SITF Submissions and Findings

This plant matches the description of Acianthera boliviana in Icones Pleurothallidinarum XXVI. Flower size at .4 cm is within range of the described (IOSPE) size of .5 cm and the photos are a close match. It matches the line drawing in the IOSPE of A. boliviana (as Pleurothallis boliviana). The flowers of A. boliviana and A. tricarinata are very simliar; but the bracts of A. tricarinata are larger and long enough to cover the entire ovary and extend well out onto the dorsal sepal; whereas, in A. boliviana and this flower, the bracts are much shorter and only partially cover the ovary. This plant also closely matches the flowers of A. boliviana in the OW.

Although this plant does not match the photo in Kew's POWO, which shows flattened, ovate pseudobulbs, this plant does match the photo and description of M. pachyphylla in Eric Christenson's unpublished Monograph showing round, elongate pseudobulbs with solitary, rigid, fleshy leaves and large, sessile flowers. The lip is distinctive appearing wider and not pandurate, as seen in the similar species, M. parahybunensis. Supporting photos can be seen in the IOSPE and closely matching plant and flower images in the OW.

This finding is based on correspondence received from the Montreal Botanic Gardens. The plant was previously identified as P. chimborazoensis from 1959 to 2008, but changed the name when it was considered synonymous with P. fragrans by Kew's Orchid Checklist; it was not returned to the correct name when Kew segregated the species into two separate taxons. The plant was wild collected in Ecuador by Jose Strobel in 1956 and identified as Epi. chimborazoensis by Garay in 1959. The major distinguishing feature separating the two species are spots on the sepals and petals on P. chimborazoensis and this plant; P. fragrans is whiter and devoid of spots.

This is correct based on flower size and cordate shaped midlobe, as described in Cootes' "The Orchids of the Philippines" with an excellent match to the photo. The species is also described in the Quisumbing's 1981 "Philippine Orchids, Vol 1 and 2" in Latin and English; there is also a painting of L. cordatilabia that closely resembles this plant.

Although this Section of Dendrobium is poorly understood, the preponderance of characteristics places this plant within Dendrobium bilobum. Schlecter commented in the "Orchidacea of German New Guinea" that there is hardly any other section in which the distinguishing features of the species have presented such insuperable difficulties as this one. The most important characteristics in this Section seem to be the size of the leaves and their various parts, length and shape of the mentum, width of the petals and most importantly the shape of the lip. Schlechter also said that most of the individual species within Section Monanthos are inter-related and it is not easy to distinguish them. The leaves on this plant are a better fit to D. bilobum than to the closely allied species, D. erectifolium, which has much longer leaves than D. bilobum. This plant meets the description as detailed and illustrated in Lewis & Cribb's 1991 book, "Orchids of the Solomon Islands and Bougainville", although the flower size is large for D. bilobum.

This plant meets the description and drawings of C. parva in the Selbyana 25(1) 2004 article by Dressler, "A synopsis of Cischweinfia". C. emarginata, C. horichii and C. chasei are synonymous with C. parva and differ in minor characteristics, like number of flowers per inflorescence, flower size, and color of lip markings; the measurements on the SITF form appear to be incorrect for the pseudobulb size and were not used in identification; the spacing of 1cm between pseudobulbs does appear correct and using this as a measurement, the pseudobulb size and shape, the leaf shape and the flower form and size fits C. parva; supporting photos of C. parva are in the OW and IOSPE.

This plant keys to Cynorkis lowiana in Hermans and Cribb's "Fieldguide to the Orchids of Madagascar"; matches photos in the IOSPE, OW and orchidroots; flower size is within the description at 2.7cm; there may be minor variations in some characteristics, such as the petal size, depth of color and depth of the split in the apex of the bilobed lip, but overall they are within a narrow range of variation.

Xanthina is not a taxonomically accepted subspecies of B. pozoi; however this plant exhibits an unusual yellow color, not typical of the species, otherwise the flower form and vegetation match the "Icones Plantarum Tropicarum" 1984 description and drawing by Dodson. The drawing shows what appears to be articulation and photos of this plant show this articulation as well. The description states the species is distinguished by the pandurate, acuminate at the apex, lip, which this flower also exhibits.

There is a large amount of confusion between D. polyanthum, D. primulinum and D. cretaceum. Kew in the POWO considers D. polyanthum and D. primulinum to be separate species, however, many sources lists them as synonymous and many of the photos (OW and orchidroots) has them lumped together as D. polyanthum. The IOSPE lists them as separate species. There is an exact match to this plant in the POWO as D. polyanthum. Kew considers D. cretaceum a synonym for D. polyanthum. H. P. Wood in "Dendrobiums" described D. polyanthum and states,: "Discussions about the legitimate name of all three (polyanthum, primulinum, and cretaceum) go back more than a century." Wood stated he studied the type specimens at Kew and agreed with Kew that the correct name is D. polyanthum.