Synopsis of the genus Ponthieva (Orchidaceae) in Colombia

The Neotropical orchid genus Ponthieva R. Br. was established in 1813. The 70 representatives of this taxon are terrestrial, lithophytic, or epiphytic plants with basal, sessile, or petiolate leaves which are glabrous or pubescent. Their erect peduncle is pubescent and terminated by lax, few- to many-flowered raceme. Flowers are non-resupinate, with dissimilar sepals and asymmetrical petals which are adnate to the sides of the gynostemium. The lip is uppermost, fused to the lower part of the gynostemium. Here the synopsis of Colombian Ponthieva is presented. A list of national genus representatives includes 26 species, including one new species, P. vallecaucana Szlach. Kolan. & Olędrzyńska, sp. nov., discovered during this study. We did not confirm occurrence of four species reported in previous research. To facilitate process of identification of genus representatives, we divided Ponthieva into six morphological complexes based on vegetative and floral characters. The highest number of species was found in Magdalena and Cauca Valley montane forests. Lectotypes for Ponthieva inaudita and P. mandonii are designated. Morphological characteristics and illustrations of perianth segments of Colombian representatives of the genus are provided as well as a key for their identification.


INTRODUCTION
The tropical area of South America is well known for its extraordinary biodiversity and high endemism level. The biological richness is a result of a heterogeneity of abiotic conditions as well as of a complex geological history (Amorim & Pires, 1996;Sigrist & Barros De Carvalho, 2009). Unfortunately, continuing habitat destruction and fragmentation may result in losses of biodiversity before full species variousness is known. The recent studies on threats to South American flora revealed that over 78% of 16,339 analyzed species have at least one population which is seriously threatened by the anthropogenic activities (Ramirez-Villegas, Jarvis & Touval, 2012). Moreover, about 13% of the evaluated species have up to 80% of their populations are at risk of extinction (Ramirez-Villegas, Jarvis & Touval, 2012). Taxonomic revisions and floras are the most photographed and the data from the label were taken. The leaves arrangement, shape, and size were examined together with the length of the scape and rachis. Additionally, the presence/absence and type of indumentum on the surface of scape and rachis were surveyed. The form and size of the floral bracts and ovaries as well as the perianth segments were studied using a stereomicroscope. Flowers of each specimen were studied after softening in boiling water. The examined specimens were compared with type material, diagnoses, and original illustrations of Ponthieva representatives. Herbaria acronyms are cited according to "Index Herbariorum" (Thiers, 2018).
Distribution maps were prepared using ArcGIS 9.3 (Esri, Redlands, CA, USA) and a digital elevation model. Only localities (100 records) which could be precisely georeferenced were used.

Nomenclature
The electronic version of this article in portable document format will represent a published work according to the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (Turland et al., 2018), and hence the new names contained in the electronic version are effectively published under that Code from the electronic edition alone. In addition, new names contained in this work which have been issued with identifiers by The International Plant Names Index (IPNI) will eventually be made available to the Global Names Index. The IPNI Life Science Identifiers (LSIDs) can be resolved and the associated information viewed through any standard web browser by appending the LSID contained in this publication to the prefix "http://ipni.org/." The online version of this work is archived and available from the following digital repositories: PeerJ, PubMed Central, and CLOCKSS.
