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Blumea 62, 2017: 1–5 ISSN(Online)2212-1676www.ingentaconnect.com/content/nhn/blumea https://doi.org/10.3767/000651917X694732RESEARCH ARTICLE

InTRoduCTIon

TheOldWorld terrestrialorchidgenusNervilia continues to grow, with the addition of at least one new species per year forthelastfiveyears(Averyanov2011a,Hsuetal.2012,Jalaletal.2012,Galeetal.2013,2014,2015,2016,Lin&Chang2013,Lin2014).Alloftheserecentdiscoveriesoccurintropicalor subtropical Asia, and each is referable to one of a series of species complexes whose ecology and evolution remains only poorlyunderstood.Thefewmolecularandcytologicalstudiescarried out to date suggest that small morphological differences within these complexes – even between species inhabiting the samesite–canmasksignificantgeneticdistancesandvariationinploidylevel(Galeetal.2010,2015,Eumetal.2011).Thissuggests the occurrence of considerably more cryptic diversity thanpresentlyrecognised.In a cladistic analysis focusing on African members of the genus,Pettersson(1991)circumscribedanallianceofcloselyrelatedone-floweredspeciesunifiedbythecombinationofanelongating fruiting scape, a glabrous, angular leaf and a pubes-cent column, as epitomised by the African N. adolphiSchltr.and the Indonesian N. punctata(Blume)Makino.Theconceptof the so-called ‘Nervilia adolphi/punctata species alliance’hassincebeenfurtherexaminedinAsiabyGaleetal.(2013,2015),withtheadditionofaslender,entireandpredominantlywhitelabellumwithvioletmarkingsasatypicalcharacter.Thealliance accounts for at least 26 of the approximately 70 species presently accepted in the genus, with representatives distri-buted throughout most of the generic range, from sub-Saharan Africa, through tropical, subtropical and warm temperate Asia totheSouthwestPacificIslands.Mostoccurindeepshadeaselementsoftheforestunderstorey(Galeetal.2015).As for the genus as a whole, members of the alliance exhibit a hysteranthous annual cycle in which the solitary scape emerges

at the onset of the growing season, followed by the single, deciduousleafoncetheflowerhaseitherwitheredorfructified(Pridgeonetal.2005,Galeetal.2006).Thistemporalsepara-tionofthefloweringandleafingphases,aswellastheseasonaldormancy that follows senescence of the leaf at the end of the annual growth cycle, has been interpreted as an adaptation to astrongwet /dryseasonality(Pettersson1991),withthefewrecorded exceptions to this characteristic pattern tending to oc-cur in moister habitats or regions with a less marked transition betweendryandwetseasons.Thusoverlappingreproductiveand photosynthetic phases have been noted for N. punctata inlowlandevergreenforestinJava(Backer&BakhuizenvandenBrink1968),forN. borneense(J.J.Sm.)Schltr.inmossymontaneforestinEastMalaysia(S.Galepers.observ.,voucher:A. Lamb 2089/2011,SAN)andforN. muratanaS.W.Gale&S.K.WuinhumidbroadleavedforestinSouthChinaandnorth-ernVietnam(Gale&Wu2008,Averyanov2011b);allthreeofthese species belong to the N. adolphi/punctataalliance.Todate,onlyfivespeciesofNervilia have been recorded from Laos(Schuitemanetal.2008,Galeetal.2016).Giventhat11speciesareknownfromThailand(Gale&Watthana2014,Galeetal.2016)andeightareknownfromVietnam(Averyanov&Averyanova2003,Averyanov2011a,b,Galeetal.2016),thisislikelytobeanunderestimatedueinparttoinsufficientbotanicalexploration(Newmanetal.2007),aswellastotheinconspicuous and ephemeral nature of the plants themselves (Galeetal.2014)andthepotentialpresenceofcryptictaxa(Galeetal.2015).Duringarecentsurveyofremnantprimaryforest fragments in the north of the country, the present au-thorsdiscoveredanunidentifiedmemberof theN. adolphi/punctata alliance that was striking for its unusually large, faintly tessellatedleaf.Subsequentanalysisofplantsthatfloweredin cultivation confirmed that they represent an undescribedspecies morphologically allied to N. muratana. Reinforcingthisaffiliation,seasonaldormancywasabsent,with the leafundergoing senescence only after emergence of the flower in thefollowinggrowthcycle(Fig.1b).

