Benthamia spiraloides (Cordem.) Hermans & P.J.Cribb

Hervouet, Jean-Michel, Descourvières, Pascal, Hermans, Johan & Longou, Ludivine, 2025, Revision of the genus Benthamia A. Rich. (Orchidaceae, Orchidioideae, Habenariinae), Adansonia (3) 47 (11), pp. 171-249 : 236-237

Benthamia spiraloides (Cordem.) Hermans & P.J.Cribb

( Figs 90 ; 91 ; 92 )

Lankesteriana 21 (2): 76 ( Hermans & Cribb 2021). — Habenaria spiraloides Cordem ., Flore de l’île de la Réunion ( Cordemoy 1895: 551). — Type: France, La Réunion • Plaine des Palmistes, Cordemoy s.n.; holotype: [not found] • Plaine des Palmistes, chemin vers l’îlet Patience ; 21°06’S, 55°37’E; 1100 m; IV.2002; T. Pailler 48; neotype: REU [ REU007939 ]!, designated by Hermans & Cribb (2021: 76).

ETYMOLOGY. — Named for its similarity to what was once called Satyrium spirale Thouars , now Benthamia africana .

PHENOLOGY. — July to March.

DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY. — La Réunion and Madagascar. Terrestrial or epiphytic, in moss, in semi-shade. In Madagascar observed thriving on rotten Eucalyptus stumps, or on the ground in pine plantations. Between 1000 and 1900 m ( Fig. 93 ).

CONSERVATION. — This species has been provisionally quoted Vulnerable (VU) in La Réunion ( Hermans et al., 2023), where less than ten locations are known and its semi-shaded habitat among mossy rocks is threatened (criteria B1ab and B2ab). In Madagascar it is present in a number of reserves like Angavokely and Manongarivo and has probably been overlooked in a number of places. It can thrive in pine or Eucalyptus plantations and is therefore of Least Concern (LC).

ADDITIONAL SPECIMENS EXAMINED. — Madagascar • Diana , massif de Manongarivo ; 14°00’00”S, 48°23’30”E; alt. 1200 m; IV.1909; H. Perrier 1944 bis; P [ P00094536 , P00094537 ] ! • Analamanga , Manjakandriana ; 18°54’S, 47°48’E; VIII.1955; alt. 1200 m; J. Bosser 8292; P [ P00692224 ] ! • Analamanga , Lake Mantasoa ; 19°00’45”S, 47°50’17”E; IX.1962; J. Bosser 16416; P [ P00692234 ] ! • Analamanga , Ankeramadinika , Ambatoloana ; VI.1963; J. Bosser 16161; P [ P00692231 ] ! • Alaotra-Mangoro , route de Lakato ; 19°11’30”S, 48°26’00”E; VIII.1963; J. Bosser 18523; P [ P00692244 ] ! • N25 , peu après le PK15 en venant de la N7 ; 17.VII.1969; Y. Veyret 1114; P [ P00692305 , P00692306 , P00692307 ] ! • Analamanga , Angavokely ; 18°55’36”S, 47°45’07”E; 2.VI.1970; Y. Veyret 1303; P [ P05096694 ] ! • Analamanga , Angavokely ; 18°55’36”S, 47°45’07”E; 27.VII.1970; Y. Veyret 1330; P [ P05096692 , P05096693 , P05096695 ] ! • Diana , Réserve spéciale de Manongarivo , chemin d’Ambalafary au vallon supérieur de la Bekolosy ; 14°02’S, 48°18’E; alt. 840 m; 16.V.1995; L. Gautier et al. LG2668; P [ P00098891 ]!, K!, G!, WAG [ WAG.0388478 ] ! • Alaotra-Mangoro , Ambatovy ; 18°50’51”S, 48°18’31”E; 21.X.2005; H. Razanantsoa et al. 579; P [ P02091795 ] ! • Alaotra-Mangoro , Andasibe , near Mantadia forest ; 1.X.2016; J. Hermans 8038; K ! • Alaotra-Mangoro , Moramanga , Maromizaha ; alt. 1080 m; 18.VIII.2022; L.R. Rajaovelona 1402; K [ K001522047 ]!, TAN !. France, La Réunion • Sur les montagnes ; C. Richard 697; P [ P00738528 ] ! • sine loc.; L.H. Boivin s.n.; P [ P00738369 ] ! • sine loc.; J. Renz 13027; RENZ ! • sine loc.; 1837; C. Richard 397; P [ P00738529 ] ! • sine loc.; 1867; Herb. A. Richard R19908; W ! • Takamaka; 21°05’S, 55°38’E; 24.V.1974; J. Bosser 22049; P [ P00738522 ] ! • Bélouve forest ; alt. 1500 m; V.2003; M. Pignal et al. 2079; P [ P00340568 ]!, K!, MO ! • Plaine des fougères; 21°00’15”S, 55°29’21”E; alt. 1200 m; 28.V.2003; T. Pailler TP78; REU [ REU006450 , REU007938 ] ! • Piton rouge , Plaine des Cafres; 21°09’S, 55°34’E; 1900 m; 9.III.2004; T. Pailler TP164; REU ! • Bébour , route forestière de Takamaka , sentier îlet à bananes ; 21°05’54”S, 55°35’35”E; alt. 1200 m; 16.VI.2004; J. Fournel JF110; REU [ REU010244 , REU010245 , REU010246 ] ! • L’étang salé ; 21°13’32”S, 55°22’09”E; alt. 1000 m; 5.VI.2005; V. Grondin 1796; CBNM ! • Plaine des Fougères , sentier vers Be Massoune ; 21°00’15”S, 55°29’21”E; alt. 1380 m; 29.IX.2005; J. Fournel JF306; REU [ REU010337 ] ! • Piton Marmite , Salazie; alt. 1850 m; 31.VII.2006; J. Fournel JF405; REU [ REU010388 ] !• Bébour, sentier la rivière ; 21°06’40”S, 55°33’47”E; alt. 1300-1350 m; 7.VI.2007; F. Martos FM128 and FM129; REU [ REU007895 , REU007897 ] ! • Dimitile , sentier Bayonne ; 21°13’10”S, 55°27’45”E; 15.VI.2008; F. Martos FM362 and FM363; REU [ REU007896 , REU007898 ] ! • Dimitile , sentier Bayonne ; 21°13’10”S, 55°27’45”E; 25.IV.2009; F. Martos FM623; REU [ REU007754 ] ! • sine loc.; XI.2017; ML04; CBNM ! • sine loc.; IX.2019; ML02; CBNM ! • Bébour forest ; 21°06’40”S, 55°33’47”E; 15.XI.2019; J. Hermans 8365; K !.