Ecology: Terrestrial. Flowering in January. Notes: This species shares with P. rostrata a sessile or subsessile lip, but can be easily separated from the latter by its prominently bilobed petals, with somewhat upcurved lateral lobe. In other species of this group the lip is more or less unguiculate and petals are  Plants about 35 cm tall. Leaves 6, basal, subsessile; blade up to 4.5 cm long and 1.3 cm wide, oblong-lanceolate, acute to obtuse, glabrous. Peduncle erect, glandulose-puberulent above, enclothed by numerous sheaths, terminated by a fairly dense, many-flowered, cylindrical raceme. Flowers glandulose-pubescent externally. Floral bracts up to six mm long, ovate-lanceolate, acute to acuminate, glandulose-puberulent. Pedicellate ovary up to seven mm long, glandulose-puberulent. Dorsal sepal about 5.5 mm long and two mm wide, lanceolate-ovate, subobtuse, 3-veined. Petals up to five mm long and 3.5 mm wide,  Notes: P. micromystax can be confused with P. rostrata. In general the sepals and petals are similar in shape, but in P. micromystax they are prominently auriculate, and in P. rostrata-truncate at base. Also the lip morphology separates both species. The lip of P. micromystax is suborbicular usually with a linear, obtuse apical lobule, whereas in P. rostrata it is cymbiform-transversely elliptic with a deltoid or spathulate, acute apical lobule, widest just below the apex. Most valuable distinctive characters of P. micromystax are its subsessile, oblong-lanceolate leaves and the floral bracts almost as long as the ovaries. The leaf blade of P. rostrata is elliptic to lanceolate-elliptic, with a one to four cm long petiole, and the floral bracts are much shorter than ovaries. Ponthieva camargoi differs from P. micromystax in having 1.5 mm long unguiculate petals and lip. Plants up to 50 cm tall. Leaves 5-7, basal, rosulate, petiolate; petiole up to three cm long, narrow; blade up to 10 cm long and three cm wide, ovate-lanceolate to oblanceolate, acute, glabrous. Peduncle erect, slender to relatively stout, glandular above lower third, otherwise glabrous, with up to six cauline sheaths, terminated by a sublaxly many-flowered raceme up to 17 cm long. Flowers green with cream margins. Floral bracts up to 15 mm long, lanceolate, glandular. Pedicellate ovary up to nine mm long, densely glandular. Sepals almost glabrous. Dorsal sepal six mm long, 1.5 mm wide, ligulate, obtuse, obscurely 3-veined. Petals unguiculate; claw free part 1.5 mm long, narrow; lamina seven mm long, 3.2 mm wide, obliquely elliptic-ovate in the lower part, ligulate above, obtuse at both ends, auriculate basally, 2-veined, veins branching, margins glabrous. Lateral sepals seven mm long, three mm wide, ovate-lanceolate, subobtuse, somewhat falcate, free to the base, 5-veined. Lip unguiculate, claw about 1.5 mm long; lamina 5.2 mm long in total, 5.5 mm wide when spread, obreniform in general outline, subcordate at the base, concave in the center, glabrous, nerves 5, branching, apical projection 1.2 mm long and 0.5 mm wide, linear-ligulate, obtuse. Gynostemium five mm long (Fig. 8).
Ecology: Terrestrial in premontane forest. Flowering in April, May, October, November, and December.  Colecciones desde la base de la cuchilla Macho Solo en margen del Rio Guajirita, y ascendiendo hacia la finca cafeteria El Oasis, en sector degradados, sometidos a quemas, 9 57′11. Plants scapose, 13-60 cm tall. Leaves 3-6, mostly in a basal rosette, subsessile to long-petiolate, 2-17 cm long (including the petiole), 1-5.5 cm wide, oblong-elliptic, obovate or oblanceolate, obtuse or subacute, glaucous on the lower surface. Peduncle erect, glandular-pubescent, terminated by a laxly several-flowered raceme 5-24 cm long. Flowers white-green, marked with green. Floral bracts 5-10 mm long, ovate-lanceolate