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In Panama, the Orchidaceae comprise 187 genera, of which one of the most conspicuous is Sobralia. The flowers of Sobralia are mostly ephemeral but colorful, often fragrant, and of variable sizes. Despite being a prominent group, its taxonomy is still underdeveloped in most neotropical countries. To continue with taxonomic studies in the Orchidaceae of Panama, we investigated a species of Sobralia, which differs from any recorded species of the genus. We documented the species with digital images and compared it with morphologically similar taxa. This paper describes and illustrates a new Sobralia from the Bosque Protector Palo Seco in the Fortuna area, Panama. Sobralia rinconiana differs from all other species recorded in Panama by the combination of a large plant size that reaches up to 120 cm high and the larger and broader, elliptical-lanceolate leaves (30–35 × 14–16 cm). Sobralia rinconiana is most similar to S. carazoi but differs in the spreading flowers with reflexed petals and the infundibuliform, cream-yellow lip, the wider, longer sepals and petals, and the longer, suberect column. The accurate estimate of the number of Sobralia species in Panama is still uncertain. Its diversity may increase as new areas are explored or species complexes are resolved.

Sobralia rinconiana Serracín, Samudio & Bogarín, sp. nov. (Figures 2 –3) Type:— PANAMA. Chiriquí-Bocas del Toro: Bosque Protector Palo Seco, 8°47’30.4”N 82°12’29.8”W, 1141 m, bosque pluvial premontano, terrestres en bosque secundario a orillas del camino, 3 agosto 2014, Z . Serracín, R. Rincón & D. Bogarín 831 (holotype: UCH!, isotype: PMA!). Among the Sobralia species, S. rinconiana is characterized by the combination of a large plant size that reaches up to 120 cm high with the chartaceous, larger, and wider leaves (27–35 × 14–16 cm), elliptical-lanceolate, acute to acuminate. Among the species of the genus, S. rinconiana is most similar to S. carazoi but differs (apart from its larger size of plants and leaves), in its grayish, papyraceous sheaths (rather than warty and dark) erect conical, acicular, papyraceous flower bracts without spots (instead of erect, narrow, acute, strongly lepidote), the spreading flowers with reflexed petals and the infundibuliform, cream-yellow lip (vs. campanulate, white flowers with an opened lip of S. carazoi) in its grayish, papyraceous sheaths, erect conical, acicular, papyraceous flower bracts without spots, the longer and wider sepals 4.0–4.4 × 0.8–1.0 cm (vs. 2.0 × 0.8 cm) and petals 4.2 × 0.9 cm (vs. 1.70 × 0.45 cm), the cream-yellow lip 3.8 × 2.8 cm (vs. white, 1.3 × 1.6 cm), and the longer, suberect column 2.5 cm long (vs. 1.2 cm). Description:—Erect, terrestrial, large herb 120 cm tall. Roots coarse, fleshy, finely pubescent, 3–5 mm in diameter, and 5-10 cm long. Stem cylindric, round in section, simple, fleshy, erect; up to 85 cm long, 4–5 mm in diameter; bracts, tubular papyraceous, not lepidote, foliate in the upper third, covered by adpressed, green, sparsely subscarious sheaths, becoming papyraceous with age. Leaves plicate, sessile, on a clasping vaginate base, chartaceous, ellipticlanceolate, acute, 3–5 per stem, 27–35 × 14–16 cm, with 9 –11 veins; the uppermost leaf smaller, petiolate, subtending the inflorescence, 7.5–9.0 × 4–5 cm. Inflorescence terminal, developed from a conical cluster of imbricating bracts, successively several-flowered, with a single flower, opened at once, floral bracts acuminate, papyraceous, 1.5–2.0 cm. Floral bracts conical, 2 cm long, acicular, papyraceous. Flowers ephemeral, white, with a cream-yellow lip throat, the lip base reddish tinged, the apex white, membranaceous, to 8.2 cm in diameter. Dorsal sepal elliptic-lanceolate, suberect, conduplicate, dorsally unicarinate, mucronate, entire, 4.0–4.4 × 0.8–1.0 cm. Lateral sepals elliptic to oblong, spreading, conduplicate, dorsally unicarinate, mucronate, entire, 4.0–4.2 × 0.8–0.9 cm. Petals white, ellipticlanceolate, reflexed, spreading, acute, 4.2 × 0.9 cm. Lip infundibuliform, obscurely 3-lobed, oblong, retuse, erect, the base encircling the column, the distal margins spreading, crispate, 3.8 × 2.8 cm, the base of the lamina with two divergent calli. Column hemiterete-subclavate, slightly arched, 2.5 × 0.4 cm, the apex with two acute arms, with two prominent keels at the middle. Anther and stigma ventral. Anther cap cucullate, translucent, rounded, 2-celled, 2 mm in diameter. Pollinia 4, soft, mealy, in two symmetrical pairs of different size, not sharply distinct from the caudicles, each hemipollinarium 1 × 2 mm. Distribution and Ecology:—Only known from Bosque