Lepanthes nasariana J. S. Moreno & Hazzi, 2025

Moreno, Juan Sebastián, Herrera Cobo, Angie Tatiana, Palacio, Rubén Darío & Hazzi, Nicolas A., 2025, Chronicle of a death foretold: Lepanthes nasariana (Orchidaceae, Pleurothallidinae), a newly described high-Andean orchid facing a worst-case climate change scenario, PhytoKeys 266, pp. 219-240 : 219-240

Lepanthes nasariana J. S. Moreno & Hazzi sp. nov.

Figs 1 , 2

Type.

Colombia • Valle del Cauca: Municipio de Cali, Vereda Peñas Blancas, PNN Farallones de Cali, Minas del Socorro, Quebrada La Española , 3115 m, 29 January 2020, R. Galindo-T, A. Fierro, G. Rodríguez, and M. Espitia 1473 ( holotype: CUVC; isotype: CUVC) .

Diagnosis.

The new species is most similar to Lepanthes mefueensis Luer & R. Escobar , but it can be distinguished mainly by its succulent, oblong-lanceolate leaves (vs. elliptic leaves); transversely bilobed petals with both lobes narrowly triangular, falcate, and a marginal triangular midlobe (vs. lobes narrowly oblong); and the lip with blades narrowly ovate with a filiform and pubescent inflexed appendix (vs. ovate blades and a filiform, reflexed appendix).

Description.

Plants small in size, epiphytic, caespitose, up to 4.5–5.0 cm tall; roots slender, flexuous, filiform, 0.5 mm in diameter. Ramicauls slender, tight, suberect 18–23 mm long, enclosed by 4–5 acuminate, furrowed, and microscopically pubescent lepanthiform sheaths, with a dilated, ciliate ostia. Leaves purple abaxially, coriaceous, succulent, oblong-lanceolate, 15.7–20.3 × 3.3–4.7 mm, apex emarginate with an abaxial apiculum in the middle, base cuneate, contracted into a petiole 2–3 mm long. Inflorescence a congested, distichous raceme, 12–20 successively many-flowered, up to 18 mm long, including the pseudopeduncle of each multi-flowered coflorescence, held appressed to the abaxial surface of the leaf by a filiform, terete pseudopeduncle, 3 mm long, borne near the apex of the ramicaul; floral bracts purple, conical, acuminate, minutely verruculose, 0.5–0.7 mm long; pedicels terete, up to 1 mm long. Ovary terete, costate, sparsely verrucose, up to 0.7 mm long. Flowers with burgundy dorsal sepals with saffron margins, the lateral sepals saffron, slightly tinged with light burgundy along the midvein; petals with a vermilion upper lobe and saffron lower lobe with the apex tinged with light burgundy; lip blades crimson, degrading to saffron towards the apex, column crimson degrading to white near the apex. Dorsal sepal ovate, acuminate, denticulate, apex reflexed, 3 - veined, carinate, 2.6–2.7 × 1.4–1.5 mm, connate to the lateral sepals for 0.5 mm. Lateral sepals ovate, acuminate, denticulate, oblique, slightly attenuate, 1 - veined, 2.5–2.6 × 0.9–1.0 mm, connate for 1 mm. Petals transversely bilobed, lobes narrowly triangular, falcate, ciliate, microscopically pubescent, obtuse, 0.5–0.6 × 1.4–1.6 mm, with a filiform marginal triangular midlobe. Lip bilaminate, microscopically pubescent; blades narrowly ovate, acute, bases rounded, 0.88–0.90 × 0.24–0.31 mm, supported by cuneate connectives from near the base; body broad, adnate to the base of the column; sinus obtuse, with a filiform, oblong, pubescent, inflexed appendix, emerging from the base of the main structure, concealed in dorsal view and visible only in lateral view. Column terete, dilated, with the stigma bilobed with oblong lobes, 0.9–1.0 mm long, anther dorsal, stigma ventral. Anther cap cordate, cucullate, 0.2 mm wide. Pollinia 2, yellow, pyriform, narrowly obovoid, 0.4 mm long.

