Lepanthes matachin T.Arias, J.S.Moreno & J.S.Arango-González, 2025

Arias, Tatiana, Moreno, Juan Sebastián, Restrepo, Eugenio, Alegría-Valencia, Melisa, Cadavid-Morales, David Emilio, Alarcón-Vinasco, Sergio Fernando, Davila, Camila & Zuluaga, Alejandro, 2025, Expedition Lepanthes (Orchidaceae) of Colombia: discovery of six new species and observations on a curious case of flower polymorphism, Phytotaxa 705 (2), pp. 115-148 : 133-136

4. Lepanthes matachin T.Arias, J.S.Moreno & J.S.Arango-González , sp. nov. ( Figures 12–14 , 21 )

Type:— COLOMBIA. Caldas: municipio Riosucio, sector la Tabarquina, camino al predio los Ramírez, comunidad de Mexico, 2,640 m, 8 February 2024. T. Arias et al. 1323 (holotype: CUVC!, isotype: SEL! Spirit).

Lepanthes matachin is most similar to L. dactylopetala Luer & Hirtz (2012: 346) but differs in several features. L. matachin is a medium to large epiphyte herb with ramicauls enclosed by narrow lepanthiform sheaths with acute to caudate ostia and ciliate margins (vs. dilated, acuminate, ciliate sheaths). The inflorescence is a congested, distichous raceme with 11–12 flowers (vs. a congested, successively many-flowered inflorescence). The dorsal sepal is red with yellow margins thickening towards the base, microscopically pubescent, fimbriate, carinate, with an acute apex forming a slender tail, and connate to the lateral sepals (vs. translucent light-yellow sepals, green at the base, minutely ciliate). The petals are red, glabrous, and transversely bilobed (vs. dark red with dark orange borders). The lip is red and glossy with a yellow center, glabrous, coriaceous, with oblong-ovate blades having narrowly obtuse apices and a prominent median concavity (vs. dark orange, narrowly oblong blades with rounded lower ends and obtuse apices).

Description:— Epiphytic herb, caespitose, medium to large, 19.1 cm tall. Roots slender, terete, 0.39 mm in diameter. Ramicauls 15.3 cm long, enclosed by 11–13 narrowly lepanthiform sheath, with acute to caudate dilated ostia, with ciliate margins. Leaves, green adaxially with purple veins, deep purple abaxially, pubescent, erect, ellipticalovate, acute, acuminate, 4.8–6.1 cm × 1.9–2.0 cm; the base cuneate into a petiole 1.46–1.7 cm long. Inflorescence a congested, distichous, successively many flowered racemes producing 11–12 flowers, 1.85–2.21 cm long, borne by a peduncle 8.56–9.08 cm long; floral bracts acuminate 1.67–2.08 mm; pedicels terete 1.33–2.48 mm long. Ovary costate, 2.30–3.53 mm long. Dorsal sepal red with thin yellow margins becoming thicker towards the base, microscopically pubescent in the inner side, fimbriate, carinate, 4.70–6.56 × 2.13–3.09 mm, 3-veined, lanceolate, margins slightly sinuous, the apex acute, contracted into a slender, filamentous tail, connate to the lateral sepals for 1.05–1.68 mm. Lateral sepals with a yellow thick margin towards the apex and red towards the center of the apex to the base, ending with dark purple caudae, pubescent in the inner side, fimbriate, carinate, ovate to triangular, oblique, 13 mm long, 4.59–6.37 × 1.31–1.91 mm, 2-veined, connate 1.56–2.67 mm, the apices acute, long-acuminate, approximate to diverging. Petals red, microscopically pubescent, transversely bilobed, 0.77–0.96 × 3.49–5.24 mm, the upper falcate lobe with a short oblong lobule at the inner corner of an oblique, truncate apex and another oblong, obtuse lobule at the outer corner, the lower lobe narrowly triangular with a curvature, acuminate. Lip red glossy with yellow in the center, glabrous, coriaceous, bilaminate, with the blades oblong-ovate, flat with the apices narrowly obtuse, 2.43 mm long × 0.62–0.71 mm wide, with a conspicuous depression, forming a prominent concavity in the median region of each blade of the lip; the connectives short, cuneate, with the body connate to the base of the column; the appendix 3-lobed, microscopically pubescent. Column clavate, 1.53 mm long, with the anther apical and the stigma ventral. Anther cap not seen. Pollinia not seen.

