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| Elleanthus loxensis M.M.Jiménez & Iturralde, in Jiménez, Kuethe, Garzón-Suárez, Lapo-González, Vélez-Abarca, Salagaje et Iturralde, 2024. |
Abstract
A new species of Elleanthus from southern Ecuador is described and illustrated here. Elleanthus loxensis is characterized by having ramified stems with coriaceous, plicate leaves and white flowers. Its ecological, morphological, and taxonomic traits are compared with other similar species within the genus and discussed here. Additionally, comments on the pollination of Elleanthus scopula are presented.
cloud forests, Loja, orchids, South America, upper elevation, Zamora Chinchipe, Monocots
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| Elleanthus loxensis. A, B. In situ photographs in the El Madrigal of Podocarpus Reserve. C, D. Plant in flower in Tapichacala Reserve. E. The first author is photographing the new species in Tapichalaca Reserve. Photos: by Marco M. Jiménez (A, B) and James H. Muchmore Jr. (C–E). |
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| Lankester Composite Dissection Plate (LCDP) of Elleanthus loxensis. A. Habit with a close-up of the internode of a branch (A1) and a leaf in adaxial view (A2). B. Detail of the inflorescence with a flower in frontal view (B1). C. Dissected flower with a closeup of the apical margin (C1) and corpuscules of the lip (C2). D. Lip, column and ovary in lateral views with a longitudinal section of the lip showing the column and corpuscules. E. Column in ventral and ¾ views. F. Pollinarium and anther in adaxial and abaxial views. Elaborated by Nadia Lapo-González based on photographs of the type. |
Elleanthus loxensis M.M.Jiménez & Iturralde, sp. nov.
Elleantus loxensis is most similar to E. maculatus but it is distinguished by the stems branching along its length (vs. branching only from the base), the white flowers (vs. purple) with shorter spathulate-lanceolate sepals (7.5–8.3 × 3.5–3.6 mm vs. oblong petals 14–18 × 2–3 mm), the smaller, membranaceous, laciniate lip (9.0–9.9 × 7.3–10.1 mm vs. fleshy, fimbriate lip, 17 × 10 mm), and the base with subreniform calli (vs. obpyriform, globose calli).
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| Hummingbirds visiting Elleanthus scopula. A, B, C. Metallura tyrianthina (female) with pollinarium in its bill. D, E. Chalcostigma herrani. Photos by Luis Salagaje. |
Marco M. Jiménez, J.R. Kuethe, Henry X. Garzón-Suárez, Nadia Lapo-González, Leisberth Vélez-Abarca, Luis A. Salagaje M. and Gabriel A. Iturralde. 2024. A New white-flowered Elleanthus (Orchidaceae: Sobralieae) from the Andes of southern Ecuador and Notes on Hummingbird Pollination of Elleanthus scopula. Phytotaxa. 662(3); 209-223. DOI: doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.662.3.1
