Three new Lepanthes species (Pleurothallidinae, Orchidaceae) from Ecuador

Abstract

The Ecuadorian Lepanthes calochroma, L. peltata, and L. spiculifera are proposed as new species, and are described, illustrated, and compared with the most similar species. A brief history and description of the genus are included. The flowers of L. calochroma are similar to those of L. golbasto, but the plant is larger and the flowers are brilliantly colored with petals with an upper lobe longer than the lower. The flowers of L. peltata have an unusual bladeless lip, resembling that of L. alticola, but the latter is distinguished by much larger flowers with long-acuminate sepals. Lepanthes spiculifera is distinguished from the similar L. zettleri by the unusual blunt-spiculate pedicel bearing smaller flowers with blunt-spiculate sepals, densely pubescent petals, and a lip with long-ciliate margins.

A new tall and exceptional species of Lepanthes from north-west Ecuador (Orchidaceae: Pleurothallidinae)

“…Introduction. The genus Lepanthes Sw., a highly diverse genus of Neotropical orchids, with more than 1100 species, and new species being frequently discovered in Ecuador, is divided into two subgenera: Lepanthes and Marsipanthes (Baquero 2018, Baquero et al 2018, Baquero et al 2019, Karremans 2016, Luer & Thoerle 2011, Luer 1996, Thoerle & Hirtz 2015, Tobar et al 2018, Zambrano & Solano 2019.…”

A new gold-colored Lepanthes (Pleurothallidinae: Orchidaceae) from Southeast Ecuador

“…Lepanthes Sw. is one of the mega-diverse genera of Pleurothallidinae orchids with more than 1100 species. In Ecuador, more than 300 species of Lepanthes are known (Luer 1996, Thoerle & Hirtz 2015, Karremans 2016, Baquero 2018, Tobar et al 2018, Baquero et al 2019, Zambrano & Solano 2019. The species of Lepanthes have ramicauls enclosed by lepanthiform sheaths, flowers with transversely expanded petals with two or three lobes, a complex lip (with some exceptions) with a body connecting a pair of blades which normally embrace the column, and a very small structure at the base of the lip which has been called the "appendix" (Luer 1996).…”

A new and showy species of Lepanthes (Orchidaceae: Pleurothallidinae) from North-Western Ecuador

“…Introduction. New species of Lepanthes Sw. are discovered each year at the orchid rich country of Ecuador (Dodson 2004, Tobar et al 2018, Baquero 2018, Thoerle & Hirtz 2015. The genus, with more than 1,100 species, is one of the largest in the Orchidaceae (Karremans 2016).…”