Studies in Asian Nervilia (Orchidaceae) VII: Nervilia kasiensis, a new Lao endemicS.W.Gale1,T.Phaxaysombath 2

Key words

HysteranthyLaosnew speciesOrchidaceaespecies complex

Abstract A new species belonging to the terrestrial orchid genus NerviliaisdescribedfromKasiDistrict,VientianeProvince,northernLaos.Referabletothewidespreadandspecies-richN. adolphi/punctata alliance on account of its solitary flower, slender white and violet-marked labellum and glabrous, angular leaf, N. kasiensis is morphologically most closely allied to N. muratanaofsouthernChinaandnorthernVietnam.Asinthatspecies,thefloweringandleafingphasesoverlap,anunusualfeatureamongmembersofthegenus.Thenewspeciescanbedistinguishedfrom N. muratana by its shorter inflorescence, its weakly spreading perianth with beige sepals, its narrower labellum withacentralpubescentstripontheepichile,itsarchedcolumn,andbyitsfaintlytessellatedleaf.Amorphologicaldescription,linedrawingandnotesonthespecies’ecologyandconservationstatusarepresented.

Published on12January2017

1 KadoorieFarmandBotanicGarden,LamKamRoad,TaiPo,NewTerri-tories,HongKong;

correspondingauthore-mail:stephangale@kfbg.org.2 Biodiversity andEcology Institute,Ministry ofScienceandTechnology,Vientiane,LaosPDR;e-mail:pthatsaphone@hotmail.com.

2 Blumea – Volume 62 / 1, 2017

dESCRIPTIon

Nervilia kasiensisS.W.Gale&Phaxaysombath,sp. nov.—Fig.1,2,3

This new species most closely resembles N. muratanaS.W.Gale&S.K.Wuinthe outline of its labellum, in the shape of its leaf and in its non-hysteranthous growthhabit.However,N. kasiensis is distinguished from N. muratana by itsmuchshorterinflorescence(upto4.3cmintheformervs6.5–10.0cminthelatter),itsweaklyspreadingperianth(vswidelyspreadinginthelatter)withbeigesepals(vswhiteinthelatter),itsnarrowerlabellum(upto6.4mmwideintheformervs9–12mmwideinthelatter)withacentralpubescentstripontheepichile(vsshortlyandsparselyhairyalongthemainveinsinthelatter),itsarchedcolumn(vsstraightinthelatter),andbyitstessellatedleaf(vsuniformlydarkgreeninthelatter).—Type:Gale & Phaxaysombath HNL-KFBG 537b (holotypeHNL,floweredincultivationfromGale & Phaxay-sombath HNL-KFBG 537a), ex cult. Biotechnology&Ecology Institute,MinistryofScience&Technology,Vientiane,Laos,11Mar.2016;Gale &

Phaxaysombath HNL-KFBG 537a(paratypeHNL,leaf),KhounLangCave,KasiDistrict,VientianeProvince,Laos,29Nov.2015.

Etymology.NamedafterKasiDistrict,northernLaos,inwhichthisspecieswasdiscovered.