NOTES

This species has long been overlooked in Madagascar, where it has been confused with Benthamia africana and Benthamia misera . Before the present study many specimens in herbaria were unidentified.

See also: Bernet (2010: 138, as Benthamia sp. 1 ), Szelengowicz & Tamon (2013: 243, as “ Benthamia dauphinensis H.Perrier ”), Hervouet (2018: 160, as Benthamia dauphinensis (Rolfe) Schltr. ), Hermans & Cribb (2023: 122).

DESCRIPTION

A slender epiphytic or terrestrial glabrous herb, 20-45 cm tall. Tubers 2-3, ovoid, roots fleshy and woolly. Stem c. 1 mm in diameter with 2 to 3 short basal sheaths. Leaves 1-3, cauline, narrowly ligulate or linear-lanceolate, acute, 7-14 × 0.5-1.5 cm, shortly petiolate, the second leaf c. 2-3 cm above the basal and shorter. Rachis spiral, 5-12 cm long, lax to dense, with 15-27 flowers, with 2 to 4 more or less leaf-like sheaths, often purplered.Floral bracts linear,acuminate-filiform 4-11 mm × 1-3 mm, brownish-red.Ovary disproportionately large, at first erect then divergent, with three longitudinal ridges, 5-11 × 1-2.7 mm, generally brownish purple.Flowers 2-4 mm in diameter, corolla almost tubular, generally with reddish-brown sepals, yellow petals, lip and spur; dorsal sepal cucullate, 3-veined, elliptic, obtuse, 1.5-3.2 × 0.6-1.4 mm; lateral sepals hardly spreading, forming a tube with the dorsal, 3-veined, obliquely oblong-ovate, obtuse, 1.3-3.1 × 0.8-3.1 mm, concave at the apex; petals lanceolate, subacute, 1.7-3.1 × 0.6-1.2 mm; lip barely trilobed, 1.8-3.1 × 0.9-1.8 mm, lateral lobes basal, small, rounded, midlobe thick, fleshy,about as long as the lateral lobes, the apex often incurved; spur scrotiform to subrectangular, often sub-bilobed-sacculate, the base funnel-shaped, 0.5-1 × 0.5-0.7 mm, twice as long as wide. Column with short auricles, less than 1/3 the size of the anther, anther retuse or obtusely apiculate.

Figures

FIG. 90. — Benthamia spiraloides (Cordem.) Hermans & P.J.Cribb, Ialatsara forest, Madagascar, 1 August 2016. Photograph by Jean-Michel Hervouet.

FIG. 91. — Benthamia spiraloides (Cordem.) Hermans & P.J.Cribb: Bras-Cabot, Bébour forest,LaRéunion,3 November 2021.Photograph by Jean-MichelHervouet.

FIG. 92. — Benthamia spiraloides (Cordem.) Hermans & P.J.Cribb, Ialatsara forest, Madagascar, 1 August 2016. Photograph by Jean-Michel Hervouet.

FIG. 93. — Distribution map of Benthamia spiraloides (Cordem.) Hermans & P.J.Cribb.