Distribution and ecology:— It was found on the way to the Ramirez farm in the transition between dense forest and forest plantations. The life zone for this species corresponds, according to Holdridge’s classification ( Holdridge 1967), to very humid montane forest, as it has similar precipitation, but lower relative humidity percentages compared to the dense forest. Lephantes matachin is only from the Department of Caldas, municipality of Riosucio, on the western mountain range of Colombia. This area is influenced by the Tatamá páramo and the Farallones de Citará; the forest is well preserved and under the influence of the Chocó jet stream.

Etymology:— The etymological origin of the word “matachín ” comes from the Latin “mattus” meaning crazy, which was a way to refer to the jesters responsible for entertaining people. They also used to dress in colorful and vibrant clothes. The ‘matachín’ is the one who creates, feels, and lives the carnival, who dresses up, writes, and keeps the tradition alive. Therefore, Lepanthes matachin is a tribute to the devil carnival of Riosucio as the main matachín and to all those who feel, create, and live this historic festival, which explains the origin of a multi-ethnic and multicultural town.

Taxonomic discussion:— This species has affinity with other species such as L. dactylopetala Luer & Hirtz and L. tomentosa Luer (1991: 76) . Among all reported Colombian species, L. matachin is similar to L. dactytilopetala , distributed in Colombia and Ecuador ( Karremans et al. 2023, Luer & Thoerle 2012). L. matachin is a medium to large epiphytic with ramicauls enclosed by 11–13 mm narrowly lepanthiform sheaths with acute to caudate dilated ostia and ciliate margins (vs. ramicauls enclosed by ca. 15 dilated, acuminate, ciliate lepanthiform sheaths). The inflorescence of L. matachin is a congested, distichous raceme producing 11–12 flowers, 1.85–2.21 cm long, borne by a peduncle 8.56–9.08 cm long (vs. an inflorescence ca. 5 cm long, congested, successively many-flowered, to 2 cm long, borne by a peduncle 3 cm long). The dorsal sepal is red with thin yellow margins becoming thicker towards the base, microscopically pubescent on the inner side, fimbriate, carinate, 4.70–6.56 × 2.13–3.09 mm, with an acute apex contracted into a slender, filamentous tail, connate to the lateral sepals for 1.05–1.68 mm (vs. translucent light-yellow sepals, green toward the base, minutely ciliate, 12 mm long including the 5-mm long tail, 5 mm wide). The petals are red, glabrous, microscopically pubescent, transversely bilobed, 0.77–0.96 × 3.49–5.24 mm (vs. L. dactylopetala with dark red petals with dark orange border, glabrous, transversely bilobed, 1 mm long at the junction of the lobes, 5 mm wide). The lip is red glossy with yellow in the center, glabrous, coriaceous, with the blades oblong-ovate, with the apices narrowly obtuse, 2.43 mm × 0.62–0.71 mm, with a conspicuous depression forming a prominent concavity in the median region of each blade of the lip (vs. dark orange, the blades narrowly oblong, 3.5 mm long, with the lower ends rounded and the apices acute).

Figures

FIGURE 12. In-situ photographs of Lepanthes matachin T. Arias, J.S. Moreno & J.S. Arango-González. A. Lateral view of flower. B. Lateral view of flower. C. Habit and plant. Photographs by D. Cadavid

FIGURE 13. Taxonomic illustration of Lepanthes matachin T.Arias, J.S. Moreno & J.S. Arango-González.A. Habit and plant. B. Lateral view of flower. C. Frontal view of dissected perianth. D. Lateral view of expanded lip, column, and ovary. E. Frontal view of lip. Drawing by J. S. Moreno based on the holotype.

FIGURE 14. Comparison Lepanthes matachin T.Arias, J.S. Moreno & J.S. Arango-González with a species with taxonomic affinities.A. Lepanthes matachín. B. Lepanthes dactylopetala. Photographs by A: D. Cadavid, B: S. Vieira-Uribe.

FIGURE 21. Currently known geographical distribution of new species collected during the Lepanthes de Colombia expedition. The country highlighted in grey is Colombia. The map was created in R, based on code adapted from Testo (2021).