Specklinia bretannensis Edquén, Enco & Yrigoín, 2025

Specklinia bretannensis Edquén, Enco & Yrigoín , sp. nov.

( Figures 1–2 View FIGURE 1 View FIGURE 2 ).

Type: — PERU. Loreto: Distrito de Puinahua, provincia de Requena , Comunidad Bretaña , 109–115 m, 1 September 2023, J. D. Edquén-Oblitas & M. Enco-Calderón 7132 (holotype: KUELAP-333 !).

Similar to Specklinia grobyi , from which differs in its elliptic-oblanceolate to elliptic-obovate leaves (vs. obovate leaves), secund, ascendent flowers (vs. distichous, perpendicular to the rachis), dorsal sepal ovate, thickened at the apex (vs. lanceolate, not thickened at the apex), synsepal oblong-elliptic (vs. oblong-obovate), petals asymmetrically oblanceolate-spathulate, acute (vs. lanceolate, acuminate), lip oblong-obovate, almost three times longer than wide (vs. oblong-ligulate, almost twice as long as wide).

Description:— Caespitose, erect to ascendent herb, up to 4.0 cm tall, excluding the inflorescence; roots 0.5–0.7 mm in diameter; rhizome 0.8–1.0 mm long. Stems 3.0–9.0 × 0.6–0.9 mm, with two internodes, concealed by scarious sheaths, 3.5–8.0 mm long, with an annulus near the base of the upper internode. Leaves 9.0–20.0 × 5.5–9.0 mm, elliptic-oblanceolate to elliptic-obovate, obtuse, 2-lobed and mucronate at the apex (the mucron 0.3-0.4 mm long), marginate, coriaceous, biconvex, longitudinally sulcate along the midvein adaxially, glabrous, olive green to yellowish green, abaxially suffused with purple, abruptly attenuated into a petiole 3.0–11.0 × 0.5–1.3 mm. Inflorescence 4.5–6.0 cm long, racemose, arising from the annulus, erect, glabrous; spathaceous bract 1.0– 1.5 mm long; peduncle filiform, longer than the leaf, 2.5–4.0 cm long, purple, with 2 tubular-infundibuliform bracts, oblique, acute, membranaceous, 0.6–1.4 mm long, hyaline and somewhat suffused with purple; rachis 1.0– 1.6 cm long, with 2–5 secund, ascendent, simultaneous flowers. Floral bracts 1.0– 1.5 mm long, obliquely tubular-infundibuliform, obtuse, shortly apiculate, membranaceous, glabrous, hyaline and somewhat suffused with purple. Ovary 0.6–1.5 × 0.3–0.5 mm, obconical, trigonous, yellow suffused with red; pedicel 1.0– 1.8 mm long, greenish yellow to purple. Flowers bilabiate, hyaline, 4.0–5.0 × 2.5–3.0 mm; sepals greenish-yellow, dark yellow or cream, petals greenish yellow, striped with dark yellow along the midvein, lip yellow, striped with red along the lateral veins, column white, foot yellow, anther white. Sepals concave, abaxially carinate along the veins, marginally cellular-papillose; dorsal sepal 3.8–4.5 × 1.8–2.3 mm, ovate, acute, 3-veined, thickened and glandular-papillose toward the apex, lateral sepals fully fused into an oblong-lanceolate, obtuse, shortly bilobed synsepal, the latter 4.0–5.0 × 1.8–2.4 mm, 4–veined, thickened and glandular-papillose towards the apex. Petals 1.4–2.0 × 0.4–0.7 mm, obliquely oblanceolate-spathulate, acute, 1-veined, with the margin closer to the lip broadly rounded and dilated. Lip 1.0–1.6 × 0.5–0.9 mm, fleshy, lamina oblong-obovate, rounded, slightly pandurate, 3-veined, glandular-papillose, sulcate along the middle, with a pair of submarginal and longitudinal thickenings for ¾ of its length, with a depression near the apex (somewhat similar to a glenion), shortly channeled at the basal part on the midvein. Column 1.4–1.8 × 0.5–0.8 mm, slightly arcuate, ventrally concave with two vertical, broad, entire wings, these 0.5 mm long, apically bidentate, acute and falcate; clinandrium ovate; column foot 1.0–1.5 × 0.3–0.4 mm, fleshy, incurved, with two hemispherical, thickened, papillose calli near the base; stigmatic cavity ventral, 0.3 × 0.4 mm, semi-orbicular; rostellum laminar, oblong. Anther ventral, 0.3–0.4 mm long, elliptic-obovoid. Pollinia 2, 0.2 mm long, elliptic-obovoid, yellow, without caudicles nor viscidium. Capsule not seen.