to narrowly lanceolate, acuminate, glandular. Pedicellate ovaries 10-22 mm long, rather stout, glandular. Dorsal sepal 3.8-7.5 mm long, 2-3 mm wide, oblong-elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate, obtuse to subacute, 3-or 5-veined. Petals subsessile, four to eight mm long, 1.5-5 mm wide at the base, obliquely triangular to semicordate, incurved, dilated on the outer margin at the base, somewhat constricted near the apex, obtuse to subacute, mostly ciliate along outer margin, 3-veined, veins branching. Lateral sepals 4.3-8 mm long, 2.5-4 mm wide, free to the base, broadly ovate to ovate-oblong, oblique, somewhat falcate at the apex, obtuse to acute, 5-veined. Lip shortly unguiculate, claw one to two mm long; lamina 4-7.5 mm long, 2.5-6 mm wide when spread out, suborbicular to transversely elliptic in general outline, concave with the lateral margins upturned, truncate or subcordate at base, rounded at apex, terminated by a linear, obtuse to acute apical lobe; disc papillose, with an obscure linear median crest. Gynostemium 4.5 mm long in total, shortly stalked ( Fig. 9  Notes: This species is similar to P. rostrata, but unlike the latter its lip is unguiculate. The claw is narrow, canaliculated, with thin margins, what separates it from P. castanedae. The truncate petals base distinguishes P. racemosa from both P. micromystax and P. camargoi. Plants 14-28 cm tall. Leaves 2-3, basal, rosulate, petiolate; petiole up to 3.5 cm long; blade up to five cm long and 2.3 cm wide, ovate, oblong-lanceolate to oblong-ovate, acute, glabrous. Peduncle delicate, erect, glabrous, glandular, with three cauline sheaths, terminated by a loosely few-flowered raceme usually up to three cm long. Flowers small, white, sepals sparsely glandular. Floral bracts six mm long, lanceolate, glabrous. Pedicellate ovary up to 11 mm long, densely glandular. Dorsal sepal six mm long, three mm wide, ovatedeltoid, widest near the middle, subobtuse, with 5, sparsely anastomozing veins. Petals unguiculate; claw free part 1-1.2 mm long, narrow; lamina 4.6 mm long, 2.3 mm wide, obliquely oblong-ovate, obtuse at both ends, with three branching veins, margins glabrous. Lateral sepals six mm long, 3.8 mm wide, obliquely ovate, subobtuse, somewhat falcate, free to the base, 5-veined. Lip unguiculate, claw free part 1.5 mm long, broadly ovate above narrow base, margins upcurved, foming a kind of channel; lamina 2.5 mm long, five mm wide, transversely elliptic in general outline, auriculate or cordate at the base, subcordate at the apex, concave, glabrous, 3-lobed apically; lateral lobes obliquely elliptic-ovate; middle lobe 0.5 mm long, ca 0.3 mm wide, linear, obtuse, appearing at the bottom of shallow sinus. Gynostemium 2.6 mm long in total, shortly stalked ( Notes: This species has been originally compared with Ecuadorian-Peruvian congener-P. parvilabris (Lindl.) Rchb.f. (Szlachetko & Kolanowska, 2013). Both species differ in floral segments. Although, similar in general outline, the lip makes them easily separable. The lip of P. castanedae is prominently auriculated basally, and devoided of any calli, the claw margins are upcurved forming a kind of channel directed to the base of the lip. In P. parvilabris lip claw is semiterete, lamina possesses cuneate base, and a pair of keel-like, fleshy calli at base. Additionally, petal's claw of this species is shorter than lower lobe, whereas in P. parvilabris petal's claw is as long as or longer than lower lobe. Lateral sepals of P. castanedae are obliquely ovate versus obliquely elliptic-ovate in P. parvilabris. Ponthieva castanedae can be distinguished from other representatives of P. rostrata group by having relatively wide claw with upcurved margins. Claw lateral lobes are oblong elliptic and the base of lamina is cordate.
