Sunipia quangdangii, new orchid species (Orchidaceae) from southern Vietnam 

Phytotaxa 452 (1): 092–098 https://www.mapress.com/j/pt/ Copyright © 2020 Magnolia Press 

VAN CANH NGUYEN1,5, LEONID AVERYANOV2,6, NGHIA SON HOANG3,7, VAN SON DANG3,8 & BA VUONG

TRUONG3,4,9*
1 Institute of Applied Technology, Thu Dau Mot University, No. 6, Tran Van On Street, Phu Hoa Ward, Thu Dau Mot City, Binh Duong Province, Vietnam.
2 Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Prof. Popov Street 2, 197376, St. Petersburg, Russia.
3 Institute of Tropical Biology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 85 Tran Quoc Toan, Dist. 3, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
4 Graduate University of Science and Technology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Cau Giay District, Ha Noi, Vietnam.

5.    nguyenvancanh@gmail.com; https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9578-0342

6.    av_leonid@mail.ru; https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9578-0342

7.    hoangnghiason@yahoo.com; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8851-0085

8.    dvsonitb@gmail.com; https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8681-4141

9.    bavuong2019@yahoo.com; https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3452-8455

* Author for correspondence

Abstract

Sunipia quangdangii (Orchidaceae) discovered in southern Vietnam (Lam Dong Province, Da Lat City area) is described and illustrated as a new species for science. It is most close to S. pallida but differs in smooth petals, saccate hypochile with erose margin, small triangular side lobes and terete epichile. The new species is also similar to S. andersonii but differs in big size of plant, pseudobulbs and flower, short inflorescence scape and terete epichile shorter than hypochile. The flower of newly discovered plant somewhat resembles to flower of S. saccata, but new species strikingly differs in plant habit and short, 2-flowered inflorescence.

Keywords: Sunipia, plant taxonomy, plant diversity, flora of Vietnam

Introduction

Pridgeon et al. (2014) and Vermeulen et al. (2014) suggested the genus Sunipia Lindley (1826: 21, 25, = Ione Lindley 1853: Ione 1) to be synonymous to Bulbophyllum Thouars (1822; tab. sp. 3, u). However, based on many morphological details, Sunipia remains well separated from Bulbophyllum (Chen et al. 2009, Averyanov et al. 2019). In this paper, we accept Sunipia as a distinct genus. According to basic accounts on Vietnamese orchids (Seidenfaden 1992, Averyanov & Averyanova 2003, Averyanov et al. 2015), flora of Vietnam includes Sunipia andersonii (King & Pantling 1898: 159) P.F.Hunt (1971: 183, = S. bifurcatoflorens (Fukuyama 1935: 440) P.F.Hunt 1971: 183), S. annamensis (Ridley in Baker 1921: 115) P.F.Hunt (1971: 183), S. bicolor Lindley (1833: 179), S. nigricans Averyanov (2007: 302), S. pallida (Averyanov 1997: 143.) Averyanov 1999: 129, and S. scariosa Lindley (1833: 179). With the new discovery, the genus in Vietnam includes currently 7 distinct taxa.

Materials and methods

The measurements of plant organs and the description of the new species were based on living plants collected in the field. Voucher specimens were preserved on herbarium sheets and additional material was preserved in 70% ethanol and stored at VNM Herbarium (Institute of Tropical Biology, Ho Chi Minh City). The morphological terminology follows Beentje (2012).

FIGURE 1. Sunipia quangdangii. in nature and its habitat. Photo by Nguyen Van Canh. 

FIGURE 2. Sunipia quangdangii. A. Flowering plant; B. Leaf apex; C. Flowers in different views, D. Floral bract; E. Dorsal sepal; F. Petals, G. Lateral sepals; H. Lip in different views; I. Pedicel, column and lip; J. Column; K. Anther cap in different views, L. Pollinia. Photo by Truong Ba Vuong. 

FIGURE 3. A. Sunipia pallida; B. S. andersonii. Photo—A by Nguyen Cong Anh, B—by Truong Ba Vuong. 

Taxonomic description

Sunipia quangdangii Vuong, V.C.Nguyen & Aver. sp. nov. (Fig. 1, 2)

Type:—VIETNAM, Lam Dong Province, Da Lat City area, along Tia Stream, in evergreen broad-leaved forest at elevation 1600–1700 m elev., 9 April 2020, Truong Ba Vuong, Nguyen Van Canh, Ngo Quang Dang, BV 560 (holotype VNM 00023649!, photo LE 01073065).

Etymology:—New species is named after Mr. Ngo Quang Dang, an orchid enthusiast the original collector of the specimen.

Description:—Herb perennial, epiphytic, creeping. Rhizome stout, 2–3 mm in diameter, covered by several scarious brownish to dark brown sheaths. Pseudobulbs 1-leaved, ovoid, somewhat oblique, 1.3–1.5 cm long, pseudobulbs 3.0–4.8 cm apart. Leaves shortly petiolate or subsessile, narrowly oblong, 4.0–6.5 cm long, 1.0–1.2 cm wide, retuse; petiole ca. 5 mm long. Inflorescence arising from the base of pseudobulbs, ca. 2.1 cm long, commonly 2-flowered, covered by 5 overlapped scarious bracts; floral bract ovate, ca. 7 mm long, 4 mm wide; pedicel and ovary ca. 8 mm long. Flowers open simultaneously, pale yellowish-green, lip margin black. Dorsal sepal ovate, 12–15 mm long, 5–6 mm wide, acute, 5-veined, with the prominent median vein on abaxial surface. Lateral sepals little larger than dorsal sepal, slightly incurved, 15 mm long, 5–6 mm wide, acute, with 1 prominent median vein. Petals narrowly triangular lanceolate, broadening near the base, 13–15 mm long, 1–2 mm wide (at the widest part near the base), basal part with long soft white hairs along the margins. Lip adnate to column foot, immovable; hypochile saccate, ca. 3 mm long and vide, adaxially with 1 low median keel, abaxially with 3 dark purple stripes, lateral margins finely erose; epichile terete, straight 1.5–2.0 mm long, blunt. Column ca. 4 mm tall, slightly curved, anther cap white, brownish at apex; stigma obovate, ca. 2 mm long; pollinia 4, subequal, in 2 pairs.

