Six more New species of sobralia from Panama

SIX MORE NEW SPECIES OF SOBRALIA FROM PANAMA 1

ROBERT L. DRESSLER

Jardfn Botanico Lanke!>tt!r, o\pdo

1031 7050. Cunago. Costa Rica. Mi,,.;ouri Botanical Garden. Research \s-.ociate. Aorida

Mu�eum ol '\atural Hi�tOI). Semor Sctenti-.t. \fane Selby Botanical Garden' (e-mail: rdressle@'canan.ucr ac.cr)

ABSTRACT: Six new �pecie-.ofSobralia from Panama are de�cribed. All ..i:x ..pecies belong

to Section Abbreriatae. the largest section of the genus. and four of the six o.tre found in the

vicin tt y ofEI Valle de Ant6n.

S(I8RAU.1 COI\'Tt:-llit·�\ TO lag far behind most other orchid groups n classification. The tlowers are very delicate, and unless dried quickly, tield-collectcd ....pecimens are usually quite useless.

Ideally. one would have many different specie-.growing together nd could compare fre'h tlower..,, but, even then. the flowers are llOstly very short-lived. and closely related species usually ·:,,wer on different day-.. Some features of the tlO\\Cr are lo<.t in either pressed or liquid-preserved material. and even in alcohol :.he delicate flower" may di..,integrate. Few of us can afford to cep a skilled botanical illustrator at hand to record the details f each -.pecie� when it !lower�. With Sobralia. if the illu'>traror comesjust a few hour' Iate. there may be nothing to draw. Whlle carefully prepared and quickly dried specimens can be quite ,eful. pressed column' are crushed beyond recognition. -.o it ' best to pre... erve the column in alcohol or to dry it without nres'>ure.

Six ne\\ species from Panama are here described. There are ndoubtedly other� already in cultivation. butT have not seen heir flowers. The reader will note that two thirds of the new 'pecies described here are from the area ofEI Valle de Ant6n, Cocle province. Panama. El Valle and the cloud forest north of town have been a Mecca for botaniMs and orchidophiles for many years. yet, with the help of local people interested in •rchid'>.

we continue to find new a nd

sing plants in the

-.urpri

..lfea. It is difticult to believe that there arc '>O man) spectcs of 'obralia in thi-. relatively small area. but at lea't unttl the rest of Panama is carefully sampled, the area of El Valle de Amon appear., to have by far the greatest dher-.ity of Sobralw. All of the specie., here described are member' of the Section A.bbredatae. the large.,t section of the genus (Ore.,slcr.

2002).

Sobralia citrea Dressler, sp. nov.

HOLOTYPE: Panama.Cocle: El Valle de Ant6n. goo- I 000

m. flowered in cult. Aug.

2001. R. L. Dressler 6338, MO.

hotypes: FLAS. PMA. SEL. I :un greatly indcht�d to Francu Pupulin r,,r help\\ith the L:nin diagno<.e,. to Andre, Maduro and Erick Olm(h for help in the tield and m 1he garden m Panama. and. of coul"oc

permit\.

to Kru,kaya de \ofc:l�wrcJo. for help with CITES

Fig. I �'obralia citrea. A. Type plan t. in cultl\ation. Photograph.

K. Dre'>!>lcr. B. Another plant from El Valle de Anton. showing variation. Photograph· K Dressler.

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DRESSLER- SIX NEW SPECIES OF SOBRALIA FROM PANAMA

and S. chrysostoma, which ranges from Nicaragua to Bocas del Toro, and perhaps farther east in Panama but only on the Atlantic (Caribbean) slope. A colleague has suggested that S. chryso stoma ma) be synonymous with

S. virginalis of

Antioquia, Colombia. Until (or unless) one can determine just what S. virginalis is, however. such speculation is futile.

ETYMOLOGY: The epithetcitrea or lemon-colored, refers ,

to the color of the lip. Please note that the name Sobralia citrina is an old name for a very different plant, better known as Cattleya. Euchile or Prosthechea cifl·ina. The type material of

S. cirrea was prepared from a plant that has been grown in the

Florida Museum of Natural History greenhouse for many year� that we have nicknamed "Ia pollera,'' because of the ornately ruftled lip, reminiscent of the traditional pol/e ra. or party dress. of Panama.

SPECIMENS: Otherspecimens seen from the same region: Aug.-Sept. 1996, Dressler 6191 (FLAS); June-July 2003.