Plants up to 32 cm tall. Leaves 3-8, basal, rosulate, petiolate; petiole up to two cm long; blade up to nine cm long and 2.6 cm wide, elliptic to oblong-elliptic, occasionally ovate, acute to obtuse, glabrous. Peduncle erect, slender, glabrous below, glandular-pubescent above, with three to four distant sheaths, terminated by a loosely 5-15-flowered raceme. Flowers small, white, often spotted or veined with green or brown, sepals sparsely glandular-pubescent on the outside. Floral bracts up to nine mm long, ovate-lanceolate, acute to subacuminate. Pedicellate ovary up to 13 mm long, densely glandular. Dorsal sepal up to five mm long and two mm wide, narrowly elliptic to lanceolate-elliptic, acute, 3-veined. Petals shortly unguiculate to subsessile, up to five mm long and two mm wide, obliquely elliptic-ovate with obtuse to rounded lobes, glabrous, veins 2, more or less branching. Lateral sepals up to six mm long and 3.2 mm wide, free to the base, obliquely ovate, acute to obtuse, 3-veined. Lip unguiculate, claw ca 1.2-1.5 mm long, with 2 small, long decurrent keels; lamina up to three mm long and five mm wide, often less, transversely elliptic, with truncate-rounded base and apex, concave to conduplicate, gibbose at base, disc with 3-5-veins more or less branching lateral veins, glabrous, 3-lobed; the middle lobe short, linear-oblong, obtuse; lateral lobes rounded. Gynostemium ca four mm long in total, shortly stalked ( Fig. 11). Notes: This species is characterized by the basal lip callus consisting of two keels decurrent gradually on prominent claw, a character not found in any representatives of P. rostrata group.

KEY TO THE SPECIES
Ecology: Terrestrial. Flowering in December and January.
Distribution: Colombia. Alt. 600 m. Notes: This species shares with other representatives of P. venusta group the similar lip shape, which in general outline is obcordate with much elongate apical middle lobe. The character which separates it from other species is the form of petal, which is narrowly falcate-triangular in outline, with acute both ends and prominently elongate outer margin.
Plants up to 40 cm tall, erect or ascending. Leaves 3-5, basal, petiolate; petiole 3-4.5 cm long; blade five to nine cm long, 2.5-4 cm wide, elliptic to obovate-elliptic, acute, glabrous. Peduncle erect, apically glandular-puberulent, remotely 3-sheathed, terminated by a loosely several-to many-flowered raceme up to 10 cm long. Flowers white, sepals sparsely pubescent-glandular externally. Floral bracts up to 10 mm long, ovate-cucullate, acuminate. Pedicellate ovary up to 15 mm long. Dorsal sepal up to 10 mm long and three mm wide, elliptic to ovate-elliptic, acute, 3-veined. Petals unguiculate; claw free part up to two mm long; lamina up to seven mm long and three mm wide, obliquely triangular-dolabriform, basally subauriculate, occasionally with a few, bristle-like papillae at the obtuse angles, veins 2, the outer one branching. Lateral sepals up to 10 mm long and five mm wide, free to the base, obliquely ovate, acute, 4-veined. Lip up to four mm long and 2.8 mm wide when spread, distinctly unguiculate; claw narrow; lamina 3-lobed, obcordate in general outline, disc at base with a pair of approximate calli; the middle lobe ligulate, obuse; lateral lobes obliquely triangular-obovate with obtuse apex. Gynostemium ca three mm long, rather massive, shortly stalked (Fig. 14).
Ecology: Terrestrial in evergreen hard-leaved bushwood consisting of trees and shrubs in the shadow. Flowering in April. Notes: This species is rather similar to P. microglossa, but it differs from the latter by the form of petals and lip. Petals have truncate base and the lip is broadly obtriangular with two thickened spots. Both Colombian collections cited above differ from the type specimen by having rounded basal margin of petals. Otherwise, they are similar. Plants up to 35 cm tall. Leaves up to 5, basal, rosulate, petiolate; petiole ca 0.5-1(3) cm long; blade up to 6.5 cm long and four cm wide, ovate to ovate-elliptic, acute above, commonly