Phytotaxa 388 (2): 167–173 ISSN 1179-3155 (print edition)

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Article PHYTOTAXA
Copyright © 2019 Magnolia Press ISSN 1179-3163 (online edition)

https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.388.2.3

Pecteilis korigadensis (Orchidaceae: Orchidoideae), a new terrestrial orchid from

the northern Western Ghats, India
JEEWAN SINGH JALAL & JANAKIRAMAN JAYANTHI
Botanical Survey of India, Western Regional Centre, 7-Koregaon Road, Pune-411001, India; E-mail: jeewansinghjalal@rediffmail.com

Introduction

The Western Ghats are a global biodiversity hotspot and treasure trove of biological diversity. They harbour many
endemic species of flowering plants and also form an important centre of evolution of economically important
domesticated plant species. Certain identified parts of the Western Ghats have been included in the UNESCO World
Natural Heritage list because they are considered as cradle of evolution (MOEF&CC 2015). Although the Western
Ghats cover only 5% of the country’s total land area, they also are a habitat for more than 7000 or 27% of the total
plant species in India. The number of endemic plant species in the Western Ghats is estimated to be 2253 (Nayar et
al. 2014).This natural landscape exhibits wide variation in rainfall coupled with complex geography, forming a vast
diversity of vegetation types (Chitale et al. 2014) and supporting a rich orchid diversity. To date, 306 species of orchids
have been recorded from the Western Ghats (Nayar et al. 2014), nearly one-third of them endemic. These orchids are
mainly found in semi-evergreen forest, shola forest and lateritic plateaus. The Western Ghats region has been a site
of intense taxonomic activity, and due to plant explorations by several researchers there has been discovery of many
new species and reports (Kumar et al. 2016, Jayanthi et al. 2017). In the past fifty years (1950–2000), more than 27
species of orchids have been discovered in the Western Ghats, and the species discovery curve has not yet attained an
asymptote (Aravind et al., 2007).
Pecteilis Rafinesque (1837: 37; Orchidoideae; Orchidinae) is a spectacular genus estimated to comprise nine
terrestrial species (Govaerts et al. 2018) from southern and eastern Asia and the Malay Archipelago (Seidenfaden
& Wood 1992, Pridgeon et al. 2001). The native range of this genus includes all countries in Southeast Asia. The
species usually grow in grassland habitat at high elevations, 400–2500 m. The genus is closely related to Habenaria,
but the main character separating the genus from Habenaria is that the stigma lobes are not freely extending in front
of column and the rostellum forms a broad band above the stigma lobes. The anther loculi are widely spaced on the
connective, and the stigmas are sessile and adnate to the base of lip (Seidenfaden & Wood 1992, Pridgeon et al. 2001).
Pecteilis species like those of Habenaria are perennial, deciduous geophytes with a growth cycle associated with a
wet season followed by a dormant period in the form of an underground root tuber during the dry season (Batista et
al. 2013). The genus is represented by four species in India, Pecteilis gigantea (Smith, 1806: 79) Rafinesque (1837:
38), P. henryi Schlechter (1919: 45), P. susannae (Linnaeus, 1753: 939) Rafinesque (1837: 38) and P. triflora (Don
1825: 25) Tang &Wang (1951: 62). In Western Ghats, the genus previously has been represented by only P. gigantea
(Nayar et al. 2014). According to the recent study on the orchids of Maharashtra (Jalal 2018), 104 orchid species have
been documented so far, including 35 endemic species. The greatest concentration of endemic orchids in Maharashtra
is observed mainly in high rainfall areas such as Khandala-Lonavala, Mahabaleshwar-Koyna-Chandoli and Amboli-
Radhanagari, a precinct of northern Western Ghats (Jalal 2018).
During recent orchid exploration in the Khandala-Lonavala Hills, Pune District in Maharashtra State, a curious
orchid species was located on the way to the Aamby Valley area. At the first glimpse, we felt it could be possibly an
interesting unreported Pecteilis or Habenaria species from Maharashtra. Because only one full-grown plant with
flowers was found in that habitat, the authors searched in the same area and also in nearby similar habitats. In spite
of this, we could not locate a population of this plant. This species is characterised by large conspicuous flowers with
long spurs and tripartite lips with spreading lateral lobes that are denticulate along one margin with a few lacerations
towards apex. The specimen was collected, and vegetative characters and measurements were noted based on the
fresh specimen. The flowers were dissected and examined under the Stereozoom Microscope SZ61 and description
written. The specimen was compared with the herbarium specimens of existing known species from Maharashtra as