Glabrousterrestrial herbupto12cmtall.Tuber cream-white, ovoid-fusiform,1.1–1.8cmlong,0.6–1.2cmwide,3–4-noded,bearinga fewstout,wiry,minutelyhairy rootsup to1.3cmlongat thenodes.Subterranean stem emerging from apical orintermediatenodeoftuber,whitishbrown,2.1–6.7cmlong,1.8–2.6mmdiam,many-noded,producing2–3segmentedlateralrunnersuptoc.5.0cminlengththateachgiverisetoadaughtertuberattheapex.Petiole-like stalk light green, erect, (3.1–)8.5–10.2cmlong,2.8–3.0mmdiam,sulcate,bearing 1brown,fibrous,looselysheathingcataphyll1.9–2.3cmlongatbase.Leaf blade dark green with bands of faint, iridescent silver-

Fig. 1 Nervilia kasiensisS.W.Gale&Phaxaysombath.a.PlantsinleafatthetypelocalityinnorthwestLaosshowingthefaintsilver-greymottlingontheadaxialsurface;b.plantinflowershowingthenon-hysteranthousgrowthhabit;c.close-upofinflorescence;d.lateralviewofflowershowingslightlysaccatebaseofthelateralsepals;e.frontviewofflowershowingtheweaklyspreadingperianth.

c

b

d

a

e

3S.W.Gale&T.Phaxaysombath:Nervilia kasiensis,anewLaoendemic

Fig. 2 Nervilia kasiensisS.W.Gale&Phaxaysombath.a.Plantinflower;b.plantinleafwithfloweringshootsemergingfromdaughtertubersatthetipoflateralrunnersbornefromthesubterraneanstem;c.labellum,flattened;d.dorsalsepal;e.lateralsepal;f.petal;g.lateralviewofcolumn;h.ventralviewofcolumnapexshowinganther,rostellumandstigma;i.pollinia.—DrawnbyS.W.Gale(a,c–i:Gale & Phaxaysombath HNL-KFBG 537b;b:Gale & Phaxaysombath HNL-KFBG 537a(bothHNL)).

1 cm

c

b

d

a

2 mm

g

h

i

e f

5 mm

2 mm

5 mm

1 cm

4 Blumea – Volume 62 / 1, 2017

grey tessellation in between the main veins, held well above ground level, cordate-polygonal, with 7 main veins diverging palmately from the origin of the petiole-like stalk, slightly lobed atthetipsofthemainveinsinsomeindividuals,(4.5–)7.7–8.9cmlong,(4.2–)7.2–8.0cmwide,deeplycordateatbase,thebasallobesrounded,notoverlapping,marginflat,apexacute.Inflorescence emerging while the plant is in leaf, erect, termi-nal, warty at base near junction with subterranean stem, terete above,2.5–4.3cmlongtooriginoffloralbract,2.0–2.2mmdiam, olive green flushed brown, bearing 1 short papery sterile bractatbaseand1sheathingcataphyllabove;cataphyll olive green flushedbrownwith irregularpurpleblotches,1.8–2.8cm long,enclosing thebaseof the floralbract,apexacute;floral bract olive green with irregular purple blotches, narrowly elliptic, 4.8–5.5mm long,1.4–1.6mmwide,exceeding thepedicel,apexacute.Flower solitary, resupinate, nodding, peri-anthnotspreadingwidely;pedicelconcealedwithinthebase

ofthefloralbract,upto2.0mmlong;ovarynarrowlyconical,4.9–5.2mmlong,c.2.5mmdiam,olivegreenwithirregularpurple blotches; sepals and petals similar, outer surfaces cream-beige with irregular pink-violet flecks, glossy white inside, narrowlyelliptic-lanceolate,acuminate;dorsalsepal22.4–26.8mmlong,3.5–4.2mmwide,5-veined; lateralsepalsslightlyoblique,slightlyinflatedandslightlysaccateatbase,21.8–24.6mmlong,2.8–3.5mmwide,3-veined;petalsslightlyoblique,21.0–23.5mm long, 1.8–2.8mmwide, 3-veined; labellum white with irregular pink-violet flecks and blotches, not spurred but slightly concave at base, narrowly obovate-spathulate, 20.7–21.5mmlong,dividedabovethemiddlebyanarrowwaistintoahypochileandepichile;hypochileoblong,11.2–12.0mmlong,3.5–4.2mmwide,lateralmarginsraisedandembracingthe column, terminating in a pair of short, ovate, obtuse auricles upto0.4mmlong;epichileovate-orbicular,9.5–9.8mmlong,5.9–6.4mmwide,apexacute;diskbearingacentral lanate

Fig. 3Primary,moistevergreenforestatthetypelocalityinKasiDistrict,VientianeProvince,northwestLaos.