smaller, glabrous. Peduncle erect, rather slender, pubescent above, loosely 3-5 sheathed, terminated by a laxly several-flowered raceme. Flowers white, occasionally with greenish suffusion, sepals pubescent-glandular outside. Floral bracts up to nine mm long, ovate-lanceolate, acute, glandular-pubescent in the lower part. Pedicellate ovary up to 14 mm long, pubescent-glandular. Dorsal sepal 4.3-8 mm long, 2.1-5 mm wide, elliptic to ovate-elliptic, acute to obtuse, 3-or 5-veined. Petals unguiculate, claw free part ca one to two mm long; blade 4.5-8 mm long, 2.1-4 mm wide, obliquely triangular, apically connivent with dorsal sepal, 2-veined, veins branching, short ciliate only on external margins. Lateral sepals 4.5-9 mm long, 3.3-6 mm wide, oblique, broadly ovate, obtuse, occasionally connivent in natural position to give a bidentate synsepal effect, 5-veined. Lip unguiculate, claw two mm long, semiterete, apically somewhat expanded giving an appearance of narrow triangle; lamina 2.5-3 mm long, 2.5-5 mm wide, at right angle with claw, 3-lobed apically, obtriangular-obovate in outline from cuneate base, apex truncate, concave-conduplicate, glabrous; the middle lobe linear-lanceolate, acute; lateral lobes triangular, erect, obtuse. Gynostemium three mm long, massive, shortly stalked (Fig. 18). The new entity is similar to P. parvilabris, but unlike in this species the leaves are long-petiolate, petals are obliquely oblong-ligulate, with rounded apices, lip is shortly unguiculate, lamina ecallose, with a pair of large, triangular calli along the claw, broadly fused with the base of the gynostemium. Plants up to 35 cm tall. Leaves 3-7, petiolate; petiole up to six cm long; blade up to eight cm long, four cm wide, glabrous. Peduncle delicate, sparsely pubescent-glandular, loosely 3-sheathed, terminated by a laxly 10-20-flowered raceme six cm long. Flowers medium-sized. Brown at the base, tipped with bright yellow. Floral bracts eight mm long, densely glandular-pubescent. Pedicellate ovary 15 mm long, densely pubescent-glandular. Dorsal sepal nine mm long, two mm wide, narrowly elliptic, obtuse, 5-veined. Petals unguiculate, blade six mm long, 1.4 mm wide, obliquely oblong-ligulate, apically connivent with dorsal sepal, 2-veined, veins branching, short ciliate only on external margins. Lateral sepals 10.5 mm long, four mm wide, free to the base, obliquely broadly ellipticobovate, obtuse, 7-veined. Lip shortly unguiculate, claw margins expanded into triangular, erect lobes; lamina three mm long, two mm wide, 3-lobed apically, obtriangular-obovate in outline from cuneate base, ecallose; middle lobe lanceolate, subacute; lateral lobes triangular-ovate, obtuse. Gynostemium ca 5.5-6 mm long, stalked, much swollen above fusion with lip (Fig. 19). Etymology: In reference to the place of collection of the type specimen.
Ecology: Terrestrial. Flowering in October.
Notes: The new species is rather similar to P. parvilabris, but its leaves are long-petiolate (petiole up to six cm long vs. 0.5-1(3) cm long), petals are obliquely oblong-ligulate (vs. obliquely triangular), with rounded apices, lip is sessile (vs. lip claw two mm long), with a pair of large, triangular calli at the base broadly fused with the base of the gynostemium (vs. lip glabrous).

KEY TO THE SPECIES
Notes: While examining herbarium material deposited in P and US cited above, we came across specimens which overall fit description of P. garayana, but the plants are larger with somewhat larger flower segments, but with slightly smaller lip. We did not include, however, their measurements to the above compilation. The most characteristic features of P. garayana are long-stalked gynostemium, long-unguiculate, very small, oblong-lanceolate lip with cordate base, and petals with large basal auricle. Plants up to about 95 cm tall. Leaves 3-10, clustered at or near the base, long-petiolate; petiole up to 11 cm long, channeled; blade up to 13 cm long and 5.7 cm wide, ovate or ovate-lanceolate to elliptic, acute or acuminate, more or less