Benthamia bosseri Hervouet

Hervouet, Jean-Michel, Descourvières, Pascal, Hermans, Johan & Longou, Ludivine, 2025, Revision of the genus Benthamia A. Rich. (Orchidaceae, Orchidioideae, Habenariinae), Adansonia (3) 47 (11), pp. 171-249 : 187-188

publication ID

https://doi.org/10.5252/adansonia2025v47a11

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/039B87AB-FFC6-FFF5-20C4-F4862882C564

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Benthamia bosseri Hervouet
status

 

Benthamia bosseri Hervouet View in CoL

( Figs 17 View FIG ; 18 View FIG )

Adansonia , sér. 3 36 (2): 217 ( Hervouet et al. 2014).

TYPE MATERIAL. — Madagascar • Haute Matsiatra, Ambondrombe ; 21°52’47”S, 47°15’33”E; alt. 1700 m; 11.IV.1941; P. Boiteau 4634; holotype: P [ P00692301 ]!. GoogleMaps

ETYMOLOGY. — Dedicated to Jean Bosser (1922-2013), who collected a specimen of the species and was instrumental in the ad- vancement of our current knowledge of the orchids of Madagascar and the Mascarenes.

PHENOLOGY. — March and April.

DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY. — Madagascar. First described from the Haute Matsiatra region in Madagascar, on Ambondrombe and Andringitra, in montane grasslands among rocks. Since 2014 it has also been found around Antoetra in Amoron’i Mania region (first author’s observation and photographs, without specimen). The altitudinal range is 1600-2100 m ( Fig. 19 View FIG ).

CONSERVATION. — Although found in two national parks, it is only known from three locations with an AOO less than 500 km ², in habitats threatened by fires coming up from prairies around the mountains. This species can therefore be considered Endangered (EN) according to criterion B2.

ADDITIONAL SPECIMENS EXAMINED. — Madagascar • Haute Matsiatra , Ambondrombe; 21°52’47”S, 47°15’33”E; alt. 1700 m; 11.IV.1941; P.Boiteau 4634; P [ P00692265 , P00692299 , P00692300 , P00692302 ] GoogleMaps ! • Haute Matsiatra , Parc National de l’Andringitra; 22°07’40”S, 46°51’48”E; IV.1964; J. Bosser 19648; P [ P00692265 ] GoogleMaps !.

NOTES

The flowers remain fresh long after pollination, they are probably autogamous.

See also: Hervouet (2018: 159).

DESCRIPTION

Terrestrial herb 21-71 cm long. Tubers and roots not seen. Stem erect, cylindrical, 2-5 mm in diameter, green or purple (on the same plant), with leaves in the lower part, followed by 1-2 sheaths and 2-3 sterile bracts in the upper part. Leaves 2-3, amplexicaul, thin, flexible, linear, acute, 50-140 × 5-10 mm; sterile bracts linear, acute, 13-25 × 2-3 mm. Rachis 7-19 cm long, arcuate, bearing 20-50 flowers. Floral bracts decurrent, acicular, reddish, as long as ovary + flower, 7-12 × 2 mm. Ovary not twisted, 3-10 mm long, 1-2 mm in diameter, up to 3 mm when ripe, greenish or reddish. Flowers secund, not resupinate, drooping, yellow and reddish; sepals subsimilar, linear, concave, 3-3.5 × 1 mm, with a central vein, slightly keeled dorsally, reddish; petals linear, similar to sepals but slightly narrower, slightly fleshy at apex, 3-3.5 × 0.8-1.1 mm, a little narrower at the base, yellow; lip trilobed, 3-4 × 0.8- 2 mm, with a longitudinal rounded callus prolonged into a thickened midlobe, 1 mm long, lateral lobes a little shorter than midlobe, thickened; spur very short, 1-1.5 mm, round and flattened, bilobed when dry. Column terete, very short, 0.9-1 mm, anther apiculate; auricles relict.

P

Museum National d' Histoire Naturelle, Paris (MNHN) - Vascular Plants

Darwin Core Archive (for parent article) View in SIBiLS Plain XML RDF