Distribution and ecology:— So far, this species is known only from the western Amazonian region, Brazil (Amazonas), Colombia (Amazonas, Vaupes, and Vichada), Ecuador (Sucumbíos), and Peru (Amazonas and Loreto) ( Figure 3 View FIGURE 3 ). The region of Peru where the species occurs is recognized for its rich biodiversity, especially within the Amazon rainforest.

Epiphyte on stems of Ficus trigona Linneaus f. (1782: 441) , locally known as renaco, and on decaying wood of fallen branches and logs in the interior of the flooded alluvial forest between 90 and 610 m elevation. The area is characterized by a thick layer of organic matter, including leaf litter, fallen logs, and decaying wood, which can be submerged during the rainy season. The area is dominated by tall trees ( Figure 4 View FIGURE 4 ). Specklinia bretannensis was found growing with other orchids, such as Epidendrum musciferum Lindley (1834: 6) , and species of Camaridium Lindley (1824 : t. 844), Ornithocephalus Hooker (1824a : t. 127), Polystachya Hooker (1824b : t. 103), and Prosthechea Knowles & Westcott (1838: 111-112) .

The species was observed flowering in the middle of September, but it probably flowers from August to October, during the dry season.

Etymology:— The specific epithet refers to the community of Bretaña, in the department of Loreto, Peru, where the species was discovered.

Conservation status:— Study of herbarium material of the genus Specklinia allowed us the identification of additional specimens of Specklinia bretannensis collected in the western Amazonian region of Brazil, Colombia, and Ecuador, which had been mistaken for S. grobyi . Hence, the new species has a wide distribution, but other than at the type locality, the conservation status of its populations is unknown. In the type locality, the species is locally abundant, with many clumps of 10–100 individuals in an area of about 500 m ². We suggest the category of Data Deficient, according to the IUCN Standards and Petitions Committee (2019), until further field studies over its distribution area permit a more objective assessment of its risk status.

Specimens examined:— BRAZIL. Amazonas: Upper Rio Negro basin, Rio Dimití , at base, Serra Dimití, 90 m, 12-19 May 1948, R.E. Schultes & F. López 10018 B ( GH!) . COLOMBIA. Amazonas: Trapecio Amazónico, Loretoyacu River , 100 m, 1944, R.E. Schultes 6328 ( AMES!, GH!) ; Trapecio Amazónico, Loretoyacu River , about 100 m, October 1945, R.E. Schultes 6825 ( GH!) ; Vaupés: Río Apaporis , Cachivera de Jirijirimo y alrededores, 250 m, R.E. Schultes & I. Cabrera 14065 ( MO!) ; Vichada: forest along Rio Vichada , near San José de Ocune, 100 m, 03 May 1939, O. Haught 2802 ( AMES!) . PERU. Amazonas: Bagua province, Imaza district , comunidad de Yamayakat , Quebrada Kusu-Chapi , 550 m, February 1995, R. Vásquez, N. Jaramillo, R. Apanu & R. Kugkumas 19569 ( MO!) ; comunidad de Yamayakat, Quebrada Kusu-Chapi , 550 m, February 1995, R. Vásquez, N. Jaramillo, R. Apanu & R. Kugkumas 20063 ( MO!) ; comunidad de Yamayakat, Quebrada Kusu-Chapi , 550 m, February 1995, R. Vásquez, N. Jaramillo, R. Apanu & R. Kugkumas 20075 ( MO!) ; Yamayakat , 340 m, 07 October 1995, N. Jaramillo & N. Katio 804 ( MO!) ; Condorcanqui province, Rio Cenepa region, trailside east of Huampami, along creek flowing into Nahim , which runs into Huampami Creek , 610 m, 27 November 1972, B. Berlin 399 ( MO!) ; Loreto: Loreto, Nauta district, Parimari, Reserva Natural Pacaya-Samiria , Yanayacu River , Fariña sua, 95 m, 10 November 1992, C. del Carpio, O. Tovar & J. Ruiz 1699 ( MO!) .

iNaturalist observations:— ECUADOR. Sucumbíos: Cuyabeno, Reserva de Protección de Fauna Cuyabeno , 220 m, 27 March 2024, LostinCR (https://mexico.inaturalist.org/observations/208629027; accessed 20 Octuber 2024]) .