Protector de Palo Seco, Fortuna along the Cordillera de Talamanca in western Panama. It grows as terrestrial on the roadside secondary forest at 1141 m of elevation (Figure 4). Plants were recorded in flower in August. Etymology:—Dedicated to Prof. Rafael Rincón, Director of the Herbarium UCH of Universidad Autónoma de Chiriquí (UNACHI), Panama, in recognition of his contributions to the flora of Panama and who encouraged us to study this Sobralia. Conservation status:— It has not been formally assessed, however, it should be considered data deficient (DD) because more data on population and distribution is needed for a proper assessment. Taxonomic Discussion:—the most conspicuous characteristic of S. rinconiana is the plant size that reaches up to 120 cm high and its large elliptical-lanceolate, chartaceous, acute to acuminate leaves 30–35 × 14–16 cm. Sobralia rinconiana is similar to S. carazoi C.H.Lankester & Ames (1924: 34) but vegetatively differs (apart from its larger size of plants and leaves) in its grayish, papyraceous sheaths (rather than warty and dark) erect conical, acicular, papyraceous flower bracts without spots (instead of erect, narrow, acute, strongly lepidote), the longer and wider sepals 4.0–4.4 × 0.8–1.0 cm (vs. 2.0 × 0.8 cm) and petals 4.2 × 0.9 cm (vs. 1.70 × 0.45 cm), the cream-yellow lip 3.8 × 2.8 cm (vs. white, 1.3 × 1.6 cm), and the longer, suberect column 2.5 cm long (vs. 1.2 cm). The habit of S. rinconiana is similar to other species such as S. chrysostoma Dressler, S. leucoxantha Reichenbach.f. (1866: 86), S. undatocarinata C.Schweinfurth (1938: 197), S. violacea Linden ex Lindley (1846: 133), and S. warszewiczii Reichenbach (1852: 714) characterized by stems over 100 cm tall, with conspicuous floral bracts forming an imbricating cone; however, the leaf of the new species is larger than the rest of the Sobralia currently registered in Panama. The leaf size of the species similar in plant habit to S. rinconiana is up to 23 cm long and 8 cm wide, contrasting with the leaf of S. rinconiana, which is greater than 30 long and 14 cm wide. Two peculiar characteristics of S. rinconiana are the small flower size in proportion to the plant height and leaf width. These two morphological features are present at least in S. carazoi, S. doremiliae Dressler (1995: 142), and S. valida Rolfe (1909: 65). However, the new species shows spreading flowers with reflexed petals from the middle to the apex. In addition, the infundibuliform, cream-yellow lip contrasts to the campanulate, white flowers with an opened lip of S. carazoi and S. doremiliae. Another similar species, Sobralia valida, shows smaller and narrower leaves (12–20 × 6.0– 8.5 cm) and the lip with crested veins and a yellow band becoming deep orange in front (Rolfe 1909). These characters contrast to the two basal keels not extending along the cream-yellow lip of S. rinconiana., Published as part of Serracín, Zuleika, Samudio, Zabdy & Bogarín, Diego, 2022, A new Sobralia (Orchidaceae: Sobralieae) from Panama, pp. 81-87 in Phytotaxa 559 (1) on pages 83-86, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.559.1.9, http://zenodo.org/record/7009440, {"references":["Ames, O. (1924) Additions to the orchid flora of tropical America. Schedulae Orchidianae 7: 1 - 36.","Dressler, R. L. (1995) New orchid species from Costa Rica. Novon 5 (2): 140 - 145. https: // doi. org / 10.2307 / 3392235"]}

A new species of Acianthera from the relict cloud forests of Valle del Cauca, Colombia is described and illustrated. This new species, Acianthera hagsateri, morphologically resembles A. geminicaulina, A. decurrens, and A. erythrogramma, but differs from them by its shorter plants and stems, the elliptic and obtuse smaller leaves, the racemose, 1-3 flowered raceme, and the obovate, entire lip, with a pair of smooth calli reaching the apical half. Illustration, distribution map, eponymy, notes on ecology, pictures for this new species are included, and a comparison table with morphologically similar species. Resumen Se describe e ilustra una nueva especie de Acianthera de los bosques nubosos relictos del Valle del Cauca, Colombia. Esta nueva especie, Acianthera hagsateri, se parece morfológicamente a A. geminicaulina, A. decurrens y A. erythrogramma, pero se diferencia de ellas por las plantas y tallos más cortos, las hojas elípticas y obtusas más pequeñas, el racimo racemoso de 1-3 flores, y el labelo obovado, entero, con un par de callos lisos que llegan hasta la mitad apical. Se incluye una ilustración, mapa de distribución, eponimia, notas sobre ecología, fotografías de esta nueva especie y una tabla comparativa con especies morfológicamente similares.