Accepted by Mark Chase: 31 Dec. 2018; published: 15 Jan. 2019 167

well as other regions of India. Based on a critical examination of fully mature fresh specimen and comparison with
existing species, we concluded that our specimen represents an unknown species of Pecteilis, which we describe here.
Descriptions and measurements provided below are based solely on the single specimen thus far discovered.

Figure 1. Distribution of Pecteilis korigadensis in Maharashtra.

168 • Phytotaxa 388 (2) © 2019 Magnolia Press jalal & JAYANTHI
Figure 2. Pecteilis korigadensis in its natural habitat with inflorescence details.

Taxonomy

Pecteilis korigadensis Jalal & Jayanthi, sp. nov. (Figs. 1–4)

Type:—INDIA. Maharashtra: Pune District, Korigad-Aamby Valley, 640 m elev., 29 September 2018, Jalal & Jayanthi197752 (holotype;
BSI).

Pecteilis korigadensis differs from P. gigantea, P. henryi, P. susannae and P. triflora in having cauline leaves with large
conspicuous flowers and long spurs, a trilobed lip with lateral lobes spreading, denticulate on one margin with few
lacerations towards apex and midlobe shorter than lateral lobes.
Terrestrial herbs, up to 50 cm high (including inflorescence). Tubers 2, oblong, 4.0–5.0× 1.5–2.0 cm, roots 8,
0.5 cm thick. Stems erect, leafy throughout, 2–3-sheathed at base. Leaves 7, alternate, variable in size, basal leaves
smaller, becoming larger at slightly below middle of stem, ovate to lanceolate, 3.5–14.5 × 1.8–3.5 cm, acute at apex,
margin entire, sheathing and amplexicaul at base, midnerve prominent beneath, with 3 parallel veins on each side.
Inflorescence a terminal raceme, 8 cm long, 6-flowered; peduncle 2 cm long, covered by large sterile bracts at base.
Sterile bracts 5, foliaceous, lanceolate, 5.0–7.5 × 1.4–1.5 cm, apex acuminate, margin entire, sheathed at base. Floral
bracts lanceolate, 4.2–5.2 × 0.8–1.4 cm, acuminate with filiform apex, margin entire, shorter than to slightly exceeding
ovary. Flowers white, 5 cm across; pedicel 2 mm long; ovary fusiform, 4.8 cm long, ribbed, arching from stem, swollen