Etymology.

The specific epithet nasariana refers to Santiago Nasar, the protagonist of the novel “ Chronicle of a Death Foretold ” by Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez. The name was chosen in allusion to the character’s tragic fate — unaware of the threats around him, he is doomed to die prematurely. This mirrors the situation of the newly described species: although it may appear stable today, its extinction is predicted in the near future. The species is expected to undergo a “ foretold death ” due to the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme climatic events, driven by anthropogenic acceleration of climate change. While climate has always fluctuated naturally, it is the unprecedented speed and magnitude of current shifts — caused by human activity — that now pose a critical threat to biodiversity.

Habitat and ecology.

The species occurs in high Andean forests and páramos of the Western and Central Andes, extending toward the Colombian Massif. It thrives in highly humid forests with small-statured trees near streams, often dominated by abundant moss. These forests are characterized by tree species such as Brunellia goudotii Tul. , Hesperomeles ferruginea (Juss. ex Pers.) Benth. , Myrcianthes rhopaloides (Kunth) McVaugh , Weinmannia pubescens Kunth , and Weinmannia rollottii Killip. Co-occurring epiphytic orchids commonly found in these habitats include Lepanthes intonsa Luer , Fernandezia myrtillus (Rchb. f.) Garay & Dunst. , Gomphichis altissima Renz , and Epidendrum restrepoanum A. D. Hawkes

Additional specimens examined ( paratypes).

Colombia • Valle Del Cauca: Municipio de Pradera, Finca La Esperanza, sobre camino ceja que conduce al páramo de las Tinajas , 3482 m, Jul 2018, G. Reina, I. Nicholls & H. Arenas 2651 ( CUVC) ; • Cauca: Municipio de Puracé, Corregimiento de Paletará, vía Paletará – Isnos, PNN Puracé , 3100 m, July 2024, A. Zuluaga & J. S. Moreno 6347 ( CUVC) ; Municipio de Totoró, Corregimiento de Gabriel López , 3110 m, March 2016, J. S. Moreno & A. Erazo 260 ( CAUP) ; • Caldas: Municipio de Riosucio, Arroyo Hondo, bosque de la truchera de los Alpes vía Jardín – Andes , 2800 m, October 2021, T. Arias, S. Vieira, E. Restrepo & D. Cadavid 711 ( CUVC) ; • Quindío: Municipio de Salento, cerca de las Crestas de Salento, predio privado , 2900 m, October 2024, E. Restrepo & S. Styles 296 ( JBB) ; • Tolima: Municipio de Roncesvalles, Yerbabuena , 3366 m, November, 2018 M. Rincón & J. S. Moreno 2350 ( TOLI) .

Additional records.

Colombia. Antioquia: Municipio de Urrao, Páramo de Frontino, 3413 m, August 2021, S. Vieira & E. Dominguez (Photo!); Municipio de Urrao, Alto del Diablo, 3584 m, November 2020, S. Vieira & E. Dominguez (Photo!).

Taxonomic notes.

Lepanthes nasariana belongs to subgenus Lepanthes , section Lepanthes , subsection Breves Luer (1996) , morphologically characterized by having one-veined lateral sepals and racemes in which the rachis between floral bracts exceeds the pedicels ( Luer 1996). The subsection is represented by nearly 100 species in the Neotropics, with particularly high richness in the northern Andes ( Luer and Thoerle 2012). In Colombia, L. subsect. Breves comprises about 40 species, most of them restricted to high Andean forests and páramos, making it a significant component of the national Lepanthes flora, which currently includes over 370 described species. Recent phylogenetic analyses ( Arias et al. 2025) have confirmed the distinctiveness of the “ Monoptera ” clade, which encompasses the type species of L. subsect. Breves ( Lepanthes monoptera Lindl. ) and many other members traditionally placed in this subsection. Although morphological homoplasy is common in Lepanthes , the univeined lateral sepals remain a practical diagnostic feature that unites species of L. subsect. Breves for identification purposes. In Bolivia, the subsection shows an even higher relative diversity, including 24 of the 67 Lepanthes species (over one-third) recorded in the country, with some taxa exhibiting unusual features such as plicate or involute lateral sepals, underscoring the morphological breadth of the group across its range ( Luer and Thoerle 2010).

