Bulbophyllum anodon J.J.Vermeulen, Thavipoke & Phelps, 2014

Bulbophyllum anodon J.J.Vermeulen, Thavipoke & Phelps View in CoL , sp. nov. ( Figs. 2 View FIGURE 2 , 3 View FIGURE 3 )

Type:— Probably northwestern Thailand, Phelps 8078 ( BKF) .

Bulbophyllum cylindricoides Chen & Shui (2006: 217) (invalid name).

Diagnosis: Most similar to B. fissibrachium Smith (1927: 166 ; Sumatra) and B. repens Griffith (1851: 293 ; China, Myanmar, Thailand, Sumatra) of section Brachystachyae; both species differ by having a patent, triangular, acute tooth along the lower margins of the stelidia. The first also differs by having a deltoid median sepal of approx. 3.6 mm wide, as well as by the auriculate lip; the second also differs by the retuse to truncate petal apex. Shares the diverging midveins of the lateral sepals with B. divergens Vermeulen & O’Byrne (2011: 88 ; Borneo, Sulawesi and New Guinea). The last species has longer pedicels (2.0– 4.5 mm long), an obtuse median sepal, and elliptic(-obovate) lateral sepals.

Short-creeping epiphyte. Rhizome c. 5 mm diam., sections between pseudobulbs c. 1 cm long, rhizome scale fibres persistent. Pseudobulbs ovoid, c. 0.5 × 0.5 cm, not angular. Leaf erect to patent; petiole 0.2–5.0 cm long; blade elliptic to obovate, 6.0–14.0 × 1.6–3.5 cm, ratio length/width 3.3–4.8, rounded to obtuse. Inflorescence a dense, cylindrical raceme, 10—19 cm long, 50–60-flowered. Peduncle 7.5–15.0 cm long, scales c. 4. Rachis nodding, 2.5–4.0 cm long. Floral bracts c. 2 mm long. Flowers with pedicel plus ovary c. 1.5 mm long. Sepals creamy white to pale pink-purple, with slightly darker purple (-brown) veins and margins; median sepal free, somewhat recurved, ovate-triangular, c. 2.8 x 1.7 mm, ratio length/width 1.6–1.7; acute-acuminate, margins entire; glabrous, 3–5-veined; lateral sepals free, porrect, oblique, ovate, c. 3.5– 1.9 mm, ratio length/width 1.8–1.9, rounded, margins entire, glabrous, triveined. Petals white with purple(-brown) vein, porrect, obovate-oblong, c. 2.2 × 1.0 mm, ratio length/width c. 2.2, acuminate, margins entire, erose apically, glabrous, 1-veined. Lip yellow, suffused brown-purple, or pale green, white towards the margins and with a dark brown spot near the base, slightly recurved above half-way along its length, elliptic, c. 2.1 × 1.4 mm, ratio length/width c. 1.5 (without spreading), obtuse, margins entire, minutely papillose basally, adaxially somewhat concave near the base, with 2 ridges that start near the base close to the margin and then converge but leave a depression in between, and end at about 3/5 along the length of the lip, apical part of lip slightly convex, adaxial surface glabrous but finely papillose towards the base, abaxially with a ridge near the base with a rounded crest, somewhat concave towards the apex, surface glabrous. Column including stelidia c. 1.2 mm long, stigma transversely elliptic. Stelidia porrect, c. 0.6 mm long, oblong-triangular, acute, upper margin with an inconspicuous, antrorse, rounded wing near the apex, lower margin with a slight, patent, rounded wing lower down. Anther connective in front not or hardly drawn out. Pollinia 4.

Distribution:— Probably northwestern Thailand (plant purchased at Jatujak Market, Bangkok, from a longestablished trader who reported an origin of Mae Hon Song Province); China (see below).

Etymology:— Anodous (Gr.) = toothless.

Ecology:— Unknown.

Conservation status:— Unknown, but occasionally found in the commercial trade in Thailand.

Notes:— Species indigenous to Thailand showing some similarity to B. anodon are B. cylindraceum Lindley (1830: 53 ; see below), which has a large bract just below the rachis, and B. khasyanum Griffith (1851: 284) , which has flowers approximately twice as large as B. anodon . Bulbophyllum cylindraceum Lindley (1830 –1840: 53) differs from B. khasyanum Griffith (1851: 284) by having a large bract just below the base of the rachis. Seidenfaden (1979: 180) erroneously lists the single Thai specimen of B. cylindraceum ( Kerr 187 from Doi Suthep) under B. khasyanum .

Bublophyllum cylindricoides ( Yunnan, China) is the same but was not validly published because no Latin description or diagnosis was provided and no type was indicated ( Vienna Code, Art. 36.1 and 37.1); Chen & Vermeulen (2009: 436) incorrectly list B. cylindricoides as a synonym of B. repens .