cuneate below, often oblique, glabrous. Peduncle erect, very sparsely pilose below, more densely above, provided with about 3 distant, tubular sheaths of which the lowest is foliaceous, terminated by a loosely or densely several-to many-flowered raceme about 7-25 cm long. Flowers carmine and yellow, sepals glandular-pubescent. Floral bracts 8-15 mm long, lanceolate, ovate-lanceolate or elliptic-lanceolate, acuminate, glandular-pubescent. Pedicellate ovary 11-15 mm long, glandular-pubescent. Dorsal sepal 7.5-10 mm long, 1.5-3 mm wide, linear-lanceolate to oblong lanceolate, acute to acuminate, 3-or 5-veined. Petals unguiculate, claw free part ca one mm long; blade four to eight mm long in total, 1-2.5 mm wide, obliquely ovate-elliptic to ligulate-ovate, rounded to obtuse at apex, elongate basally into a long narrowly ligulate, blunt and somewhat twisted auricle, veins 2, branching. Lateral sepals 8-11 mm long, 4-5.2 mm wide, obliquely elliptic-obovate to elliptic, acute, several-veined. Lip unguiculate; claw less than one mm long, with a prominent, bilobed callus at base; lamina ca two to three mm long in total, up to 1.3 mm wide, lanceolate, thick, with a prominent bidentate, upcurved callus below apex, apex hooked, ovate to lanceolate, attenuate, obtuse to subacute. Gynostemium up to four mm long, clavate, long-stalked (Figs. 22 and 23). Notes: This is the most widespread species of the genus known in the study area and a morphological variation between populations is observed (Figs. 22 and 23). However, P. diptera can be easily distinguished from other species by presence of the obliquely ovate-elliptic petals which are basally elongate into long narrowly ligulate, blunt and somewhat twisted auricle as well as by the narrow, thick lip adorned with two digitate projections at base and unequally 3-dentate apex. Garay (1978: 217) synonymized under this name P. elata from Colombia. According to Schlechter (1920) and this study, however, P. elata can be easily separated from P. diptera by having non-twisted auricle of petal and lip with different calli. Calli consists of a single, acute, upcurved horn near the apex of the lip and unlobed calli at its base. Plants 50-75 cm tall. Leaves 2-5, basal, petiolate, glabrous; petiole 5-11 cm long, canaliculate; blade 5.5-14 cm long, 2.5-4.5 cm wide, obliquely elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate, acuminate. Peduncle erect, glandular towards the apex, 2-4-sheathed, terminated by a subdensely many-flowered raceme up to 15 cm long. Flowers medium-sized, sepals rather sparsely glandular. Floral bracts 11-14 mm long, oblong, subacute, densely glandular. Pedicellate ovary 14-25 mm long, densely hairy-glandular. Dorsal sepal 7.2-9 mm long, 1.5-2 mm wide, oblong-ligulate, blunt, 5-veined. Petals unguiculate; claw free part ca 0.5 mm long; lamina five mm long, 1.5-2 mm wide, transversely elliptic-reniform or dolabriformtriangular, obtuse to blunt at both ends, veins branching from the base of the free part. Lateral sepals 8-10.5 mm long, 2.5-3 mm wide, elliptic-obovate, apically strongly falcate, obtuse, free to the base or basally connate, 5-veined, lateral veins more or less branching. Lip shortly unguiculate or subsessile; lamina 2.5-4.5 mm long, up to 1.8 mm wide, oblong-pandurate in general outline, apex ligulate, rounded to subacute, below apex prominent hook-like, upcurved appendage, at the base of disc prominent thickening directed toward the apex. Gynostemium 2-2.5 mm long, rather robust, shortly stalked (Fig. 24). Notes: According to Schlechter (1920) this species differs from similar P. diptera, by the lip and petals form. Garay (1978: 217), however, considered these two species as conspecific. The lip of P. elata is ornamented near the apex with hook-like, upcurved appendage, while in P. diptera the apical callus is distinctly bidentate.
There is a drawing of Ponthieva elata made under Schlechter's supervision of Madero 169 collection in the AMES herbarium. Schlechter (1920), however, mentioned in the protologue Madero s.n.

