Sunipia nepalensis B. B. Raskoti & R. Ale 2011, sp. nov.

Sunipia nepalensis B.B.Raskoti & R.Ale, sp. nov. Figs. 1 & 2.

Species Sunipia candida affinis, sed inflorescentiis pendens, 2–3 flores, petalis late ovatis, apex obtusis, labello medio vesiculosis et marginibus integris differt.

Type: — NEPAL. Makawanpur District: Daman, Simbhanjyang ca. 27 degrees 36' N and 85 degrees 03' E, 2400 m, May 2008, B. B. Raskoti 270 (holotype KATH, isotype TUCH).

Epiphytic herbs. Rhizomes terete, stout, creeping, dark brown, 4 mm thick, enveloped by overlapping tubular papery sheaths. Roots numerous, rigid, wiry, flexuose. Pseudobulbs obliquely ovoid-conical, apex 1 - leaved, greenish, 1 – 4 cm apart, 1.0 – 1.8 cm long and 2 – 3 cm in diameter, lower half enclosed by a transparent, net veined sheath. Leaves ligulate - lanceolate, apex subacute, obscurely bilobed, leathery, 3.0 – 8.5 cm long, 0.7 – 1.5 cm wide. Inflorescences pendulous, arising laterally from the base of the pseudobulb, 1 – 3-flowered, 3.5 – 5.0 cm long; peduncles slender, with 3 overlapping brown membranous tubular sheaths. Floral bracts lanceolate, apices acute, concave, brownish, tinged purple-brown, ca. 7 × 2 mm. Pedicels terete, 10 mm long. Flowers widely opening, 15 mm wide, sepals pale greenish white with five purple veins of which only one reaches the apex, petals greenish white with one purple midvein, lip medially pale to mid green with a median purple vein, sides whitish suffused purple with two dark purple veins that each merge into a single vein. Dorsal sepal ovate-lanceolate, apex acute, five veined, erect to recurved, 7 × 2 mm. Lateral sepals ovatelanceolate, acute, five veined, obliquely spreading to subpatent, 9 mm long, 4 mm wide. Petals broadly ovate, obtuse, one veined, 3 × 3 mm. Lip circular with a caudate, subacute apex, basally with a transverse rugose callus, basal half concave, five veined, medially throughout with scattered vesicles above, 6 – 7 × 5 – 6 mm. Column obliquely conical, slightly curved; 3 mm long; column foot short 1.5 mm; operculum semicircular, 1.0 × 1.5 mm; pollinia 4, oblong, 1 mm long, stipe and viscidium short. Ovaries terete, green tinged with dark purple. Fruit an ovoid capsule, 1 cm long and 1.8 cm in diameter.

Flowering time: —Mid April to May.

Distribution: —Known only from type locality in central Nepal.

Habit and ecology: —Epiphytic on mossy mid-sized tree trunks and main branches, growing in partial shade on trees on the edges and in openings of Quercus forest.

Etymology: —Named for Nepal, the country of origin.

Conservation status: —Restricted to a few hundred square meters occuring in a few trees only. Deforestation and poaching are the major threats to the loss of this rare species.

Notes: — Sunipia nepalensis is similar to S. candida (Lindl.) Hunt (1971: 183), sharing with that taxon floral characters such as free lateral sepals and a caudate lip. However S. nepalensis differs from S. candida by having a pendulous, 2–3-flowered inflorescence, broadly ovate, obtuse petals and a lip with a circular base, entire margins and an upper surface adorned with vesicles. Whilst S. candida has erect, 7–8-flowered inflorescences, oblong-lanceolate, acute petals and a lip with an ovate-lanceolate base, erose margins and a smooth upper surface.

Another species, S. andersonii (King & Pantl.) Hunt (1971: 183), is somewhat similar to S. nepalensis in lip shape but it differs in having very short (ca. 1 cm long) inflorescences, lanceolate, apically thickened petals and a lip lacking vesicles.