Two new species of Aa (Orchidaceae,Spiranthoideae) from Colombia

Two new species of the Andean genus Aa (Orchidaceae, Spiranthoideae) are described: Aa lozanoi Szlach. and S. Nowak, and Aa figueroi Szlach. and S. Nowak. They are restricted in distribution mainly to Cordillera Oriental in the department of Cundinamarca, however, A. lozanoi was also collected in Cordillera Central and A. figueroi in Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, in northern part of Colombia. Each species is described and illustrated, detailed habitat and distribution data are provided. A distribution map of the new species is presented. A dichotomous key for determination of the Colombian species of Aa is provided. Brief discussion about the most important threats for plants in Andes is presented.     

A new species of Ponthieva (Orchidaceae, Cranichidinae) from Veracruz, Mexico

Ponthieva rinconii, a new orchid species from the foothills of the Sierra Madre Oriental in Veracruz, Mexico, is described and illustrated. It is similar in overall appearance to the wide-ranging upland speciesP. schaffneri, but differs from it in habitat preferences (tropical semi-evergreen forest at 650 m elevation), presence of a loose raceme, and three-lobed labellum with a basal cavity.     

A new species of Hapalorchis (Spiranthinae,Orchidaceae) from Colombia

Hapalorchis bicornis, a new species from Colombia, is described, illustrated and placed within the key for the determination of Colombian Hapalorchis species. The information about the distribution and ecology of the new species as well as brief taxonomic notes are provided.     

A new species of Microchilus (Goodyerinae,Orchidaceae) from Colombia

A new species of Microchilus, endemic to Colombian Department of Putumayo, named Microchilus ormerodianus is described here. The new taxon is related with M. sprucei from which it is easily distinguished by long floral bracts, ovate sepals, ligulate-oblanceolate, shortly acuminate petals and cylindrical-ellipsoid spur.     

A new species of Scaphyglottis (Orchidaceae,Epidendroideae) from Colombia

A new species of Scaphyglottis from Colombia is described, illustrated and placed within the key for the determination of national Scaphyglottis species. Its taxonomic affinity is briefly discussed and the information about its distribution and ecology are provided.     

A new species of Rhetinantha (Orchidaceae, Maxillarieae) from Antioquia, Colombia

A new species of Rhetinantha from Colombian department of Antioquia is described, illustrated and placed within the key for the determination of national Rhetinantha species. The taxonomic affinity of the new entity is briefly discussed and the information about its distribution and ecology is provided.     

Epidendrumcusiyacoense (Orchidaceae), a new species from Colombia

A new species of Epidendrum, E. cusiyacoense, is described and illustrated based on Colombian material. The novelty belongs to the ‘Garayi subgroup’ and resembles the Ecuadorian endemic E. ilinizae, but is distinguished by the oblong-lanceolate leaf which is over five times longer than wide, 2-flowered inflorescence and entire, papillate lip margins. Epidendrum cusiyacoense is so far exclusively known from Colombia where it grows as an epiphyte in wet páramo, among scrub and Espeletia patches at the altitude of about 3000–3500 m. A key to the identification of species belonging to informal Garayi subgroup is provided.     

New Malaxis species (Orchidaceae, Epidendroideae) from Colombia

Two new species of the genus Malaxis are described and illustrated based on the Colombian material. Their taxonomic affinities are briefly discussed and the relevant floral elements of the most similar species are illustrated. The differences between genera Malaxis and Micorstylis are compared.     

Three new species of erythroxylum (Erythroxylaceae) from Venezuela

Erythroxylum steyermarkii Plowman,E. undulatum Plowman andE. williamsii Standley ex Plowman, all known only from Venezuela, are described and illustrated, and their taxonomic and phytogeographic relationships are discussed.     

Amyloplasts from cortical root cells of Spiranthoideae (Orchidaceae)

Summary Cortical root cells of orchids belonging to subfamily Spiranthoideae contain globular organelles which, through chemical tests and examination with both light, scanning, and transmission electron microscopes, appear to be unique in Orchidaceae and unreported in plants in general. It is suggested these are specialized amyloplasts (spiranthosomes) and with other features may serve to characterize the spiranthoid orchid subfamily.Dedicated to Hilton H. Mollenhauer on the occasion of his retirement     

Three new species of Elleanthus (Orchidaceae) from Central America

Elleanthus stolonifer andE. tillandsioides are new species in theE. poiformis complex of sectionChloidelyna.Elleanthus lentii is a new species in sectionStachydelyna. Elleanthus stolonifer is widespread in the mountains of Costa Rica and Panama;E. tillandsioides is found only in the lowland forests of southeastern Costa Rica;E. lentii is limited to the Cordillera de Guanacaste of Costa Rica.     

New species of Gustavia (Lecythidaceae) from Panama,Colombia, and Venezuela

Gustavia monocaulis from east-central Panama,G. sessilis from the Chocó of Colombia, andG. flagellata, including two varieties (var.flagellata and var.costata) from the north-central coast of Venezuela, are described and their relationships with otherGustavia species discussed.     

New species of the genus Cranichis (Orchidaceae, Cranichidinae) from Colombia

Two new species of the Neotropical genus Cranichis are described: Cranichis carlos-parrae Szlach. & Kolan. and Cranichis zarucchii Szlach. & Kolan. Both species are known exclusively from the Colombian Andes, where they were found growing in montane forests and paramo above 2,550 m of elevation. Each species is described and illustrated, and the habitat and distribution data are provided. A distribution map of the new species is presented. A dichotomous key for identification Colombian species of Cranichis is provided.     