Dressler6384 (MO).

Sobralia exigua Dressler, sp. nov.

HOLOTYPE: Panama. Chiriqui: Cordillera, epiphytic, 8001100 m., flowered in cult. 12July 2003,Dressler6365B(M0!).

Clonotype: Dressler6365A (PMA.) Habitu Sobraliae callosae similis, ab illa flore alba clcistogama, labelli margine fimbriato calloque trichomatibu� aurantiacis instructo distinguitur.

Caespitose, epiphytic, roots

4-6 mm in diameter; stems

14-21 xO.l-0.15cm; leaves11.5-13x0.9-1 cm,narrowlyelliptic­ lanceolate, acuminate, sheaths striate. with dark scwfy spots: floral bracts few, J 7-21 x 4-5 mm, narrowly lanceolate, striate.

Fig. 2. Sobralia exi,�tw. Type plant. in cultivation. Photograph: K. Dressler.

with dark scurfy spots: ovary and pedicel ca. 16 mm; flowers white with orange-yellow on disk. cleistogamous: sepals 26 x 2.6-3 mm,narrowly elliptic-lanceolate, apiculate; petals 24 x� mm. narrowly elliptic-lanceolate, apiculate; lip 22 x I 0 mm.

Species Sobraliae chrysostomae Dressler similis, floribus aliquantum minoribus, labelo margine crispiore columnae brachiis porrectis vel subporrectis recedit.

Roots 3-5 mm in diameter; stems 60-75 x 0.5 em basally;

cuneate, oblong-obovate, shallowly 3-lobed, basal ridges ca.� mrn, margins sparsely fimbriate laterally, distally fimbriate­

crisped, disk with long orange hairs: column 13.5

x

3 mrn.

ventrally concave, arms ca. 3 mm. curved upward.

leaves l l-21 x 3.3-5.6 em, narrowly ovate, acute-acuminate,

This species (Fig. 2) is vegetatively very much like S.

short petiolate ( 1-1.5 em); sheaths rugulose, scurfy-hispid;

callosa (first described as Lindsayella amabilis). We found

bract clusters about 5 x 1 em, elliptic, scurly-hispid; ovary and

several plants in the area of Cordillera, and the largest of them

pedicel 2.8-3.5 em; sepals and petals white. lip lemon yellow

has grown and flowered. The plant bore a capsule when found

with white margins and white streaks on blade; dorsal sepal 6-

and the dried column was quite unlike that of S. callosa. When

7.5 x 1.9-2.2 em. elliptic or ovate-elliptic. acute to apiculate;

the first two buds appeared, they were closely watched, and 1

lateral sepals 6.5-7.7 x 2-2.9, oblong-obovate;petals 5.4 -6.8 x

kept thinking ·'not yet, maybe tomorrow.'' Finally, I realized that

2.5-3.5cm,oblong-obovate;lip5.5-7.8 x4-6cm, obovate. blade

the flowers might be self-pollinating. or cleistogamous. At that

markedly ruffled marginally, with several low keels; basal ridges

point, one of the buds was yellowish and shriveling. but the

ca. 8 mm long. verruculose between the ridges; column 4-4.2

other was near "flowering."

em.. anns 3-4 x 2 mm, porrect or slightly upturned.

produced only one bud, but this one actually opened a bit. and

In its second year, the plant

This is the common white Sobralia with yellow lip on the

made a better specimen. In 2004 the plant produced three

Pacific slope of Panama, ranging at least from western Panama

inflorescences, each with one bud. Though the buds did not

to central Panama (Ceno Jefe). The flowers (Fig. 1, page 937) are

open, they remained in good condition for three days before

somewhat smaller than those of S. chrysostoma. with a more

witheting and setting fruit. I removed two of the capsules, and

strongly ruftled lip margin. and the column arms are either

the plant has produced several more buds. CrossingS. exigtu.

porrect or only slightly upturned. The color of the lip is lemon

with other small-flowered Sobralias might produce a nice dwarf

yellow, rather than the orange-yellow of S. chrysostoma. At the

plant with flowers that open, but so far, my attempts to cross S

present, I see no evidence of intergradation between S. citrea

exigua with S. mariannae or S. allenii have been quite fruitless.