Mandonii group
Plants with petiolate, glabrous leaves, finely glandular-pubescent raceme, small inconspicuous flowers, with broadly ovate to transversely rhombic, long-unguiculate lip with dendritic venation, obscurely 3-lobed at the apex, with a transverse, triangular, cucullate callus at the base, and subsessile gynostemium. Plants up to 25 cm tall. Leaves 3-6, basal, rosulate, petiolate; petiole ca one cm long; blade 3.5-6 cm long and up to 2.5 cm wide, elliptic to oblong-elliptic, acute, more or less narrowed below. Peduncle slender, glabrous below, finely glandular-pubescent above, provided with few (1-3) remote tubular sheaths, terminated by a loosely to subdensely few-to several-flowered raceme rarely up to eight cm long. Flowers small, white, with the ovary and sepals (especially the lateral ones) densely glandular-tomentose within. Floral bracts five mm long, ovate to ovate-lanceolate, sparsely glandular. Pedicellate ovary 12 mm long, densely glandular. Dorsal sepal about 5.8-7 mm long, ca 2.3-3 mm wide, elliptic-lanceolate or ovate-elliptic, acute or acuminate, 3-or 5-veined. Petals unguiculate, claw free part ca 1.5 mm long; blade five to six mm long, 2.5-3 mm wide, very obliquely oblong-triangular, rounded or obtuse at the apex, with the outer margin concave and more or less irregular, vein 1, basally branching. Lateral sepals seven mm long, four mm wide, free to more or less connivent, ovate to ovate-elliptic or ovate-lanceolate, acute or obtuse, veins 5, branching. Lip unguiculate, claw up to two mm long; lamina up to five mm long and three mm wide, broadly ovate to transversely rhombic, obscurely 3-lobed at the apex, concave-conduplicate in natural position, vein with dendric branches, with a transverse, triangular, cucullate callus at the base; the middle lobe narrowly ligulate. Gynostemium two to three mm long, subsessile (Fig. 25).
Ecology: Terrestrial. Flowering in May and August. Notes: According to Schweinfurth (1958), P. mandonii possesses a transverse, triangular, cucullate callus at the base of the lip lamina, but we were not able to observe it in the material we examined. This species is easily separable from any other Ponthieva species known from NW part of South America by its lip form with very unique dendritic venation. We found similar lip form in Colombian material cited above, but this specimen differs from the type of P. mandonii in having connate lateral sepals and falcate elliptic-ovate petals. Plant up to about 50 cm tall. Leaves 2-4, basal, erect to suberect, conduplicate; blade up to 37 cm long and five cm wide, lanceolate, elliptic-lanceolate, or oblanceolate, acute to abruptly acuminate, gradually tapering to a sessile base, densely pubescent. Peduncle erect or slightly arcuate, with one or two sheaths, villose throughout, terminated by a loosely many-flowered raceme. Flowers rather large for the genus, yellow-green with brownish to purplish veins and spots, sepals villose on the outer surface. Floral bracts up to 12 mm long, erect, lanceolate, cucullate, acute or shortly acuminate. Pedicellate ovary up to 27 mm long, delicate. Dorsal sepal up to 16 mm long and four mm wide, narrowly elliptic, concave, acute, 3-or 5-veined, veins branching or simple. Petals unguiculate; claw free part two to three mm long; blade up to 12 mm long and three mm wide, dolabriform to oblong lanceolate, obtuse, 1-veined, basally branching, margins glabrous. Lateral sepals up to 16 mm long and nine mm wide, free to the base, spreading, broadly elliptic to obovate, slightly oblique, acute or obtuse, sparsely papillose within, 3-or 5-veined, veins branching or simple. Lip up to 4.2 mm long and two mm wide, sessile, reddish green to orange in color, light pink in dried condition, conduplicate-cymbiform, abruptly acuminate, when expanded cuneate in outline, truncate in front, apiculate in the middle, fleshy, basally provided with a transverse, grooved plate, both sides of which are long-decurrent towards middle of disc. Gynostemium ca five to seven mm long, clavate, stalked, stalk ca (2.5) 4-5 mm long (Figs. 27 and 28).
Ecology: Terrestrial in montane forest. Ames & Correll (1952) reported also epiphytic populations from Guatemala. Flowering throughout the year.
