New or Noteworthy Orchids for the Venezuelan Flora IX: New Taxa, New Records, and Nomenclatural Changes, Mainly from the Guayana Shield and Northern Amazonas

Abstract

Research on the Orchidaceae of the Venezuelan Guayana and neighboring areas has yielded several novelties, new records, and nomenclatural changes. Nine species (one Dichaea, two Lepanthes, one Maxillaria, three Pleurothallis, one Sarcoglottis, and one Uleiorchis), a natural hybrid in Maxillaria, and two subspecies (one Myoxanthus and one Stelis) are newly described. New synonymies are proposed in Campylocentrum, Habenaria, and Octomeria. In addition, several miscellaneous country records are reported. Fifteen of the taxa presented are illustrated. Continued studies related to the orchid treatment for Steyermark et al.'s Flora of the Venezuelan Guayana have yielded several novelties and nomenclatural changes for the orchid flora of the area and from other parts of the Neotropics. These novelties have resulted from the study of material received from several recent expeditions or from the study of critical material mainly at the Orchid Herbarium of Oakes Ames (AMES), the Herbario Nacional de Venezuela (VEN), and the Missouri Botanical Garden (MO). The taxa are arranged alphabetically by subfamilies, subtribes, and genera, following Dressier (1990). SUBFAMILY CYPRIPEDIOIDEAE Selenipedium steyermarkii Foldats, Bol. Soc. Venez. Ci. Nat. 21: 254, fig. 1. 1961. This species was recently collected for the first time outside Venezuela, extending its range into Guyana. Specimens examined. GUYANA. Potaro-Siparuni Region: summit of Mt. Kopinang, 5?00'N, 59?55'W, 1,700-1,800 m, 8 Apr. 1988, Hahn, Judziewicz & Gopaul 4392 (MO, US). SUBFAMILY EPIDENDROIDEAE SUBTRIBE ANGRAECINAE Campylocentrum hondurense Ames, Sched. Orchid. 5: 37. 1923. TYPE: Honduras. Lanc tilla Valley near Tela, 250 ft. altitude, 16 Mar. 1923, Ames II 210 (holotype, AMES). Figure 1. Campylocentrum steyermarkii Foldats, Act. Bot. Venez. 3: 316, f. 4. 1968, syn. nov. TYPE: Venezuela. Tachira: El Piiial, Rio Frio, 250-300 m, 27 Aug. 1966, Steyermark & Rabe 96715 (holotype, VEN). Campylocentrum steyermarkii was based on a specimen in young buds with not fully developed spurs; otherwise it is identical to the type of C. hondurense. We have seen living material collected close to the original locality that confirms this idea. Recently C. hondurense has been collected in the Amazon Basin in Venezuela and Peru; this is the first record of this species for Peru. The species is now known from Honduras, Belize, Venezuela, and Peru. It is apparently always cleistogamous. Specimens examined. PERU. Madre de Dios: Tambopata, Cuzco Amaz6nico, Lodge Camp site 1, Plot E, 200 m, 14 June 1989, Niunez et al. 11029 (MO). VENEZUELA. Territorio Federal Amazonas: Rio Mavaca, 1?59'N, 65?6'W, ca. 200 m, 23 Mar. 1988, Ramirez & Laskowski 246 (VEN).