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DRESSLER- SIX 1\:EW SPECIES OF SOBRALIA FRO\l PA'-\\1\

ETYMOLOGY: The epithet exigua means small or feeble. It .;,one of the smallest known Sobralias. and its flower production

w•. so far. been rather feeble. As \\ith some other white­ -lowered species, includingS.Ieucoxamlw. the flowers quickly

Fig. 3 Sobralia kruslwyae. \. Sohralw krll\ka_r(lt. in field. north of El Valle de Ant6n. Photograph: K. Dressler. B. T)pc plant

latent! vie\\ of tlO\\Cr. in cultivation. Chiriqui. Panama.

•

Photograph: K. Dres,lcr.

'lain alcohol black. It is a measure ofTed Green· s fanatic interest .n

Sobralia that he actually wanted a di\ ision of this plant.

ETYMOLOGY: The epithet of this specie�honors Licenciada Kntskaya de Melgarcjo. who was for several years head of the

Sobrafia kruskayae Dressler, sp. nov.

Depat1amento de Manejo de Vida Silve:-.tre or A.N.A.M.

HOLOTY PE: Panama. Coclc: El Valle de Ant6n. flowered in

(Autoridad Nacional de Ambiente, Panama). Kruskaya is a

..:ultivationJuly-Aug. 2003; flowers white. with yellow in throat.

pleasant person and very competent in her work. She recognizes

'orne brown or purple in base. Dressler 6383. MO. Jsotype:

the need to study rhe orchids (and other plants and animals) of

P�A. Species Sobraliac Jeucoxanthae Rchb.f. similis, Jabello ecarinato columna remuliformic; rccedit.

Roots 3-6mm in diameter: stem 1-1.5 m tall: leaves 17-35

x 2.8-5.6 em. elliptic. lon g-acuminate, subpctiolate (to about 6

mm), sheathes <;lightly �triare. scurfy-punctate: bract cluMer 3-

Panama and does everything she can to facilitate permits for the c.:ollecting and exchange ofmaterials for scientific study.1' m told that she has been promoted and is nO\\ in charge of the Departamento de Areas Protejida!> y Vida Silve�trc. The last few

years has ..een the description of many new species from Panama. with voucher., or l)pe specimens deposited in the

! x 0.6-0.8 em. striate. <,curfy-punctate . the outer bracts long­

Herbarium of the University of Panama. This was made possible

a..:uminate: ovaT) and pedicel 2.5-3 em: flowers white. with

b) Kruska)a· s enthw.ia�tic collaboration.

�ellow in throat. some brown or purple within near base: dorsal

-epa! �.8-5 - 1.2 em, lan ce-o b long. apiculate: lateral sepals 5-

' 2x 1-1.3 em, lance-o blong. apiculate: pctals4.8-5.7x I .3-1.5

�m. oblong; lip 5.5-5.7 x 3.2-3.7 em. oblong-obovate. basal ndgesca. 7 mm.papillose. '"ithout keels: column ca. 25 mm. vef) arro'" for ca.l8 mm. then abruptly ca. 5 mm wide. arms ca. 3.5

SPEClME 'S: Other specimens seen from same area: 28

Apr. 1982. Dn!>.\ler 60-10 (MO): pressed from c ult.. II Sept.

2002. Maduro y Olmos 292 (FLAS. PMA).

Sobralia recta Dressler, sp. nov.

HOLOTYPE: Panama. Bocas del Toro. 800 m.. llorecioen

mm, curved upward and reachmg dorsal edge of column or

cultivo 12 Sept. 2002. A. Maduro y E. Olmos 295 MO. botype:

-tpices in contact above column. column with IO\\, thick ridge

PMA.

">elow.

This is another white-t1owered species (Fig. 3) that is

A Sobraliae hellcri A.D.Hawkcs labello recto non reflexo

recedit.

dtstinct from all of the other would-be "S. leucoxcmtha" so far

Caespitose. terrestrial. roots 4-6 mm in diameter: stems

...nown from Panama. It is distinct in the relatively narrow,long­

1.5-2.5mx0.9-l cm(basally); leaves 17 25x5.5-10.5cm.ovate.

