Lepanthes cribbii Pupulin

Pupulin, F., & Diego Bogarín. (2004). Two New Species of Lepanthes (Orchidaceae: Pleurothallidinae) from Costa Rica. Kew Bulletin, 59(4), 559-563. doi:10.2307/4110911

Morphology General Habit

Plant epiphytic, caespitose, patent to pendent, to 8 cm tall

Morphology Roots

Roots flexuous, about 0.5 mm in diameter

Morphology Stem

Ramicauls 1.4 - 5 cm long, covered by 5 - 11 lepanthiform, microscopically ciliate sheaths, the ostia obliquely dilated with microciliate margins

Morphology Leaves

Leaf pendent, coriaceous, narrowly ovate, 2.3 - 3.1 x 0.9 - 1.5 cm, emarginate, abaxially provided with a short apiculus, the base widely cuneate to subrounded, narrowed into a petiole 1 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence racemose, distichous, congested, successively flowered, borne behind the leaf, to 3 cm long; peduncle filiform, to 1.5 cm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts

Floral bracts triangular-ovate, muriculate, about 1 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pedicel

Pedicel 1.5 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary clavate, rounded in section, 1 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers about 10 x 5 mm, the sepals hyaline, pale yellow, blotched with blood-red between nerves; the petals, the lip and column red

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Lateral sepals obliquely subfalcate-ovate, 5 x 2.5 mm, acuminate, concave, dorsally carinate, with denticulate margins, the apices convergent, connate at the base 1.5 mm Dorsal sepal 5.5 x 3 mm, ovate, acuminate, concave, dorsally carinate, with denticulate margins, connate to the lateral sepals for about 1 mm

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Lip bilaminate, 1.3 x 1.0 mm, minutely pubescent, the blades dolabriform, acute, the connectives connate to the base of column, the body emarginate, provided with a tooth-like, puberulent, reflexed appendix, born under the apex of body Petals transversely bilobed, 0.5 x 3 mm, the lobes subfalcate- linear, rounded

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Column

Column 1.5 mm long, with the anther dorsal, the stigma subapical

Ecology

Epiphytic in premontane, transition to lower montane cloud forest.

Distribution

Known only from Costa Rica.

Note

In honour of Dr Phillip Cribb, Curator of the Orchid Herbarium at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and recognised taxonomic authority in the Orchidaceae. Lepanthes cribbii is allied to L. mentosa, with which it is sympatric around the continental divide in Cordillera de Tilaran, northern Costa Rica, but is readily distinguished by the sepals that have large, blood-red blotches between nerves (versus yellow in L. mentosa), and the bright, scarlet-red colour of petals and lip (versus petals orange suffused with red and lip red- orange in L. mentosa). Furthermore, the lip of L. mentosa has a proportionally large, thick (about 0.5 mm) body, protruding into a mentum 0.7 mm long (from which the specific epithet mentosa), whereas the body of the lip in L. cribbii is thin (0.1 mm), with the sinus emarginate.

Type

Costa Rica, Pupulin & Barboza 3211 (holotypus USJ; isotypus USJ-Spiritus).