WMTTEN ET AL. Relationships of Zygopetalinae


extraordinarily variable within the genus (Fig. 6).

There are two published species of Dodsonia (D.
saccata, the type, and D. falcata Ackerman). Both
were known only from the type collections until
cultivated material of Dodsonia was identified recently
in horticultural collections (Neudecker & Gerlach
2000, Whitten, unpublished). The cultivated material is
intermediate in floral morphology between the types of
the two species, leading Neudecker and Gerlach (2000)
to conclude that Dodsonia may consist of a single
variable species. With the recent description of Stenia
glatzii (see Neudecker & Gerlach 2000, for excellent
photographs and drawings) that is intermediate in
morphology between Dodsonia and other species of
Stenia, there seems little justification for maintaining
Dodsonia as a distinct genus. Dodsonia saccata was
originally described as a Stenia, but a new combination
is required for D. falcata. The genus as redefined now
contains about 12 species.

Steniafalcata (Ackerman) Dressier, comb. nov.
 Basionym: Dodsoniafalcata Ackerman, Selbyana 5:
 118. 1979.

 Benzingia -A highly supported clade of six
species comprises Ackermania, Benzingia, and
Chondrorhyncha reichenbachiana. These taxa are
diverse in floral morphology, but C. reichenbachiana
and Ackermania possess striking vegetative
similarities. Chondrorhyncha reichenbachiana has
resupinate flowers with a gullet shaped lip and reflexed,
rolled lateral sepals that form a false spur, similar to
other species of the Chondrorhyncha complex (e.g.,
Cochleanthes lipscombiae, Ackerman 1983). Its callus
is laminar, somewhat bilobed and irregularly toothed,
somewhat like that of the species of Chondrorhyncha
moved below to Euryblema. Flowers of Ackermania
and Benzingia lack the false spurs, possess saccate
lips, and may be either resupinate or non-resupinate,
depending upon the species. These floral differences
are suggestive of different pollination systems and/
or pollinarium deposition sites (nectar deceit in C.
reichenbachiana; probably male euglossine fragrance
reward in the other genera). These floral differences
contradict the seemingly close relationships indicated
by the molecular data. Vegetatively, most members of
this clade are strikingly similar; most possess narrow,
fan shaped growths with leaves that are a distinctive
glaucous gray-green and pendent. The upper epidermal
leaf cells are papillose, giving the leaf surface a pebbly
or sparkling appearance; in all other genera of Fig. 4,


the upper epidermal cells are smooth. These vegetative
synapomorphies support the molecular data, and indicate
that pollination systems and floral morphologies might
be evolutionarily labile. Similar patterns of agreement
between molecular and vegetative characters (but not
floral traits) are seen in several clades of Oncidiinae
(Williams, Chase, and Whitten, in prep.) which also
display mixtures of deceit and reward pollination
systems.

The molecular data indicate that Ackermania,
Benzingia, and Chondrorhyncha reichenbachiana
should be treated as a single genus. A fungal genus
bears the name Ackermannia Pat., differing by only
one letter. The priority of these two names is currently
awaiting clarification by the IAPT, but the controversy
is moot for our purposes here. Benzingia Dodson has
priority over Ackermania; therefore, we transfer all
species of this clade into Benzingia.

Type: Benzingia hirtzii Dodson ex Dodson, Lindleyana
10(2): 74. 1995.
Benzingia caudata (Ackerman) Dressier, comb. nov.
 Basionym: Chondrorhyncha caudata Ackerman,
 Selbyana 5: 299. 1981.
Benzingia cornuta (Garay) Dressier, comb. nov.
 Basionym: Chondrorhyncha cornuta Garay, Orqui-
 deologia 5: 20. 1970.
Benzingia estradae (Dodson) Dodson ex Dodson,
 Lindleyana 10(2): 74. 1995.
 Basionym: Chondrorhyncha estradae Dodson, Icon.
 P1. Trop. 1: t. 22. 1980.
 Dodson and Romero (1995) transferred this species
to Benzingia, but it is unlike the type species, B.
hirtzii. Benzingia hirtzii resembles Chaubardiella
in the non-resupinate flowers and the form of the
viscidium. Benzingia estradae has pendent, rather than
nonresupinate flowers, which, however, may function
in much the same way.
Benzingia hajekii (D.E. Benn. & Christenson)
 Dressier, comb. nov.
 Basionym: Ackermania hajekii D.E. Benn. &
 Christenson, Icon. Orchid. Peruv t. 602. 2001.
Benzingiajarae (D.E.Benn. & Christenson) Dressier,
 comb. nov.
 Basionym: Ackermaniajarae D.E.Benn. & Christen-
 son, Brittonia 47: 182. 1995
Benzingiapalorae (Dodson & Hirtz) Dressier, comb. nov.
 Basionym: Steniapalorae Dodson & Hirtz, Icon. P1.
 Tropic. ser. II 6: 583. 1989.
Benzingia reichenbachiana (Schltr.) Dressier, comb. nov.


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