.H.:uminate leaves, in the rather porrect lip without keels. and in

acuminate, subpetiolate ({r7 mm), sheaths striate slightly scurfy;

he slender. oar-shaped column. Also. the base of the lip is

tloralbractclustcr6x 1.2- 1.3 cm;ovaryandpedicelca. l6mm;

Ji.,tinctly concave in front of (and somewhat beneath) the basal

sepals pale green, petals white, lip flesh-pink with white blotch

,dges. Part of the plant is cultivated in Florida and produced

ncar apex: base of flower forming a definite floral tube about l

lowers in 2003. Though the plant was yet small and the leaves

em long: dorsal �epaI ca. 5.5 x l .9 em. elliptic-oblong, apiculate:

'carcely half their normal size, the 11owers were almost exactly

lateral sepals ca. 5 x 2 em. oboYatc-elliptic. apiculatc; petals ca.

he same site as tho�e collected in F'inca Dracula the previous

5 x2 cm. obovate-clliptic. apiculate: lip ca. 5.7-5.8 x 3.2-4.6mm.

ear.

cuneate-obo\'ate. weakly 3-lobed. basal ridges ca. 2 cm. without LINOLEYANA

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DRESSLER - SIX NEW SPECIES OF SOBRALIA FROM PANAMA

keels. margin� undulate di!.tally fimbriate-crisped. midlobe not ret1exed: column 4.5 em. shallowly sigmoid, ca. 3 mm basally,

Fig.

4. Sobrafia n•cta. Type plant, in cultivation, Chiriqui. Panama

Photograph: E. Olmos.

with 2 lateral keels. distally9 mm wide, 8 mm high, arms 6-7 x2.53 mm, lanceolatc, keeled, shallowly curved upward.

lateral sepals 6-7 x 2-2.4cm, elliptic or narrowly obovate, acuk

S. helleri Hawkes, to which it is probably closely related. It

lip 6.2 x 3.3 em, cuncate-obovate. obtuse; lip 6.3-7.2 x 4.7-4

This huge plant(Fig. 4) with wide leaves is very like that of

apiculate; petals 24 x 4mm, narrowly elliptic-lanceolate, apiculatc

differs from that species in the straight (not reflexed) lip. in

em. cuneate. obovate. blade distinctly narrowed, basal ridges--

leaves.

keels. margin somewhat ruffled; column 4-4.2 em, arms ca. 3 �

coloration and in the more strongly marked cross-veins of the ETYMOLOGY: The epithet recta. or straight. refers to the nonreflexed hp.

ETYMOLOGY: This is the species known as ··

HOLOTYPE: Panama. pro".Cocle: El Vaile de Anton. 800-

1000 m. Cult. en Finca Dracula. tloreci6 12 Sept. 2002 ·•ta chocolato�a:· A . .'vladuro' E. Olmos 293. MO.lsotype: PMA. Sobraliae chrysosromae Dressler similis. <;ed Iabelli lamina brcviore obtusirer contractu coloris badio-castaneis differt.

Caespitose. epiphytic or terrestrial. roots ca. 6 mm in diameter: stem\ 1-1.5 m. ca. 5-6 mm in diameter; leaves 13-19

x4-7.3 em. ovate, �hort-acuminate. blades furfuraceous beneath. with hispid veins. sheathf> striate, rugulose; bract cluster 4-5 x 1-1.2 em, striate, hispid-furfuraccous; ovary and pedicel 3.5-4 em; flowers white. blade of lip pale reddish brown; dorsal sepal

6-7 x 1.8-2.5em, elliptic or narrowly obovate, acute-apicu1ate; ORCHIDS DECEMBER 2005

x 2 mm, upcurved. column trigonous. below with 2 raised kee and between them a rai�;cd plate with 3 furrows.

Sobralia theobromina Dressler, sp. nov.

940

8 mm, well �eparated. verruculose between ridges, with 7-8lo

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chocolatosa" in El Valle de Anton. though the color seems· ... e me closer to cafe collleche than to chocolate (Fig. 5). Since t

people of El Valle have chosen chocolate,

I use the epith�

theobromi11a. referring. of course. to Theobroma cacao. ce

source of chocolate. This is certainly the same species that illustrated in 200 I as being a variant of S. chrysostoma, and i its details. S. theobromi11a resembles S. chrysostoma muc more than it does S. citrea. Sobralia theobromina differs frorr: both S. chrysostoma and S. citrea in lip color, in the smaller

abruptly tapering blade of the lip. and in the leaves that are mor

fwfuraceous beneath and with veins that are distinctly hispH ..

If one spreads the lips, all three species are about 5 em wide w the widest point. but in S. theobromina the blade (the colore

DRfSSU:R- SIX 1\'1-W SPECIES OF SOBRr\1./r\ I·RO�t PA:-=,\\IA

Fig 5. Snbralia Panama.

theohromina. T�pc plnnt. in culti\'lllion, Chiriqui, Photograph: K. Dre"ler.

portion) i'> ahout .2.5 em wide at the midP<1int.

w hilc

the lip.., of

Fig. 6. Sobmlia tricolor. Type plant. in culla\auon. Chiriqui, Panama. Photograph: K. Dre"ler .