As stated in the diagnosis, L. mefueensis , a species of L. subsect. Breves restricted to the Cordillera Oriental of Colombia ( Norte de Santander), is the most similar to L. nasariana . However, L. nasariana can be readily distinguished by its plants with succulent, oblong-lanceolate leaves, purple abaxially (vs. coriaceous, elliptic leaves, green abaxially); ramicauls shorter, enclosed by 4–5 acuminate, furrowed lepanthiform sheaths (vs. 7–9 long-ciliate sheaths with dilated ostia); and racemes congested and up to 18 mm long, borne appressed to the abaxial surface of the leaf (vs. shorter racemes, c. 5 mm long, borne behind the leaf). Floral morphology also provides clear diagnostic differences: dorsal sepal ovate, acuminate, denticulate, reflexed at the apex, 2.6–2.7 mm long (vs. elliptic, subacute to obtuse, abruptly acuminate, margins smooth, 2.75 mm long); lateral sepals ovate, acuminate, denticulate, 2.5–2.6 mm long (vs. glabrous, ovate, acute, 3 mm long); petals transversely bilobed with narrowly triangular, falcate, ciliate lobes and a small triangular midlobe (vs. transversely bilobed with narrowly oblong, obtuse, subequal lobes, without a midlobe); lip blades narrowly ovate, acute, with a filiform, pubescent, inflexed appendix hidden in dorsal view (vs. ovate blades with rounded ends, appendix filiform, reflexed, and exposed in dorsal view).

L. nasariana also shows affinity with L. trifurcata Luer & R. Escobar , another member of L. subsect. Breves , but L. nasariana has succulent, oblong-lanceolate leaves, 15–20 mm long (vs. coriaceous, ovate leaves, ca. 35 mm long); shorter ramicauls of 18–23 mm with 4–5 lepanthiform sheaths (vs. longer ramicauls of 50–60 mm with 7 sheaths); and congested racemes up to 18 mm long, appressed to the abaxial surface of the leaf (vs. subcongested racemes only 3–5 mm long, borne behind the leaf). Floral differences are equally marked: in L. nasariana , the dorsal sepal is ovate, denticulate, 2.6–2.7 mm long (vs. subelliptic, glabrous, 6.5 mm long); the lateral sepals are 2.5–2.6 mm long, ovate, denticulate, connate for 1 mm (vs. narrowly ovate, 6.5 mm long, margins denticulate, only barely connate at the base); the petals are transversely bilobed, with narrowly triangular, falcate lobes and a marginal triangular midlobe (vs. deeply trilobed, with three similar, diverging, narrowly triangular lobes, including a long central lobe 2 mm in length); and the lip has narrowly ovate blades with a filiform, pubescent, inflexed appendix concealed in dorsal view (vs. lobes deeply bifid, falcate, enclosing the column, with a recurved, external appendix visible dorsally).

Figures

Figure 1. Lepanthes nasariana J. S. Moreno & Hazzi. A. Habit; B. Flower; C. Dissected perianth showing the dorsal sepal, lateral sepals, petals, and lip; D. Lip, column, and ovary (lateral view); E. Lip: left, dorsal view in natural position with the anther cap; right, expanded view showing the laminae, body, and connectives; F. Anther cap and pollinia: left, dorsal view of anther cap; right, ventral view showing its attachment surface and paired pollinia. Drawing by J. S. Moreno.

Figure 2. Lepanthes nasariana J. S. Moreno & Hazzi in vivo, Roncesvalles, Tolima. A. Flower, frontal view; B. Leaf, showing its thick, succulent morphology; C. Habit of the plant in situ, showing the growth form and habitat. Photographs by J. S. Moreno.