Gastrochilus wolongensis (Orchidaceae): a new species from Sichuan, China, based on molecular and morphological data

Abstract

Gastrochilus wolongensis (Orchidaceae), a new orchid species from Sichuan Province, Southwest China, is described and illustrated. It morphologically resembles G. sinensis, but differs markedly from the latter in having black-purple stripes (vs. purplish-red spots) on the adaxial side of the petals and sepals, a reniform epichile densely covered with long papillate hairs (vs. sparsely pubescent) with purplish-red spots (vs. unspotted), and outside the sac of the hypochile with purplish-red stripes (vs. purplish-red spotted). The molecular phylogenetic analysis based on nuclear ribosome internal transcribed spacer (nrITS) and four chloroplast DNA fragments (matK, psbA-trnH, psbM-trnD, and trnL-F) of 36 Gastrochilus species showed that G. wolongensis was closely related to G. ciliaris and G. formosanus.

Keywords

• Gastrochilus
• Orchidaceae
• phylogeny
• systematic position
• taxonomy