Coelogyne zhenkangensis S.-C. Chen & K.-Y. Lang (1983: 345)

Shu, Nan & Li, Rong, 2025, Lectotypification of Coelogyne zhenkangensis and its conspecificity with Coelogyne lancilabia (Arethuseae, Epidendroideae, Orchidaceae), Phytotaxa 681 (2), pp. 223-228 : 224-228

Coelogyne zhenkangensis S.-C. Chen & K.-Y. Lang (1983: 345) . Type:— CHINA, Yunnan, Zhenkang, 2500 m, on the bark of a tree, 24 March 1936, C. W. Wang 72347 (Lectotype, designated here:—PE [barcode 00271824], photo!

[flowers in the bag, the left-hand short inflorescence, and illustrations of flowers on the sheet]; isolectotypes:— AMES

[barcode 00141256], photo!, IBSC [barcode 0632008], photo!, WUK [No. 42816], photo!).

Coelogyne lancilabia (Seidenf.) R. Rice (2019: 173) . syn. nov.; Otochilus lancilabius Seidenfaden (1986: 94) . syn. nov.; Otochilus albus var. lancilabius (Seidenf.) Pradhan (1979: 706) . nom. inval.; Otochilus lancilabius Seidenfaden (1976: 13) , nom. inval. Type:— INDIA, Assam, 12 October 1893, R. Pantling 26 (Holotype:— K [barcode 3000387921], photo!; isotypes:— GH [barcode 00287633], photo!, P [barcode MNHN-P-P0040323], photo!) .

Taxonomic notes:— Taxonomy of Coelogyne lancilabia (= Otochilus lancilabius ): Otochilus lancilabius was invalidly published in 1976 ( Seidenfaden 1976). Even though Seidenfaden stated, “considering the wide distribution of Pantling’s collections, it might be natural to select his No. 26 in Kew as the type specimen”. He meant that this specimen at Kew might be selected and not really designated a type. Accordingly, this name was not accepted by the International Plant Names Index (IPNI 2012), Flora Republicae Popularis Sinicae ( Chen 1999) , and Flora of China ( Chen & Clayton 2009), where O. lancilabius Seidenf. is not accepted as a valid name. However, later Seidenfaden (1986) validated this name by adding the type (R. Pantling 26 at K). Rice (2019) merged C. lancilabius under Coelogyne which follows the latest taxonomy.

Lectotypification of Coelogyne zhenkangensis : We have looked at the original materials of this species and found that the holotype of C. zhenkangensis (PE [barcode 00271824]) is an admixture. On the holotype sheet of C. zhenkangensis (PE [barcode 00271824], Fig. 1A ), there are several plant fragments belonging to two different species. The first fragment, located on the right side of the sheet and circled in red in Fig. 1A , consists of an intact plant fragment and a single leaf nearby. This fragment includes rhizomes, pseudobulbs, and withered inflorescences with imbricated sterile bracts. Based on the morphology of the pseudobulbs, leaves, and the length of the rhizome internodes, it is most likely Coelogyne longipes Lindley (1854: 10) .

The second part (the non-circled part, Fig. 1A ) includes the flowers in the bag (already at the young fruit stage) and a solitary short inflorescence on the left. The illustrations on the sheet correspond to the flowers in the bag. Both the flowers in the bag and the illustrations are shown in Fig. 2 . The mid-lobe of the lip is oblong-oblanceolate, with 4–5 lamellae at its base, characteristics that clearly identify it as C. lancilabia (K [barcode 000387921], Fig. 3 ). The single short inflorescence on the left, lacking sterile imbricated bracts, also belongs to C. lancilabia .

Synonymy of Coelogyne lancilabia under C. zhenkangensis : In the protologue of C. zhenkangensis , the description encompasses traits from two species. The rhizome, pseudobulbs, leaves, and inflorescence correspond to C. longipes , while the floral structure is conspecific with C. lancilabia . In the diagnosis, the authors stated, “Species nova insignis labello paulo anchoriformi a speciebus nobis notis bene distincta”. This name is clearly regarded as distinct due to its anchor-shaped lip; therefore, the name C. zhenkangensis should be attributed to the second part with flowers (the non-circled part in Fig. 1A ) on the holotype sheet.

There are three duplicates of C. W. Wang 72347: one in the Oakes Ames Orchid Herbarium of Harvard University (AMES [barcode 00141256], Fig. 1B ), second in the South China Botanical Garden Herbarium (IBSC [barcode 0632008], Fig. 1C ), and third in the Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University Herbarium (WUK [No. 42816], Fig. 1D ), as shown in Fig. 1 . Their floral structure and the larger, sparser fruits indicate that they belong to C. lancilabia . It is likely that Chen and Lang did not carefully examine these three specimens, otherwise, the differences between these isotypes and the holotype would have been readily apparent and they could have realized the holotype being an admixture. Thus, following the lectotypification of C. zhenkangensis , C. zhenkangensis is conspecific with C. lancilabia . In accordance with the rules of nomenclatural priority, the epithet “zhenkangensis ” is prior to “lancilabia ”, Therefor C. lancilabia should be reduced to a synonym of C. zhenkangensis .

Specimens Examined:—[ C. zhenkangensis :— CHINA. Xizang: Medog, 1848 m, 95°21’38’’ E, 29°20’09’’ N, 15 November 2016, Liu C. et al. 16CS11916 (KUN). Yunnan: Yongde County, 2600 m, 22 June 2002, Wang lisong W4040 (KUN); Lincang County, 2143 m, 99°48’0.18’’ E, 23°51’33’’ N, 3 January 2023, Liu ende et al. LED15284 (KUN); Zhenkang County, 2500 m, 24 March 1936, C. W. Wang 72347 (AMES, IBSC, PE, WUK). INDIA, Assam, 12 October 1893, R. Pantling 26 (GH, K, P).

C. longipes :— CHINA. Yunnan: Baoshan County, 2200 m, 98°46’04’’ E, 24°49’51’’ N, 21 October 1998, Li Heng with Bruce Bartholomew and Dao Zhiling 10700 ( KUN) ; Gongshan County, 21 May 1991, Dulong River Expedition 6965 ( KUN) ; Tengchong County, 2290 m, 98°24’31’’ E, 25°22’46’’ N, 14 June 2006, Li Heng with Dao Zhiling, Ji Yunheng, Jin Xiaohua, Bruce Bartholomew, Zhou Lihua, Neil McCheyne 31029 ( KUN). Xizang: Medog, 2000 m, 5 October 1974, Qinghai-Xizang Expedition 74-4091 ( KUN) ; Medog , 2100 m, 21 March 1993, Sunhang and Zhou zhekun 4922 ( KUN) .]

Figures

FIGURE 1. Types of Coelogyne zhenkangensis. Holotype at PE (A: PE [barcode 00271824]) and three isotypes at AMES, IBSC, and WUK (B: AMES [barcode 00141256], C: IBSC [barcode 0632008], D: WUK [No. 42816]). Images by permission of the following herbaria: © Herbarium of the Institute of Botany (PE), © The Oakes Ames Orchid Herbarium of Harvard University (AMES), © South China Botanical Garden Herbarium (IBSC), © Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University Herbarium (WUK).

FIGURE 2. Flowers (A, B) in the bag and illustrations (C, D) corresponding to these flowers, from type specimen of C. zhenkangensis (PE [barcode 00271824]). Images by permission of the Herbarium of the Institute of Botany: © Herbarium of the Institute of Botany (PE).

FIGURE 3. Holotype of C. lancilabia (K [barcode 000387921]). Image reproduced from Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: © RBG Kew.