Oberonia subligaculifera J.J.Sm.

Geiger, D. L., 2019, Studies on Oberonia 5 (Orchidaceae: Malaxideae). Twenty-four new synonyms, and a corrected spelling, Blumea 64 (2), pp. 123-139 : 137

Oberonia subligaculifera J.J.Sm. — Fig. 16

Oberonia subligaculifera J.J.Sm. (1913) 35. — Type: J.J. Smith & Rant 201 (syn), [ Indonesia, Java,] Bandoeng [= Badung ], near Tirtasari, 1500 m, on fallen tree, in sunny location.

Oberonia evrardii Gagnep. (1929) 326. — Type. Evrard 300 (lecto Seidenfaden (1968: 48: inadvertent designation) P00404954), [ Vietnam,] Dalat, chalet Rimaud, syn. nov.

Oberonia kanburiensis Seidenf. (1973) 47, f. 12. — Type: Beusekom et al. 3657 (holo C; iso L0061749), Thailand, Kanburi , West of Sisawat, Huay Ban Kao, syn. nov.

Notes — Oberonia evrardii is here considered a synonym of O. subligaculifera as shown by the illustrations on the syntype sheet in P ( Fig. 16b ). The shared attributes include the four-lobed lips with incised lateral lobes and broadened and incised epichile lobes, the deeply incised petals. While the lobes of the lip in O. evrardii are a bit more square and not as rounded as those in O. subligaculifera , the uncommon incision pattern on lip and the uncommon incision of the petals are clear evidence of conspecificity.

This synonymy was obscured by partial misidentifications in the secondary literature. Seidenfaden (1968: f. 27; copied in Seidenfaden 1992, Ho 1993, Hop 1998) illustrated the habit of the type, but the flower from Sigaldi 258 is O. langbianensis . The epichile lobes of Sigaldi 258 are not widening (distinctly widening in O. subligaculifera ), and the margin around the entire lip is erose (entire in the middle portion in O. subligaculifera ). Averyanov (2013) illustrated the flower based on the type.

The flowers of O. kanburiensis are identical to those of O. subligaculifera : identical hour-glass shape of lip with serrated margin, erose margins of petals, broad ovate shape of sepals ( Fig. 16a, c ). The synonymy is crystal clear. Seidenfaden’s previous misidentification of O. evrardii / O. langbianensis may be the reason for the description of his O. kanburiensis .

Figures

Fig. 16 Figure subligaculifera. a. Oberonia subligaculifera: illustrations by J.J.Sm. from Schuiteman & De Vogel (2006):entire flower, lip isolated; b. O. evrardii: drawing of petal, lip, entire flower from syntype P00404954; c. O. kanburiensis: illustration of the flower from the holotype from Seidenfaden 1978: f. 9. — Scale bar = 2 mm.