Benthamia bathieana Schltr.

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 : 184-185

publication ID

https://doi.org/10.5252/adansonia2025v47a11

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16262543

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/039B87AB-FFDB-FFF6-223A-F40B285FC799

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Benthamia bathieana Schltr.
status

 

Benthamia bathieana Schltr. View in CoL

( Figs 11 View FIG ; 12 View FIG )

Repertorium Specierum Novarum Regni Vegetabilis 33 ( Schlechter 1924: 25).

Benthamia latifolia Schltr., Beihefte zum Botanischen Centralblatt 34(2) ( Schlechter 1916: 303), nom. illeg. non A.Rich. — Type: Madagascar • Vakinankaratra , Mt. Ibity; II.1914; H. Perrier s.n.; holotype: B, could not be traced, possibly destroyed during WWII.

TYPE MATERIAL. — Madagascar • Vakinankaratra , Mt. Ibity; 20°06’25”S, 46°59’51”E; alt. 2000 m; IV.1921; H. Perrier 13582; holotype: P [ P00094469 ]!; GoogleMaps isotype: P [ P00094470 ] GoogleMaps !.

ETYMOLOGY. — Named for the French botanist Henri Perrier de la Bâthie, who collected the type specimen on Mt. Ibity.

PHENOLOGY. — February to April.

DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY. — Madagascar. Only recorded from the centre: from Mt. Ibity near Antsirabe and in the Itremo massif near Ambatofinandrahana, amongst rocks, in montane grasslands. The altitude range is 1700-2100 m ( Fig. 13).

CONSERVATION. — This species is only known with certainty from Mt. Ibity and the Ambatofinandrahana area (including Itremo National Park). This is fewer than five localities, with an AOO less than 500 km ² and a quality of habitat in continuing decline due to bush fires, it should be considered Endangered (EN) according to criterion B2.

ADDITIONAL SPECIMENS EXAMINED. — Madagascar • Amoron’i Mania , environs d’Ambatofinandrahana; 20°40’11”S, 47°07’19”E; alt. 1600-1800 m; 23.II.1938; R. Decary 13230; P [ P00094473 ] GoogleMaps ! • Amoron’i Mania , Itremo, 20°34’12”S, 46°34’55”E; IV.1964; J. Bosser 19588; P [ P00094471 , P00094472 ]!, TAN GoogleMaps ! • Vakinankaratra , Mt. Kiboy, Ibity massif; 20°3.66’S, 47°0.01’E; V.2001; J.Hermans 121; K GoogleMaps !.

NOTES

The identity of this species has only recently been correctly understood. It can easily be confused with Benthamia rostrata in photographs, though it is a much larger plant. Several Benthamia rostrata specimens have been labelled Benthamia bathieana in the literature and herbaria. Apart from the plant size it differs from Benthamia rostrata by the leaves which are closer together and wider, and its denser inflorescence. The flowers differ from B. rostrata by the petals and sepals twice as long, the side-lobes of the lip which are not equilateral vs equilateral in B. rostrata , the shorter spur, and the paleyellow colour of the flowers (vs. greenish in B. rostrata ).

The gathering H. Perrier 13582 has two sheets in P, but one of them (P00094469) is clearly annotated in Perrier’s handwriting that it is the material that was sent to Schlechter for the description, and can therefore be considered the holotype, with P00094470 being an isotype.

See also: Schlechter (1930: t.9 n°36), Perrier (1939: 23), Cribb & Hermans (2009: 42, photograph is Benthamia rostrata Schltr ).

DESCRIPTION

Robust terrestrial herb up to 70 cm tall. Tubers 20-30, narrowly fusiform, extended by a root up to 12 cm long. Stem 10-15 mm in diameter, with base enclosed by sheaths, with leaves higher up. Leaves 5-6, big, oval or elliptic, the middle ones up to 16 × 7.5 cm, the upper ones becoming gradually smaller. Rachis rigid, elongate, 22-30 × 1.8 cm, densely 40-80-flowered. Floral bracts lanceolate, very acuminate, the lower ones longer than the ovary, 5-10 × 2 mm. Ovary 6-10 × 1.8 mm long. Flower butter yellow; sepals oblong, obtuse, 1-veined, dorsal sepal 3.5-3.9 × 1-2 mm long, concave and erect; lateral sepals 4-4.5 × 1.2-2 mm; petals oval-obtuse, 2-veined, 4 × 2-2.8 mm, a little expanded at the front edge towards the base. Lip 4-6 × 2.2-3 mm, without callus, broadly angular or wedge-shaped at the base, clearly trilobed from the middle; lateral lobes flat, triangular-falciform, midlobe linear-ligulate, somewhat obtuse and fleshy, upcurved at the apex; spur pendent, cylindrical, 3.6-4.5 × 0.5-0.7 mm long. Column 1.2-2 × 1 mm, anther oval-obtuse; auricles 2-3 times shorter than the anther.

H

University of Helsinki

B

Botanischer Garten und Botanisches Museum Berlin-Dahlem, Zentraleinrichtung der Freien Universitaet

TAN

Parc de Tsimbazaza

K

Royal Botanic Gardens

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