long, each side with a laminate 3–7 serrated flanges; epichile bilobed, with a minute tooth between the lobules, lobules obliquely ligulate obcuneate, truncate, ca. 12 × 6 mm, slightly diverging from one another, margin crenulate. Spur extending beyond the base of lateral sepals, khaki to red, cylindric, distinctly bilobed at the apex, plumb to ovary, acute angle between the lip, ca. 7 × 2 mm, 2 calli on the back of wall inside near the upper part; calli trapeziform, ca. 1.5 mm long, pale pink, apices papillose. Column ca. 3 mm long, column wings 2, separated, symmetrical, with appressed inner margins; from the front view each wing with a tan prismatic protuberance near stigma, ca. 1 mm long, followed by a concave protuberance, ca. 1.5 mm long, white with rose apex, protuberance of the outer margin thin, the inner margin twisted and thick. Rostellum deltoid, shortly bifid apically, ca. 2 mm long. Stigmas 2, on either side of column, nearly orbicular. Operculum ovoid-lanciform, white with red apex, ca. 3.5 × 2.5 mm. Pollinia 2, pale yellow, obliquely clavate, 4 mm long; viscidium quadrate, oblong, acute at apex, ca. 1.5 × 0.8 mm.

Other specimens examined:— CHINA. Yunnan: Pingbian, Mt. Dawei , 2053 m, 22°54′59″N, 103°41′56″E, in forests, 27 July 2013, Tian et al. 781 ( HSNU!) GoogleMaps ; Pingbian, Mt. Dawei , 2034 m, 22°54′44″N, 103°41′49″E, in forests, 27 July 2013, Tian et al. 796 ( CSH!) GoogleMaps .

Distribution:— Known from the type and nearby localities.

Etymology:— The specific epithet refers to the long epichile lobes of this new species.

Conservation status:— We found fewer than 10 individuals at Mt. Laojun and Mt. Dawei. Several species of Anoectochilus such as A. calcareus Averyanov (1996: 75) , A. formosanus Hayata (1914: 101) , A. koshunensis Hayata (1914: 104) , A. regalis Blume (1858: 46) and A. roxburghii (Wallich) Lindley (1839: 368) were reported to be used in traditional medicines in Vietnam, China and Sri Lanka (Pridgeon et al. 2003), which indicates that those species face collecting pressure in the field. According to our investigations in Yunnan, Guangxi and Guizhou, collection of Anoectochilus has been increasing in recent years. Huge numbers of Anoectochilus species were collected and on sale in open markets. Thus, A. longilobus may face the same threat and be under particular risk of collection. Numbers of individuals show a potential decrease, and hence it should be classified as CR based on the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria ( IUCN 2001).

Additional specimens examined:— Anoectochilus zhejiangensis : CHINA. Zhejiang: Suichang County, Zuobieyuan Village, Yangmeikeng , 900 m, 22 August 1985, Chen 3004 (holotype ZJM!); Guangxi: Longsheng County, Second district, Pingshui Village , 10 August 1954, Longsheng collecting team 109 (IBK!); Guangxi: Longsheng County, Huaping forest region, 8 Sepetember 1984, Lv & Wei 20085 (IBK!); Guangxi: Dingpu, Longgongtun , 31 July 1958, Li 400810 (IBK!); Guangxi: Longsheng County, Huaping forest region, 900 m, 12 August 1964, Wei 216 (IBK!); Guangxi: Longsheng County, second district, Ping Shui Village, Mt. Bijia , 2 December 1954, Longsheng collecting team 50214 (IBK!); Guangxi: Longsheng County, Huaping village , 900 m, 22 August 1962, Yuan & Liu 5800 (IBK!); Guangxi: Jinxiu County, Mt. Dayao , 26 August 2011, Hu s. n. (HSNU!). Anoectochilus chapaensis : CHINA. Yunnan: Pingbian , 1380 m, 6 August 1953, Mao 02773 (PE! (PE00200409, PE00200410), KUN! (KUN0245555, KUN0245556). VIETNAM. Tonkin: Cha-pa, August 1929, Pételot 5147 (holotype, P (P00341458), photo! and isotype, P (P00341459), photo!); Tonkin: Cha-pa, Sepetember 1929, Pételot s. n. (P, photo!); Tonkin: Cha-pa, Poilane 12628 (P, photo!).

Morphological comparisons:— Anoectochilus longilobus is similar to A. zhejiangensis and A. chapaensis , but differs in the shape of spur and epichile lobes. More detailed morphological comparisons are given in Table 1 View TABLE 1 .

Notes:— The lateral sepals of Anoectochilus longilobus can be spreading to reflexed, but shape of epichile lobes is stable. Reticulation on the leaves of the new species varies considerably, which may be related to canopy density and maturity of the individuals. According to our field observations of A. longilobus , individuals with dark purple leaves almost lacking shiny veins and reticulations always grow in open forests, but those with blackish green leaves and obvious shiny pale-green reticulations occur in forests with a dense canopy. Moreover, reticulation will be more obvious when plants are juvenile. As the appearance of reticulations varies under different habitats and at different stages, we suggest that it should be used as an ancillary but not a critical character to identify jewel orchid species.