Habitat:—Trunk and branch epiphyte in coniferous and broad-leaved forests at an elevation range of 1000–1700 m elev., often along streams, usually on trees with smooth bark (particularly Ericaceae, Fagaceae, etc.).

Phenology:—In March, April and July.
Distribution:—Endemic of southern Vietnam (Lam Dong Province).
Specimens examined:—VIETNAM, Lam Dong Province, Lac Duong District, Da Chais Municipality, in 29–31

km to NNE from Dalat City, old open secondary dry coniferous mountain forest with domination of Pinus kesiya at 1550–1700 m a.s.l. in 8–10 km from Bi Dup main peak to the W (N12°07’ E108°36’), epiphyte mostly on Lyonia and Lithocarpus, tepals pale green, lip pale green with light pink tint, margin of side lobes black-purple, column green, anther yellow, not rare, 14.04.1997, L. Averyanov, N.Q. Binh, VH 3962 (HN, LE, photo LE 01073066). VIETNAM, Lam Dong Province, Dalat City area, cultivated plant collected in the forest near Dalat City, photo made in November 2013, L. Averyanov, s.n. (photo LE 01073067). VIETNAM, Lam Dong Province, Da Lat City area, along Tia stream, in evergreen broad-leaved forest, at elevation about 1000 m a.s.l., 15 July 2018, Truong Ba Vuong, Ngo Quang Dang, BV 339 (VNM-00023644).

Note:—Sunipia quangdangii looks similar to S. pallida (Fig. 3A) but clearly different in smooth petals (vs. petals papillose or finely verruculose), hypochile saccate with finely erose margin and small triangular side lobes (vs. hypochile cup-shaped, with entire margin, with no distinct side lobes), epichile terete, blunt (vs. epichile attenuate to the pointed apex). The new species can be also compared with the S. andersonii (Fig. 3B) but clearly differs in bigger size of plant, pseudobulbs up to 1.5 cm long, leaves up to 6.5 cm long, 1.2 cm wide and flower ca. 2.1 cm across (vs. pseudobulbs 0.9–1 cm long, leaves ca. 3.3 cm long, 1 cm wide, flower ca. 1.1 cm across); inflorescence scape 2.1 cm long (vs. scape less than 1 cm long); hypochile deeply saccate (vs. hypochile shallowly saccate), epichile terete shorter than hypochile (vs. epichile narrowly triangular, much longer than hypochile). The flower of our new species looks somewhat similar to flowers of S. saccata described recently from Laos (Averyanov et al. 2019), in saccate labellum but well differs from short inflorescence with 2 flowers (vs. much longer inflorescence bearing usually 6 flowers), lip with large terete epichile (vs. lip with no epichile), lateral sepals free (vs. lateral sepals connate at base), petals with entire margin, narrowly triangular, white villose along the margin neat the base, (vs. petals ovate, with hairless erose margin).

Key to species of the genus Sunipia in the flora of Vietnam

1. –.Four pollinia placed on a single stipe.....................................................................................................2 Four pollinia in 2 pairs, each with own stipe and viscidium..............................................................................................................3

2. Flower dark purple, pedicel 5–6.5 mm long, floral bract as long as pedicel or little shorter, pedicel much longer than 2 mm, flowers not enclosed by floral bract ................................................................................ S. nigricans –. Flower pale purple or pale green flushed with purple, pedicel ca. 2 mm long, floral bract longer than pedicel, flower enclosed in floral bract ............................................................................................S. scariosa

3. Inflorescence less than 3 cm long, 1–2-flowered, petals usually with white hair or papillose at base ..............................................

4 –. Inflorescence more than 5.5 cm long, normally bearing more than 2 flowers, petal glabrous and smooth.......................................6 4. Flower less than 1.1 cm across, hypochile shallow........................................................................................S. andersonii –. Flower more than 2 cm across, hypochile cup-shaped or saccate......................................................................................................5

5. Petals papillose or verruculose, hypochile cup-shaped, hypochile margin entire, without side lobes, epichile attenuate to the pointed apex, longer than hypochile.................................................................................................................................................. S. pallida –. Petals smooth, hypochile saccate, hypochile margin erose, with small side lobes, epichile terete, blunt, shorter than hypochile...... ....................................................................................................S. quangdangii

6. Inflorescence longer than leaves, lip without swollen callus at apex...........................................................................S. annamensis –. Inflorescence shorter than leaves, lip with swollen callus at apex.......................................................................................S. bicolor

Acknowledgments

Field and laboratory studies were supported by Herbarium of Institute of Tropical Biology, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and the Russian Foundation for Basic Researches “Inventory, taxonomy and geography of the orchids (Orchidaceae) of Vietnam”, 20-04-00339 А.

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