Taxonomic discussion:— Specklinia bretannensis has been confused in herbaria with Specklinia grobyi or one of its nomenclatural synonyms. Luer (2006) considered that the Specklinia grobyi complex consists of two variable and intermingled taxa, representing the most widespread species within Pleurothallidinae , ranging from near the sea level up to 2,500 m of elevation, with populations occurring in different biogeographical regions, each with distinct environmental characteristics. Bellone and Archila (2013) considered S. picta as a morphogroup, a name encompassing several morphologically similar species, including some more closely related to S. grobyi . However, those authors did not attempt to clarify the members of this group, instead limiting themselves to proposing a new species, S. succulenta Bellone & Archila (2013: 86) .

Specklinia bretannensis is recognizable by its elliptic-oblanceolate to elliptic-obovate, obtuse leaves, the inflorescence up to 3 times longer than the length of the leaf, with ascendent, lax, secund, yellow with red stripes flowers, the ovate and acute dorsal sepal, oblong-lanceolate and the obtuse synsepal longer than the dorsal one, with thickened and glandular-papillose apices of the sepals, the asymmetrically oblanceolate-spathulate petals, oblong-obovate and the rounded lip ( Figures 1 View FIGURE 1 and 2 View FIGURE 2 ).

In the present paper, five species of the S. grobyi complex occurring in western South America, across Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, that show morphological similarities with S. bretannensis , are discussed. These species are S. crepidophylla , S. densifolia , S. florulenta , S. grobyi , and S. picta . Table 1 View TABLE 1 presents a comparative summary of the key morphological traits that distinguish them.

Specklinia grobyi can be interpreted based on the description and illustration of the species ( Fig. 5 View FIGURE 5 ) published by Lindley (1835a: tab. 1797). No herbarium specimen exists at K for the plant imported by Bateman and cultivated by Lord Grey of Groby. However, Lindley explicitly referred to the watercolor in tabula 1797, in which the species was described. According to Article 9.1 and Note 1 of the Shenzhen Code ( Turland et al. 2018), this watercolor is considered here the holotype of Pleurothallis grobyi .

This species is characterized as a caespitose plant with abbreviated stems; spathulate-obovate, rounded, emarginate leaves, tapering towards the base into a petiole; racemose inflorescence, nearly three times longer than the leaf, peduncle longer than the leaf, rachis bearing up to 8 loose, distichous and simultaneous flowers, perpendicular to the rachis; pedicel shorter than the flower’s length; sepals yellow, red striped along the veins, dorsal sepal lanceolate, acute, the lateral sepals fused into an oblong-lanceolate, acute synsepal; petals lanceolate, acuminate, lip longer than the petals, oblong, rounded, nearly twice as long as wide; column with a pair of columnar calli at the base of the foot. The description of Specklinia grobyi in Luer (2006) was based on specimens representing two different species. One of them may correspond to the description presented above, while the other is more similar to S. picta or a closely allied species. As a result, Luer’s description mixed different taxa, reinforcing the perception that the name S. grobyi is a morphologically variable entity distributed throughout the Neotropics.

Specklinia picta ( Figure 6 View FIGURE 6 ) is also highly variable and widely distributed in South America. It probably is a complex of species that is not well understood. However, it is easily distinguishable from S. bretannensis as can be seen in Table 1 View TABLE 1 . The type specimen of Pleurothallis picta and the illustration based on it, housed at K ( Fig. 7 View FIGURE 7 ), along with its description ( Lindley 1835b: tab. 1825), help to interpreted S. picta . This species is characterized by its caespitose habit with abbreviated stems; linear-oblanceolate, obtuse, emarginate leaves that taper long toward the base into a petiole indistinct from the lamina; racemose inflorescence, nearly twice as long as the leaf, peduncle equal to or slightly shorter than the leaf, rachis bearing up to 16 loose, simultaneous, distichous, erect flowers; pedicel shorter than the flower’s length; dorsal sepal and synsepal yellow or yellowish-white with red stripes along the veins, lanceolate, acuminate; petals asymmetrically linear-oblanceolate, acute; lip is as long as the column, oblong, rounded, nearly three times as long as wide; column with a pair of columnar calli at the base of the foot.