The New Refugium Botanicum. Stanhopea ecornuta

Abstract

Stanhopea ecornuta Lemaire, Flore des Serres 2: 181, t. 9. 1846. Stanhopeastrum ecornutum (Lemaire) Rchb.f., Bot. Zeit. (Hamburg) 10:927. 1852. TYPE: Guatemala. Ex hort. van Houtte, J. Warszewicz s.n. (holotype probably not prepared; the type specimen illustrated in Flore des Serres, loc. cit). Neotype, designed by Jenny (1988): Guatemala. [Near St. Toma,] ex hort. van Houtte, J. Warszewicz s.n. (W23047). Stanhopea calceolus Rchb.f., Xenia Orchid. 1:117. 1855. TYPE: Central America, J. Warszewicz s.n. (not located, sketch at W23046). A large, epiphytic, caespitose herb to 55 cm tall. Roots rather coarse, flexuous, to 2 mm in diameter. Pseudobulbs ovoid, strongly ridged, dark green, to 20–48 × 15–30 mm, monophyllous, protected at the base by several triangular, acute to acuminate, fibrous sheaths 5–9 cm long, becoming dry-papyraceous and eventually breaking with age. Leaf plicate, leathery, petiolate, elliptic, obtuse, abruptly acute, 15–44 × 5–9 cm, the petiole to 2–10 cm long, with 5–7 mayor veins protruding on the underside. Inflorescence a stout, pendent, two-flowered raceme from the base of the pseudobulb, 5–11 cm long, the peduncle concealed by several imbricating, strongly conduplicate-ancipitous, tight to loose, papery, broadly ovate, acute, spathaceous bracts, progressively larger toward the apex, 18–30 × 16–22 mm.