Ecology: Epiphytic in montane wet forest. Flowering throughout the year.  Notes: Ponthieva crinita and P. villosa share a similar habit, that is, they are rather slender, delicate plants with inflorescences usually shorter or as long as leaves, which is opposite to common P. maculata. According to , P. villosa has acute petals with branched veins, lip is triangular-ovate, and cuneate at base. Petals of P. crinita are obtuse to obliquely rounded with unbranched veins, lip is quadrate in outline, and basally auriculate. We cannot confirm different form of petals as discriminative character separating both species, but we observed differences in lip shape. Unfortunately, we do not have access to sufficient materials of both taxa to formulate definite conclusions concerning their taxonomic status. Barringer (1986)  Plants up to 47 cm tall. Leaves 3-4, basal, rosulate, petiolate; petiole up to five cm long, narrow; blade up to 18 cm long and four cm wide, oblanceolate to oblong-oblanceolate, acute, somewhat oblique, margins densely hirsute, blade sparsely hirsute. Peduncle hirsute, 2-sheathed, terminated by a laxly 10-flowered raceme up to seven cm long. Flowers small, sepals green, lip yellow with dark green lines. Floral bracts up to 10 mm long, lanceolate, acute, densely hirsute. Pedicellate ovary up to 17 mm long, densely hirsute. Sepals sparsely hirsute or glabrous. Dorsal sepal up to 11 mm long and 3.2 mm wide, oblong-lanceolate, subacute, 5-veined. Petals unguiculate; claw free part 1.5-2 mm long; lamina up to eight mm long and 2.5 mm wide, cuneate to truncate at base, obliquely ovate-lanceolate, obtuse, veins 3, branching, margins glabrous. Lateral sepals 12 mm long, 6.5 mm wide, free to the base, obliquely elliptic-ovate with lanceolate, acute apex, 6-veined. Lip four mm long, 1.3-2 mm wide, subsessile, oblong-obovate in outline, rounded at apex with small triangular projection at the apex, conduplicate, concave in the center, with single, branching vein, basal callus roof-like, truncate, with sides decurrent abruptly on lip margins. Gynostemium 2.5 mm long, massive, subsessile (Fig. 33).
Ecology: Terrestrial in subparamo with vegetation dominated by Asteraceae and Ericaceae, in sandy and rocky soils. It was also found at lower elevations in the vegetation dominated by Anacardiaceae (Toxicodendron), Araliaceae (Oreopanax), Cunoniaceae (Weinmannia), Burseraceae (Bursera). Flowering in February, November and December.
Distribution: Colombia. Alt. 1,880-2,800 m. a cochleate synsepal, more or less orbicular or elliptic-ovate in outline, bidentate at apex, principally 10-veined. Lip subsessile, up to 4.5 mm long and three mm wide, fleshy, cymbiform to deeply concave, oblong obovate in outline, acute to obtuse in front, basally provided with a transverse, replicate plate, the sides of which are abruptly decurrent onto lip. Gynostemium ca three mm long, robust, subsessile (Figs. 34 and 35).
Ecology: Terrestrial in wet upper montane forest. Flowering in February and November. raceme. Flowers medium-sized, sepals glabrous. Floral bracts seven mm long, oblonglanceolate to lanceolate, acute, glandular. Pedicellate ovary 18 mm long, densely pubescent. Dorsal sepal 13 mm long, three mm wide, narrowly lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, acute, veins 5, simple. Petals unguiculate, claw free part five mm long, filiform; lamina eight mm long, 2.5-3 mm wide, oblong-ligulate to ligulate-subpandurate, somewhat falcate, obtuse, with hook-like, slightly twisted lobe at truncate base adorned with oblong, canaliculate callus with two teeth on both sides. Lateral sepals connate together almost completely forming almost orbicular lamina 11 mm long and wide, slightly notched at the apex, deeply concave in the center, veins numerous, distal ones branching. Lip simple, almost sessile, four mm long, two mm wide, narrowly sagittate, canaliculate, acute at the apex, with prominent keel at the base becoming furculate in front. Gynostemium ca four mm long, long-stalked (Fig. 41).
Ecology: Terrestrial or epiphytic in montane wet forest . Flowering in February and November.