orchid of Pecteilis korigadensis (Orchidaceae) Phytotaxa 388 (2) © 2019 Magnolia Press • 169
and green at lower portion, pale green-white at apex. Sepals free, spreading; dorsal sepal erect, broadly elliptic-ovate,
cymbiform, 2.0 × 1.8 cm, acute at apex, margin entire, prominently 3-green veined, lateral veins further divided into 3-
veinlets; lateral sepals obliquely ovate, 2.5 × 1.5 cm, margins rolling backwards, 3-veined, lateral veins further divided
into 3-veinlets. Petals erect, close to edges of dorsal sepal, linear-oblong, 2.0 × 0.3 cm, acute at apex, margin entire,
2-veined. Lip spurred, trilobed, claw 5 × 6 mm, midlobe linear, 3.5 × 0.2 cm, pointing downwards, slightly curved at
tip, shorter than lateral lobes, lateral lobes narrow, 4.5 × 0.3 cm, longer than midlobe, spreading upwards, at almost 900
angle with midlobe, tridenticulate along upper margin, entire along lower margin with 2–3-filiform apical lacerations.
Spur 11 cm long, green throughout, subclavate, much longer than ovary, mouth of the spur W-shaped with a ligule at
opening. Column erect, broadly oblong, 5 × 7 mm, white, subretuse at apex, with rostellar arm, anther locules widely
spaced on a broad connective. Rostellum 2.5 × 4.0 mm, with rugose gland on each side. Stigma beneath the rostellum.
Pollinia 2, 1.3 cm long; pollinium yellow, 4 mm; caudicle 8 mm; viscidia 2, white, globose, 1 mm. Fruits not seen.
Flowering:—September–October, at the end of the monsoon season (end of September to first week of
October).
Distribution:—Known only from the Aamby Valley, Pune District (Fig. 1).
Habitat & Ecology:—Open grassy slopes of semi-evergreen vegetation at 640 m elevation. In this habitat, several
other orchid species can be found, including Habenaria longicorniculata Graham (1839: 202), Pecteilis gigantea, and
Eulophia spectabilis (Dennstedt 1818: 38) Suresh (1988: 300). Other herbaceous species are species of Impatiens,
Desmodium, Smithia, Curcuma, grasses etc. This habitat has characteristic red soil that remains humid for some period
during rainy season (June to mid October) and completely dries up during the summer (November to May).
Etymology:—Named after the type locality, which is well known for the famous Korigad Fort, a place of historic
importance associated with Maratha ruler, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
Threats:—Restricted to a small area threatened by local grazing, trampling and invasive species. Some possible
threats in the near future are expansion of agriculture because the habitat is near fields. This species is found growing
with the elegant species, Pecteilis gigantea, the flowers of which are used for decoration during the Ganpati festival by
the local villagers. There would be a high possibility of plucking this orchid also due to its large size and attractiveness.
Based on what is currently known, the species is extremely rare. Only a single plant was sighted at a single locality.
However, more exploration is needed in similar habitats to assign the exact threat category. However, based on its
limited range and potential threats observed, it is provisionally assessed as critically endangered B1a using the IUCN
criteria (2012).
Notes:—This species could be easily mistaken for a species in the closely related Habenaria, but it can be
distinguished from Habenaria by the following features: presence of a broad, fleshy rostellum with a rugose gland on
each side above the stigma lobes and stigma beneath the rostellum with lobes not extending from the column. Pecteilis
korigadensis is not directly allied to any of the species to which it is morphologically comparable. This species can
be readily recognized by its large flower and spur size and tripartite lip with spreading, narrow lateral lobes and a few
filiform lacerations.

Key to Pecteilis species in India

1a. Side lobes of lip narrow, with few filiform lacerations, not fan shaped....................................................................... P. korigadensis
1b. Side lobes of lip broad, fan shaped, crenulate or with many deeply laciniate or fringed narrow teeth..............................................2
2a. Side lobes of lip fan shaped, crenulate along margin............................................................................................................ P. triflora
2b. Side lobes of lip fringed with long narrow teeth or deeply laciniate...................................................................................................3
3a. Dorsal sepal oblong-ovate.......................................................................................................................................................P. henryi
3b. Doral sepal almost orbicular-rhomboid...............................................................................................................................................4
4a. Dorsal sepal orbicular; petals shorter than dorsal sepal.....................................................................................................P. susannae
4b. Dorsal sepal rhomboid; petals almost equal to dorsal sepal................................................................................................P. gigantea

Acknowledgements

We are thankful to the Director, Botanical Survey of India and Dr. P. Lakshminarasimhan, Scientist ‘E’ & HoO,
Botanical Survey of India, Western Regional Centre, Pune, for facilities and encouragement.

170 • Phytotaxa 388 (2) © 2019 Magnolia Press jalal & JAYANTHI
Figure 3. Pecteilis korigadensis. A. Habit. B. Front view of flower. C. Side view of flower showing bract, ovary and spur. D. Dorsal
sepal. E. Lateral sepal. F. Petal. G. Lip. H. Column, ovary and spur. I. Column. J. Side view of column. K. Pollinia. Photographs by J.
Jayanthi & J.S. Jalal.

orchid of Pecteilis korigadensis (Orchidaceae) Phytotaxa 388 (2) © 2019 Magnolia Press • 171
Figure 4. Pecteilis korigadensis. A. Habit. B. Front view of flower. C. Side view of flower showing bract, ovary and spur. D. Dorsal
sepal. E. Lateral sepal. F. Petal. G. Lip. H. Column, ovary and spur. I. Column. J. Pollinia. Drawing by J.S. Jalal.

172 • Phytotaxa 388 (2) © 2019 Magnolia Press jalal & JAYANTHI
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