Friday, November 11, 2016

[Botany • 2016] Lecanorchis tabugawaensis • A New Mycoheterotrophic Plant (Orchidaceae, Vanilloideae) from Yakushima Island, Japan


Lecanorchis tabugawaensis 
 Suetsugu & Fukunaga



Abstract
A new species, Lecanorchis tabugawaensis Suetsugu & Fukunaga, sp. nov. from Yakushima Island, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan, is described and illustrated. Lecanorchis tabugawaensis is similar to L. taiwaniana, but it is easily distinguished by the straight column, the glabrous status of the base of the column, the almost entire and narrow labellum morphology, the shorter part of the column fused with the labellum and the glabrous status of the apical part of the adaxial labellum surface. The new species appears to be restricted to two locations, each consisting of only dozens of mature individuals, and is assessed as Critically Endangered [CR D1] according to IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria.

Keywords: IUCN conservation status, mycoheterotrophy, new species, reproductive biology, taxonomy




Lecanorchis tabugawaensis Suetsugu & Fukunaga, sp. nov.

  Diagnosis: Lecanorchis tabugawaensis differs from its close relative Ltaiwaniana in having a straight column, a narrow and almost entire labellum and the glabrous apical part of the adaxial labellum surface.

Type: JAPAN. Kyushu: Kagoshima Pref., Yakushima Island, Yakushima Town, Koseda, along Tabu River, alt. 170m, 16 July 2015, H. Yamashita s.n. (holotype KYO; isotype OSA).





Etymology: The specific epithet is derived from“Tabugawa”, which is the Japanese name for the Tabu River, the type locality that also harbors other rare mycoheterotrophic plants.


Kenji Suetsugu and Hirokazu Fukunaga. 2016. Lecanorchis tabugawaensis (Orchidaceae, Vanilloideae), A New Mycoheterotrophic Plant from Yakushima Island, Japan.
PhytoKeys. 73: 125-135. DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.73.10019