Oberonia bifida Schltr.

Geiger, D. L., 2020, Studies in Oberonia 8 (Orchidaceae: Malaxideae). Additional 24 new synonyms, a corrected spelling, and other nomenclatural matters, Blumea 65 (3), pp. 188-203 : 190-191

Oberonia bifida Schltr. — Fig. 3

Oberonia bifida Schltr. in K.Schum. & Lauterb. (1905) 109. — Type: Schlechter 14081 (holo B, lost, single exemplar), on trees in the forests of the Bismarck Mountains, ~ 1000 m.

Oberonia celebica Schltr. (1911b) 23. — Syntype: Schlechter 20474 (B, lost),[Sulawesi, Minahassa,] on trees in the forest of the Gunong Masrang , 1200 m, syn. nov.

Oberonia fissiglossa N. Hallé (1977) 274, carte 73, f. 115. — Type: MacKee 26809 (holo P00081700;flowers originally in alcohol, dry mounted on herbarium sheet),[ New Caledonia,] Ponerihouen , Mt Auoupini, 900–1000 m, syn. nov.

Notes — Oberonia bifida is a fairly common species in the Central and Western Pacific Islands. It is characterised by its caulescent habit with long falcate leaves and orange flowers, acuminate bract, narrow petals, and lip with auricles, small but deep sac, darker orange disc, moderate constriction in mesochile, and bifid epichile.All those characters are shared between the correct name O. bifida , and two synonyms: O. celebica and O. fissiglossa . Schlechter (1911b) described his O. celebica with yellow-brown (= orange) flowers, and did not differentiate it from any other species. Hallé (1977) compared his O. fissiglossa only to O. equitans (G.Forst.) Mutel , and noted the brown buds. The illustrations either from the protologues or by the respective author of the three species show no differences ( Fig. 3a–c ).

The SEM images ( Fig. 3d–i ) reveal some variability in the degree of the constriction of the mesochile and the erose tips of the epichile lobes. The specimen in Fig. 3d–e is somewhat larger than the others, which may be attributable to it having been grown in cultivation. There is natural variability in size, and the less than 10 % difference seems well within natural variability.

Figures

Fig. 3 Oberonia bifida. a. Drawing of flower,lip and floral bracts of O. bifida from Schlechter (1923:f. 224); b. drawing of flower,lip and floral bracts of O. celebica from Schlechter (1934: f. 48); c. drawing of flower (top view), lip from Hallé (1977: f. 115), and one plant from holotype of O. fissiglossa; d–i. SEM images of flowers of O. bifida (d–e. Unknown s.n. E00233534 from Papua New Guinea, cultivated at E; f. Cribb S128 K44070 from Papua New Guinea; g. Schuiteman 78 L10816 from Papua New Guinea; h. Edwards 4163 K71390 from Irian Jaya; i. Clements 5987 CANB 9009979 from Papua New Guinea). — Scale bar = 1 mm.