Chiloschista eckhardii (Orchidaceae, Aeridinae), a new miniature leafless orchid from northern Vietnam

Chiloschista eckhardii, discovered recently in Ha Giang Province of northern Vietnam, is described as a new species to science. The newly discovered species belongs to group of plants having yellow sepals and petals spotted with dark brown marks. Our newly identified species may be misidentified as C. glabrisepala, C. parishii, or C. quangdangii, which share a similar hairy band on the central callus of the lip, whereas this feature is glabrous in other related species. The new species differs from the similar species mentioned in having a callus that is slightly shorter than the median lobe and a densely hairy median part of the lip callus. In contrast, C. glabrisepala has a callus that is as long as or slightly longer than the median lobe, with hairs only on the apex of the disc callus. C. parishii has a callus shorter than the median lobe, with the lip disc and callus entirely hairy, while C. quangdangii has a distinctly shorter callus that is densely hairy. This paper presents the description of the new species, along with data on its habitat and phenology, a color plate detailing the flower structure, and notes comparing it with similar species.