Oberonia obcordata Lindl.

Geiger, D. L., 2019, Studies on Oberonia 5 (Orchidaceae: Malaxideae). Twenty-four new synonyms, and a corrected spelling, Blumea 64 (2), pp. 123-139 : 133

Oberonia obcordata Lindl. — Fig. 11

Oberonia obcordata Lindl.(1859) 7. — Type. Hooker f. & Thomson 112 (lecto Ansari & Balakrishnan (1990: 40: inadvertent designation) K 000974237), [ India,] Sikkim, 2000’; former syntypes: Griffith s.n. (K 000974238), [ India,] Darjeeling; Griffith s.n. (K 000974231),[ India, Meghalaya,] Khasia Myrung.

Oberonia delicata Z.H.Tsi & S.C.Chen (1994) 559, f. 2.11–13. — Type: Z.H. Tsi 91-356 (holo PE; iso AMES/barcode 00145074), China, Yunnan, Jinghong, 8 Aug. 1991, syn. nov.

Notes — Oberonia obcordata and O. delicata are here considered synonyms ( Fig. 11 ). They share the unique downward sloping lateral lobes, the widened epichile with apical notch, and the identical overall habit. The length of the floral bracts is much longer at the base of the inflorescence than towards the tip ( Fig. 11c ), a character well-known from O. rufilabris (see below) and better visible in live plants (Geiger unpubl. data). Accordingly, the difference in bract length based on illustrations from single flowers are irrelevant for the identity of the species. The width of the petals is continuously variable ( Fig. 11a–b, d ); discrete character states cannot be identified, which renders this character taxonomically uninformative.

The only species Tsi & Chen (1994) compared their O. delicata to is O. longibracteata , with shorter lateral lobes that are typically erose and laterally oriented, and bracts that consistently exceed the length of the flower.

Figures

Fig. 11 a–c: Oberonia obcordata Lindl. a. Drawing of flower from Griffith s.n. (syn K 000974238); b. drawing of flower from Hooker f. & Thomson 112 (syn K 000974237); c. habit of Hooker f. & Thomson 112 (syn K 000974237). — d. O. delicata: illustration of O. delicata from Tsi & Chen (1994).