5S.W.Gale&T.Phaxaysombath:Nervilia kasiensis,anewLaoendemic

band that divides in 2 below the auricles and then merges again at the base of the epichile to form a raised pubescent strip that terminateswithin1.5mmoftheapex,shortlypapillateelse-whereontheepichile.Column white, slender, clavate, arched towardstheapex,10.2–11.5mmlong,withapatchofshorthairsbelowthestigma;anthercaphelmet-shaped,c.1.8mmlong;polliniaenclosedbehindthestigma,2.6–2.8mmlong;stigma shield-shaped, slightly concave; rostellum formingaprominentridgealongtheapexofthestigma. Distribution—Atpresentknownonlyfromthetypecollec-tion, which comes from fragmented primary hill forest in northern Laos(Fig.3).ItsdiscoveryinsimilarhabitatselsewhereinLaosas well as in neighbouring parts of Thailand and Vietnam might be expected, although primary forest in the region continues to dwindlerapidly. Ecology—Nervilia kasiensis is an understorey herb that grows in shade in deep organic soils in moist, evergreen hill forestoverlimestoneatc.750maltitude.ThefloweringshootemergesinMarch,whileitstuberisstillconnectedbyarunnertothepreviousyear’sleafyshoot.Theoldleafwithersandanewleafemergesfromaseparaterunnerafteranthesis.Multiplerunners are produced both from nodes of the tuber itself and fromthesubterraneanstemofleafyshoots.Thepresenceofaprominentrostellumattheapexofthestigma(Fig.2h)sug-gests that N. kasiensisisoutcrossing(cf.Gale2007). Conservationstatus—Onlyasmallpopulationoffewerthantenemergentshootswasfoundatthetypelocality.Theavail-abilityofsuitablehabitat throughouttheKhounLangNatureReserveoffershopethatmoreplantsoccurnearby.However,on-going destruction of primary moist broadleaved forest in northernLaos,aswellasinneighbouringpartsofIndochina,indicates that this apparently restricted and rare species is underconsiderablethreatduetohabitatloss.Pendingsurveysto better gauge its distribution and abundance, N. kasiensis is fornowconsideredDataDeficient(DD;IUCN2012).

Note—Onaccount of its glabrous, angular leaf and thenarrow, white and violet-marked labellum of its single flower, N. kasiensis is immediately recognisable as a member of the N. adolphi/punctataalliance.Inadditiontothecharactersnotedin the diagnosis that differentiate it from N. muratana, its clos-est morphological ally, N. kasiensis is also distinguished by its relativelybroadertepalsascomparedtothoseofthatspecies.In its non-spreading perianth, the slightly concave base of its lip and the rounded hypochile auricles, N. kasiensis is also similar to N. alishanensis T.C.Hsu,S.W.Chung&C.M.Kuo,aspeciesofTaiwanandHainanProvinceinsoutheastChina(Hsuetal.2012,Galeetal.2015).However,overalldimensionsof theleaf and flower parts are otherwise markedly different, added to which N. alishanensis lacks a functional rostellum and is reportedtobeself-pollinating(Hsiehetal.2013).

AcknowledgementsWethankSomsanithBouamanivong,RatsamyPhan-thavong,KhamsaySoumounthongandGunterFischerforassistanceintheplanningoffieldworkinKasiDistrict.WearealsogratefultoPankajKumarforconstructivediscussionsontheorchidfloraofLaos.

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