Platanthera sikkimensis (Hook.f.) Kraenzl., Orchid. Gen. Sp.

Platanthera sikkimensis (Hook.f.) Kraenzl., Orchid. Gen. Sp. View in CoL 1: 621. 1899. Habenaria sikkimensis Hook.f., Fl. Brit. View in CoL India 6: 155. 1890. Type: INDIA , Sikkim, Sikkim Himalaya, Sinchal, 8000–9000 ft., s.d., Thomsom s.n. (K).

Distribution: India , Bhutan, China and Nepal.

Specimens examined: INDIA , Arunachal Pradesh, Anjaw district, Delei River, 27.07.1928, Kingdon-Ward 8497 ( K digital image). Sikkim, Celepla, 08.07.1878, King 4203 ( CAL) ; Lambteng , 9000 ft., July 1897, Pantling 421 ( CAL) ; Ling too, 25.08.1878, Demgloo s.n. ( E digital image, CAL) ; East Sikkim district, Powngong , 10000 ft., August 1894, Pantling 421 ( BM, K digital images, CAL, DD) ; North Sikkim district, Dombeyang , 3000 m, 29.09.1997, S. S. Dash & A. Maity 18589 ( BSHC) ; Lachong valley , 12000 ft., August1895, Pantling 421 ( CAL) ; Lachung-Yumthang , 3320 m, 16.07.2006, S. Pradhan & R. Giri 32250 ( BSHC) ; Shingba Rhododendron Sanctuary , 3451 m, 22.07.2013, C. S. Purohit 37467 ( BSHC) ; West Sikkim district , Mainom-R. F., 2200 m, 21.08.1986, s.coll. 5471 ( BSHC) ; South of Dzongri, 26.07.1992, Long et al. 746 ( E digital image) . West Bengal, Darjeeling district, Singalelah , 12000 ft., July 1896, Pantling 421 ( BM, E, P digital images, CAL) ; Tonglo, July 1884, Gamble 10434 ( K digital image) .

Notes: This species was first described under Habenaria , as H. sikkimensis by Hooker (1890) based on a single specimen collected by Thomson from Sikkim Himalaya, which was not traceable and is probably lost. Further attention is needed to locate its type specimen.

Platanthera stenantha (Hook.f.) Soó, Ann. Hist.- Nat. Mus. Natl. Hung. View in CoL 26: 363. 1929. Habenaria stenantha Hook.f., Fl. Brit. View in CoL India View in CoL 6: 153. 1890. Hemihabenaria stenantha (Hook.f.) Finet, Rev. Gen. Bot. View in CoL 13: 532. 1902. Lectotype (designated by Efimov & Jin, 2014): INDIA View in CoL , Sikkim, Jongri, 15.10.1875, Clarke 25954 (K [K000247388 digital image!]). Residual syntypes: INDIA View in CoL , Sikkim, Jongri, 15.10.1875, Clarke 25836a (K000247386 digital image!); Yakla, 17.10.1889, Clarke 9993 (K); INDIA View in CoL , Sikkim, Lachen, 14.07.1849, Hooker s.n. (K); Lachong, 30.08.1849, Hooker 316 (K000247385 digital image!); Tongloo, 13.09.1875, Clarke 27411 (K000237387 digital image!), 27578 (K000247469 digital image!)

Distribution: India , Bhutan, China, Myanmar and Nepal.

Specimens examined: INDIA , Arunachal Pradesh, Kurung Kumey district, Vadse hills, 3800 m, s.d., S.S. Dash & A.A. Mao 31863 (ARUN); Lohit district, Melinja, 30.08.1986, K. Haridasan 3530 (OHT); Upper Siang district, Kanebomgo-Pao camp, 3600 m, 09.09.2009, M. Bhaumik SN2 (ARUN); West Kameng district, Baisakhi, 31.08.1984, A.N. Rao 16143, 16144 (OHT); between Shangri La & Sela, 31.08.1984, A.N. Rao 16146 (OHT); near Sela, 31.08.1984, Naithani 1152 (RENZ digital image, DD); Sidaroa-Alpine Camp, 3200 m, 27.08.2011, M. Bhaumik 27022 (ARUN). Sikkim, s.loc., 1857, Thomson s.n. (E, P digital images); s.loc., 27.07.1874, herb. Treutler 433 (K digital image); s.loc., 13.08.1875, King 2214 (K digital image); Sikkim Himalaya, s.loc., s.d., King s.n. (CAL); Den, 08.10.1868, Kurz s.n. (BM digital image); Khedhen, 10.08.1877, King’s collector 4452 (K digital image, CAL); Krumggong, 8000 ft., 27.07.1910, Smith 3898 (CAL); Ling too, 25.08.1878, Demgloo s.n. (CAL); East Sikkim district, Powngong, 10000 ft., August 1894, Pantling 233 (BM, P digital images, CAL, DD); North Sikkim district, Lachen, 8500 ft., 20.07.1909, Smith & Cave 2656 (CAL); Ibid., 3000 m, 28.08.1999, G.P. Sinha & A. Maity 22425 (BSHC); Lachung, 9000 ft., 29.08.1892, Gammie 1038 (CAL); Lachung to Dambung, 3000m, 01.08.2019, K. Prasad 86541 (CAL, BSID); Lachung-Katao, 3180 m, 08.08.2014, D.K. Agrawala 37857 (BSHC); Lachung-River road, 3250 m, 28.07.2011, Mohan Gangopadhayay 36192 (BSHC); Mindsardara, 12000 ft., September 1888, King’s collector s.n. (CAL); West Sikkim district, above Choka, September 1983, Macpherson 25 (E digital image); Ibid., 12.09.1983, Alpine Garden Society’s Expedition 351 (K digital image); Chola Range, Dalamchan, 8000 ft., 23.09.1892, Gammie 1282 (K digital image CAL); Dzongri to Bikbari, 11.07.1990, Kirkpatrick 262 (RENZ digital image); Dzongri-Tsoka, 3000 m, 22.06.1993, S. Pradhan 15136 (BSHC); Ibid., 3000 m, 22.06.1993, S. Pradhan 15136 (BSHC). Uttarakhand, Kumaon, 20.08.1894, Duthie 3405 (DD). West Bengal, Phullooh, 20.07.1884, King s.n. (K digital image, CAL); Darjeeling district, Palmajua-Batasi, 08.08.1972, Kanai et al. 726176 (TI); Sinchal, 8000 ft., July-September 1892, Pantling 233 (CAL); Ibid., 12.08.1876, King 3031 (CAL); Ibid., 08.08.1957, s.coll. s.n. (CAL); Ibid., 8000 ft., July 1862, Anderson 1248 (CAL); Ibid., s.d., Kurz s.n. (CAL); Singalelah Range, 10000 ft., July 1896, Pantling 233 (BM, E, K, P digital images, CAL); Tongloo, 8-9000 ft., Kurz s.n. (CAL); Ibid., 8-10000 ft., 03.08.1862, Anderson 12143 (CAL); Ibid., August 1874, Gamble 3995a (K digital image); s.loc., 17.08.1962, Renz 10078 (RENZ digital image).

