Calanthe lamellosa Rolfe, Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1896: 197

S., Dey, A., Bhattacharjee & Neikha, T., 2022, On the first record of Calanthe lamellosa (Orchidaceae) from India with notes on typification, Rheedea 32 (3), pp. 190-195 : 190-193

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.22244/rheedea.2022.32.03.03
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/0397AD3E-F61E-4311-FCB2-FA5E2003AF63
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Calanthe lamellosa Rolfe, Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1896: 197
status

Treatment

Calanthe lamellosa Rolfe, Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1896: 197 View in CoL . 1896; D.A. Clayton & P.J. Cribb, Gen. Calanthe View in CoL : 135. 2013. Lectotype (designated here): CHINA, Hupeh ( Hubei), Chienshih, A. Henry 5958 (K [ K000810922 digital image!]; isolecto GH [ GH00060388 ], P [ P00378965 ] digital images!).

Calanthe yunnanensis Rolfe, J. Linn. Soc. Bot. View in CoL 36: 27. 1903. Lectotype (designated here): CHINA, Yunnan, Mengtsz (Mengtze), 8–9000 ft, 9 May ’96 ( 09.05.1896), W. Hancock 589 (K [ K000810916 digital image!]); residual syntypes: Yunnan, Mengtze, N. mts. forests at 8000 ft, s.d., A. Henry 11107 (K [ K000810914 , K000810915 ], E [ E00383597 ], NY [00008615, 00008616], Z [ Z00006494 ], US [00322840] digital images!).

FigS. 1 View Fig , 2 View Fig & 3A View Fig

Plants 28–60 cm tall. Pseudobulbs ovoid, 2–2.5 × 1.2–2 cm. Stem thick, 5–10 cm long, encircled by leaf-bases. Leaves 2–5, lamina oblong-elliptic to oblong-obovate, 10–30 × 5–10 cm, green, acute to acuminate at apex, petiole sheathing at base. Inflorescence longer than leaves, 20–36 cm long; rachis laxly 7 to 20-flowered, puberulent. Floral bracts narrowly lanceolate, shorter than pedicel plus ovary, almost glabrous, acute to acuminate at apex. Flowers 3–4 cm long, with fragrance of grated coconut, sepals and petals white to pale greenish-yellow, labellum white with pinkish-mauve tinge. Pedicel plus ovary 1.5–2 cm long, often curved, pale yellowish-green, puberulent. Dorsal sepal ovate-lanceolate, 1.5–2 × 0.5–0.8 cm, 3-veined, acute at apex; lateral sepals oblong-elliptic to oblong-lanceolate, 1.6–2.1 × 0.4–0.6 cm, 3-veined, acute at apex. Petals narrowly elliptic, 1.4–1.7 × 0.3–0.4 cm, 3-veined, acute at apex. Labellum 1.3–1.6 cm long, 3-lobed; sidelobes broadly oblong, 0.6–0.7 × 0.26–0.32 cm, spreading; mid-lobe entire, obovate to obcordate, 0.9–0.11 × 0.7–0.8 cm, with a distinct apiculus at apex; callus with 3 fleshy, irregular, raised keels running from lip base to just below its apex; spur 0.2–0.34 cm long, with many hairs at its mouth, obtuse at apex. Column adnate to the labellum for half its length, c. 0.4 cm long. Anther broadly ovate, 0.3–0.35 × 0.25–0.3 cm, dull-white to yellowish-white; pollinarium c. 0.3 cm long; pollinia 8, in 2 groups each with 4, oblong-ovate, c. 0.1 cm long, sometimes slightly oblique, subequal, yellow; caudicles reduced; viscidium oblong to sub-quadrate, dark brown at maturity. Capsules ellipsoid, 2–3.2 × 1–1.5 cm, pendent, brownish towards maturity, 4-ridged.

Flowering & fruiting: We observed both flowers and fruits during April (in India ).

Habitat: Terrestrial, found in temperate broadleaved forest in association with Castanopsis indica (Roxb. ex Lindl.) A.DC. ( Fagaceae ), Clematis manipurensis (Bruhl) W.T.Wang ( Ranunculaceae ), Elaeagnus sp. (Elaeaganaceae), Laportea bulbifera (Siebold & Zucc.) Wedd. ( Urticaceae ), Lithocarpus pachyphyllus (Kurz) Rehder ( Fagaceae ), Maianthemum fuscum (Wall.) LaFrankie ( Asparagaceae ), Rhododendron elliottii Watt ex Brandis ( Ericaceae ), Symplocos sp. ( Symplocaceae ) and others, at c. 2345 m elevation.

Distribution: China, India and Myanmar.

Etymology:The specific epithet is derived from the Latin ‘ lamellosus ’ (with lamellae, i.e., composed of or arranged in layers or thin plates) in reference to the callus on the mid-lobe of the labellum with lamellate keels.

Specimens examined: INDIA , Nagaland, Kohima district, Japfu mountain range , c. 2345 m, 29.04.2022, Moaakum & Santanu Dey MKN-1011 ( CAL) .

Notes: Calanthe lamellosa was treated as conspecific with C. brevicornu by several authors (Pearce & Cribb, 2002; Lucksom, 2007; Chen et al., 2009). However, Calanthe lamellosa was reinstated by Clayton and Cribb (2013) which was supported by Kurzweil and Ormerod (2019). We also confirm its distinctness from C. brevicornu based on our study of live plants in the field and herbarium specimens (including the types) of both species. Calanthe lamellosa is morphologically close to C. brevicornu but can be distinguished in having white to pale greenish-yellow sepals and petals, white labellum with pinkish-mauve tinge, dull white to yellowish-white anther and the mid-lobe of the labellum with a distinct apiculus at the apex. The sepals and petals of C. brevicornu are basally white and marked with dark reddish or maroon lines, or sometimes dark reddish or maroon throughout except for the white base, the labellum is white marked with purple or maroon, the anther is pinkish-white ( Fig. 3b View Fig ), and the mid-lobe of the labellum has an emarginate apex. Further, the lamellate keels on the labellum are narrower but much elevated in C. lamellosa than those of C. brevicornu . Lucksom’s (2007) treatment of C. lamellosa as a synonym of C. brevicornu is erroneous, because Lucksom’s plants (under the name Calanthe brevicornu ) from Sikkim are actually C. brevicornu and not C. lamellosa , which is evident from the description, illustration and photographs provided by Lucksom (2007). Though Clayton and Cribb (2013) and Kurzweil and Ormerod (2019) considered the shape of the sepals and petals as one of the distinguishing characteristics of these two species, we found it a little variable and overlapping as we observed ovate-lanceolate to oblong-elliptic to oblong-lanceolate sepals and narrowly elliptic petals in C. lamellosa , and oblong-lanceolate sepals and narrowly elliptic to rhomboid petals in C. brevicornu .