A new miniature ghost orchid appears in the Dominican Republic
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15517/lank.v25i1.62821Keywords:
Angraecinae, Dendrophylax, ghost orchids, Orchidaceae, orchid floraAbstract
A small population of an epiphytic orchid in the leafless genus Dendrophylax was discovered in the valley of Río Amina, on the northwestern side of the Cordillera Central of the Dominican Republic. The tiny yellow to yellow-green flowers proved to be unique and therefore we describe here the new species as D. pustulatus, for the brown ellipsoid pustules of the inflorescence and ovary, the 90° bend at the transition between the pedicel and ovary, the simple mid lobe of the lip, and a laterally flattened spur not exceeding the length of the ovary. Based on morphology, D. pustulatus appears to be closely allied with D. constanzensis and D. serpentilingua. Dendrophylax now has 16 species, 12 of which are present in Hispaniola and half of those are endemic to the island.
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