1.1 em. oblanceolate-oblon,g.fa kate.upiculatc : lip+ 5.5 x 2 7.

other)cliO\\-ltppcd 'pecic.., are about 4 cIll wide at the midpoint.

3 em, O \ ate." eakly 3-Jobcd. midlohc I.� x 2 em. ero,c. piJo,e.

A<. implied b) the name, thc lipofthi'> '>pccic-. ;, more brown

ba�al keel<; ca. 8 mm long. with �event! low ked' from base:

than yellow. I would dc<;cribe the lip ·old gold.''

""

pale reddish brown or

The varioU'. meanings of "brown" are difficult

�nough in Engli�h. In Spanish. "ca<;tat)o," "moreno,'' "pardo.'' ..cafe'' and ''chocolate." are all used but not ncce.,,arily for different color,, R:uhcr thc'e arc the pn.:ferrcd term<. in different area-. or culture,.

SPECI�1t'S Other 'pccimcn' 'ecn from the 'ame area: 6 :\o\ . 2001.Mcu/r11o .' 0/mo.\ 232 r A.·\S. P\1:\J: 20 '>.;ov. 2003.

\fadum y 0/mm J 17 (P�t:\. Sf.L): \ug. Sep. 2003. Dressler

•

6-101. (�10. P�1A).

Sobralia tricolor Dressler, .\p.

column ca. 2.2 em.. 2 mm wide ha\ally. 5 mm wide apically. slightly "winged" throughout.arm� 2.2 x I n11n.lightly curved, anther keeled.

Thi' 'J><!ciC' (Fig. 6) ha' rather -.mull flm\cr' with narrO\\ segment' and falcate ("bow-legged'') latcral 'cpal.... his ea<.il) recogni1ed b) the three different colors. white, yellow and red­ purple.

A Nnre C'll Sobrallu xglori a c - I nO\\ feel 'urc that m y fiN

imprec;sion of S. xs:lnriae \\a' correct. an thnt it

h probably a S. atmpube,cc'/1\ and -.omc white­ flowered 'pecie,, Con,idcring the number ol white-flO\\Cred specie� known from El \'aile. the \\hitc-flowercd parent species may 'till be unde�cri bed and the e'\a<:t parcntagcofS. x «lorrae remain' a Ill}'tef) for nO\\.

natural hybrid bet\\cen

mm

HOLOTYPE: P•m.ml<t.Cocll!: F.l \"alledcAnt6n.800-I<XX>m.

tloreci6 en Finea Drticula. I 2 Sep. 2002 .\laduro y Olmos 297 •

MO. J,Ot)pe: P�tA.

In ter 'pccie' gencn' Sobraliue floribu' ma,gnitudine mediana, tricoloribu' (albi,. lutci ,, pupurci,que). 'epali' lateralibu' in,igniter falca ti' digno,cenda.

LITER'nRt-: Cl•f.o

Rooh � 5mrnindiumeter;,tcm,0.75-I mx0.6cmbasall):

Dre"Jer. R L. 200 I. T''n s\,hr.•h••'· Solmtlia chryw.\foma

leaYe� 15 21 x ll -t2 em. elliptic. long-,11:uminate; 'heaths

;, de,cribcd and the idcntll) of Sobmlia /eucoxantlw is

, tria te: bract clu'> ter' 3 x0.7 em. elliptic. 'triate, 'lig htI) scurfy:

resolved. Orchid.\ 70:750-751.

0\'at)' and jXtliccl2 2.8cm: Oower. white.\\ ith yciJO\\ \'entrally

.

_

2002. The major section' or groups within

So/milia,

in throat and pmpJi,h-brown �pot� laterully ncar base: dorsal

with four new species from Panama and ('o<,ta Rica. S. cris­

'epa14.3 5.2 x 0.9 I em. ohlong-oblanccolate.apiculute: lateral

pissima.

epaJ,4.3-tR x 1.1-1.3. oblong. apiculate: petal-. 4.5-4.7 x

1-

S. �l oria11a. S. maricmiiC/(' :md S.

llllltlll\,

Lallke.'i­

tericma 5: 9� 15.

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