Paphiopedilum motuoense M. N. Wang, F. X. Tang & W. H. Rao 2025, sp. nov.

Paphiopedilum motuoense M. N. Wang, F. X. Tang & W. H. Rao sp. nov. Figs 4, 5 Chinese name. 墨脱兜兰 Type. China • Xizang, Linzhi City, Motuo County, alt. 800 m, 23 Apr 2021, J. B. Chen 01800 (holotype: NOCC). Diagnosis. Paphiopedilum motuoense is similar to P. venustum and P. qingyongii in morphology, but differs from them by having a smaller staminode, petals flushed with purplish red, a purplish red lip with purplish brown veins, pouched with erect and triangular auriculas on both sides of mouth, and leaves adaxially tessellated with pale green and pale yellowish green (Table 1, Fig. 1). Description. Plants terrestrial. Leaves 5–6, basal, oblong, 5–8 × 1.6–1.9 cm, apex acute and slightly 2 - lobed, adaxially tessellated with pale green and pale yellowish green, abaxially densely spotted with purple, base contracted into petiole shape. Scape erect, up to 5.3–7.1 cm long, purple, densely shortly hirsute, 1 - flowered, terminal; bract broadly ovate, 2.1–2.3 × 1.6–1.8 cm, margin ciliate; pedicel and ovary 2.6–3.1 cm long, pubescent. Flower 5.7–6.2 cm in diam.; dorsal sepal and synsepal white with green veins; petals pale yellowish white, flushed with purplish red, with a few large maroon warts mainly in basal half; lip purplish red with purplish brown veins, margin pale yellowish white; staminode pale yellow with green veins and flushed with pale purplish red. Dorsal sepal obcordate, 3.2–3.5 × 2.6–2.7 cm, apex acuminate, abaxially pubescent, margin ciliate; synsepal ovate, 3.2–3.4 × 1.8–2 cm, apex acute, abaxially pubescent, margin ciliate. Petals obovate-oblong, 4.4–4.7 × 1.6–1.8 cm, apex obtuse or subacute, margins long-ciliate; lip helmet-shaped, 2.4–2.7 cm long; lateral lobes without verruca or slightly verrucose; pouch 1.4–1.6 × 1–1.1 cm, slightly narrowed toward base, with triangular auriculas on both sides of its mouth, margins erect at mouth apex, villose at inner bottom, minutely papillate-puberulent outside. Staminode reniform-obcordate, 2.9–3.2 × 5–5.3 mm, with a sinus at apex, sinus with mucro at middle, adaxially finely papillate. Etymology. The species epithet “ motuoense ” refers to the locality name of type specimen of this new species, Motuo County, Linzhi City, Xizang, China. Distribution and habitat. Paphiopedilum motuoense is currently known only from the type locality Motuo County, Xizang, China. It is terrestrial in humus-rich places and semi-epiphytic in the humus of rocky places in forest margins at elevations of 800 m. Phenology. Flowering in March and April.