Notes: Rai et al. (2015) reported on the extended distribution of Platanthera cumminsiana to the western Himalaya region, but a scrutiny of the voucher specimen revealed that it is only P. stenantha .

Platanthera stenochila X.H.Jin, Schuit., Raskoti & L.Q.Huang View in CoL , Cladistics 32(2): 210. 2015. Herminium angustilabre King & Pantl., J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, Pt. View in CoL 2, Nat. Hist. 65: 131. 1896, Ann. Roy. Bot. Gard. Calcutta 8: 334. t. 439. 1898. Androcorys angustilabris (King & Pantl.) Agrawala & H.J.Chowdhery, Kew Bull. View in CoL 65: 105. 2010. Platanthera angustilabris (King & Pantl.) X.H.Jin, Schuit.&W.T.Jin,Molec.Phylogen. Evol. View in CoL 77: 51. 2014, nom. illeg., non Seidenfaden 1995. Lectotype (designated here): INDIA View in CoL , Sikkim, Lingtu, July 1895, 11000 ft., Pantling 375 (CAL [CAL000000706!]; isolecto BR [BR0000006572006 digital image!], U [U1459598 digital image!]).

Distribution: India and China.

Specimens examined: INDIA , Sikkim, below Jankra La, 13000 ft., July 1897, Pantling 375 ( BM, K digital images, CAL). West Bengal, Darjeeling district , Singalelah Range, 12000 ft., August 1896, Pantling 375 ( K, L, U digital images, CAL) .

Notes: This species was first described by King and Pantling (1896) under Herminium (as H. angustilabre ) and remained in this genus for a long time because it has no spur, in contrast to all other Platanthera species that have a spur. However, the morphological structure of the rootstock and column is typical of Platanthera . Molecular based studies have shown that phylogenetically, H. angustilabre is nested in the Platanthera clade, making it paraphyletic ( Jin et al., 2014). Consequently, this species was shifted into Platanthera , as P. angustilabris . However, this name was a later homonym of Platanthera angustilabris Seidenfaden, 1995 and it cannot be used. Jin et al. (2015) rectified this error and chose a different epithet, P. stenochila .

Further study revealed that there was also a need to typify H. angustilabre . King and Pantling (1896) described H. angustilabre based on plants collected by Robert Pantling (no. 375) in July 1895 at 11000 feet (but gave “June” in the protologue) from Lingtu, Sikkim, India . Three specimens of H. angustilabre bearing those details are presently available in BR, CAL and U which forms the original collection of Pantling 375 (Lingtu, Sikkim, 1895) known so far, none of which was specifically designated as type by King and Pantling (1896). There are a few more specimens (labelled as ‘Type specimen’) preserved at BM, CAL, L, K and U with the same collection number (no. 375) collected by Pantling from the Singalelah Range (12000 ft., August 1896) and below Jankra La (13000 ft., July 1897), Sikkim but they do not belong to the original material as they post-date the protologue. Later Pearce and Cribb (2002) used the term ‘holo’, which is not correct according to the article of 9.9. Consequently, the author is designating the CAL specimen (CAL000000706) as lectotype of H. angustilabre as it fits best the description provided in the protologue. That specimen is also associated with two hand-written notations by Robert Pantling, one of which strongly supports its selection as lectotype. In some herbarium sheets, two leaves are seen but the protologue mentions a solitary leaf. Probably King and Pantling (1896) considered the upper second leaf as sterile bract.

Subgen. Tulotis (Raf.) Efimov, Phytotaxa 254(1): 31. 2016. Tulotis Raf., Herb. Raf. 70. 1833. Lectotype (designated by Efimov, 2007): Tulotis herbiola (R.Br.) Raf. (= Platanthera flava var. herbiola (R.Br.) Luer ).