New species of the subtribe Goodyerinae (Orchidaceae) from Colombia

Seven new species of the subtribe Goodyerinae, six of Microchilus and one of Aspidogyne, are described and illustrated based on Colombian material. The information about the distribution and ecology of the new entities as well as brief taxonomic notes are provided.     

Three new species of the genus Ripipteryx from Colombia (Orthoptera,Ripipterygidae)

Three new species of Ripipteryx Newman (Orthoptera: Tridactyloidea: Ripipterygidae) are described from Colombia; namely Ripipteryx diegoi sp. n. (Forceps Group) and Ripipteryx guacharoensis sp. n. (Marginipennis Group) from Parque Nacional Natural Cueva de los Guacharos in Huila, and Ripipteryx gorgonaensis sp. n. (Crassicornis Group) from Parque Nacional Natural Gorgona in Cauca. Ripipteryx diegoi sp. n. is characterized by the antennae black with white spots on flagellomeres 3–7, male subgenital plate with median ridge forming a bilobed setose process, epiproct produced laterally near its base and phallic complex with virga thickened distally and not reaching beyond the membrane. Ripipteryx guacharoensis sp. n. is characterized by the antennae thick with white spots present dorsally on flagellomeres 1–4 and 8, epiproct narrow and triangular, uncus reduced and lacking a distal hook, phallic complex with a concave ventral plate and a dorsal elevation in the middle extended to the virga, and the virga itself with two small projections basally. Ripipteryx gorgonaensis sp. n. is characterized by the epiproct with a lateral notch, antennae with a white dorsal spot on flagellomere 1 and flagellomeres 4–7 entirely white. The antennal color pattern of Ripipteryx gorgonaensis sp. n. strongly resembles that of Ripipteryx atra but differs from the latter in the absence of any significant morphological modification of the flagellomeres.     

Comparative vegetative anatomy and systematics of Spiranthoideae (Orchidaceae)

STERN, W. L., MORRIS, M. W., JUDD, W. S., PRIDGEON, A. M. & DRESSLER, R. L. 1993. Comparative vegetative anatomy and systematics of Spiranthoideae (Orchidaceae). The anatomy of leaf, stem and root of plants in the orchid subfamily Spiranthoideae was studied and described from the viewpoint of systematics. Plants were available from most of the geographic range. Tribes Diceratosteleae and Tropidieae show sinuous anticlinal epidermal cell walls in leaves, glandular foliar hairs, tetracytic para-mesoperigenous stomata, unitary tracheary components in the foliar midrib, foliar and cauline stegmata and sclerenchyma, typical cruciate starch grains, thick-walled exodermal, endodermal, and pericyclic cells, and conductive strands of the root embedded in sclerenchyma. The tribe Cranichideae shows straight to curvilinear anticlinal epidermal cell walls in leaves, lack glandular foliar hairs, have variably patterned mesoperigenous stomata, lack sclerenchyma throughout the parts studied, have a binary tracheary component in the foliar midrib, store starch in specialized amyloplasts (spiranthosomes), lack stegmata, have thin-walled exodermal, endodermal, and pericyclic cells, show scalariform thickenings in exodermal cells, and have conductive strands of the root embedded in parenchyma. In Cryptostylis the tracheary component of the foliar midrib is unitary, stomata lack subsidiary cells, starch grains are of the typical cruciate configuration, and passage cells of the endodermis are apparently associated with tilosomes. Anatomical data, when analysed cladistically, support the hypothesis that Spiranthoideae, as currently delimited, are polyphyletic. Corymborkis, Tropidia, and Diceratostele are more closely related to Palmorchis, a likely representative of a basal clade within subfamily Epidendroideae, than to genera of Cranichideae. Likewise, members of Cranichideae are more closely related to Diuris, a representative of subfamily Orchidoideae-tribe Diurideae, than to Corymborkis, Tropidia and Diceratostele. The Corymborkis– Tropidia-Diceratostele-bassd epidendroid [Palmorchis) clade may be diagnosed by the foliar synapomorphies of sinuous anticlinal walls of epidermal cells and presence of glandular hairs. The Cranichideae-orchidoid (Diuris) clade may be diagnosed by its variably patterned, mesoperigenous stomata, lack of vascular bundle sclerenchyma, absence of stegmata, unthickened endodermal cell walls in roots, and conductive cells of roots embedded in parenchyma. Relationships within this clade are quite unresolved, when only anatomical data are employed; however, all studied genera of Cranichideae, except Cryptostylis, possess a binary tracheary component in the foliar midrib. Cranichideae, excluding Cryptostylis, may be considered monophyletic. All Cranichideae, except Helaeria and Cryptostylis, possess spiranthosomes. Hetaeria may be a basal member within Cranichideae. We consider the phylogenetic position of Cryptostylis, in relation to Cranichideae vs. Diurideae, to be equivocal.     

The genus Mesadenella (Orchidaceae) in Colombia with description of two new species

Two new species of Mesadenella, M. longipetiolata and M. bicordata, are described, illustrated and placed within the key to identification of Colombian Mesadenella species. The information about distribution and ecology of the new species as well as brief taxonomic notes are provided.