Evolutionary diversification and historical biogeography of orchidaceae in Central America with emphasis on Costa Rica and Panama

In this thesis, I targeted the orchid genus Lepanthes, one of the six genera of angiosperms that surpasses 1,000 species in the Neotropics, as a study model to investigate the evolutionary processes that promoted species diversifications. To investigate this, we improved the taxonomy of the group integrating a solid phylogenetic framework with morphological evolution, assessing inter-specific relationships in species complexes with hundreds of DNA markers using anchored hybrid enrichment approach, and describing new species. In addition, we addressed the pollination of Trichosalpinx through the study of floral anatomy, pollinator behavior, and floral traits. Trichosalpinx flowers are pollinated exclusively by female biting midges that are attracted by the small quantities of proteins secreted on the flowers. Finally, we inferred the biogeographical history and diversification dynamics of the two largest Neotropical orchid groups (Cymbidieae and Pleurothallidinae), using densely sampled phylogenies coupled with geological datasets and discussed the impact of biogeographical events and orogeny on the species richness of Lepanthes. Species diversification is correlated with Andean orogeny, and multiple migrations and recolonizations across the Andes indicate that mountains do not constrain orchid dispersal over long timescales. This thesis provides new insights into the complex evolution of one of the most species-rich angiosperm.Leiden University/[]//Países BajosCentro de Biodiversidad Naturalis/[]//Países BajosUniversidad de Costa Rica/[]/UCR/Costa RicaUCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Agroalimentarias::Jardín Botánico Lankester (JBL

A new species of Eurystyles (Orchidaceae: Spiranthinae) from Costa Rica

Eurystyles comprises about 23 species ranging from Mexico to northernArgentina. Six species are recognized in Mexico and Central America and three in Costa Rica. A new species, named E. uxoris, is here described and illustrated based on Costa Rican material. The species is similar to Eurystyles auriculata and E. standleyi, however, it differs by the smaller plants up to 3 cm tall, smaller leaves of less than 1.6 cm long, flowers with brown dorsal sepal and brown lip apex, petals callose or thickened at apex, and a pandurate lip. Information about distribution, habitat, ecology, etymology and phenology of the new species is provided. An updated key to the Costa Rican species of Eurystyles is presented.UCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Agroalimentarias::Jardín Botánico Lankester (JBL

Prosthechea tinukiana sp. nov. (Orchidaceae: Laeliinae): an update of the Prosthechea prismatocarpa complex

We describe and illustrate a new species of Prosthechea from Costa Rica. The species is similar to Prosthechea ionocentra, but it is easily distinguishable by its inflorescence originating from the penultimate mature pseudobulb; its purple spotted sepals and petals; the cordate, acute labellum; the disc with two longer, narrower keels; the stigmatic arms of the column, which are convergent and rounded; and the narrower stigma. Differences from other related species are given and discussed. Data on distribution, habitat and ecology, etymology, and phenology are provided. An updated key to the species of the Prosthechea prismatocarpa complex is presented.Universidad de Costa Rica/[814-B1-239]/UCR/Costa RicaUCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Agroalimentarias::Jardín Botánico Lankester (JBL

On the identity of Myoxanthus scandens (Orchidaceae: Pleurothallidinae), with a new species from Costa Rica

We present and illustrate a new species of Myoxanthus from Costa Rica, closely related to M. scandens. We present descriptions and illustrations of both species. The new species, Myoxanthus sotoanum differs from M. scandens, by its linear leaves, the brownish-yellowish flowers, the yellow petals and lip, the oblong, obtuse, subfalcate lateral lobes of the lip, the two keels extending nearly to the middle of the lip, and the shorter, triangular, acute teeth that flank the stigma. Myoxanthus sotoanum generally also occurs at lower elevations than M. scandens.Presentamos e ilustramos una nueva especie de Myoxanthus para Costa Rica, junto a la descripción e ilustración de M. scandens basadas en material costarricense. La nueva especie, Myoxanthus sotoanum, es similar a M. scandens, de la que difiere principalmente por sus hojas lineares, las flores café-amarillento, los pétalos y el labelo amarillos, los lóbulos laterales del labelo oblongos, obtusos y subfalcados, las dos quillas que se extienden hasta la mitad del labelo y los dientes más cortos, triangulares, agudos, que flanquean el estigma. Myoxanthus sotoanum generalmente se encuentra a elevaciones inferiores que M. scandens.Universidad de Costa Rica/[814-A7-015]/UCR/Costa RicaUCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Agroalimentarias::Jardín Botánico Lankester (JBL

How many species of Pleurothallidinae are there?

Subtribe Pleurothallidinae is possibly the most species-rich of all orchid groups. Nevertheless, they are a young group of plants in terms of scientific learning. The last three decades have been the most active with respect to taxonomic and systematic studies within the group, contributing an increasing rate of new taxa in the subtribe. Can a reasonable estimation of the real diversity of Pleurothallidinae be made at this time? We addressed the question through an analysis of the partial results of a 15-year study of the pleurothallid flora of Costa Rica. We summarized the main historical stages of the discovery of Pleurothallidinae richness and show how much it has changed our understanding of diversity as a consequence of more focused research. In 15 years the number of Pleurothallidinae increased from 433 species to 561 species (+30%). New taxa have been described in most of the pleurothallid genera recorded from Costa Rica, including Acianthera, Anathallis, Brachionidium, Dracula, Dresslerella, Echinosepala, Lepanthes, Masdevallia, Myoxanthus, Octomeria, Pabstiella, Platystele, Pleurothallis, Restrepiella, Trichosalpinx, Trisetella, Specklinia, and Stelis. The largest pleurothallid genera in Costa Rica are Lepanthes (with 150 species so far), Stelis (106 species), and Pleurothallis s.s. (51 species), three genera that we have not yet fully monographed. Projecting the trend observed in the genera and groups studied in more detail and mapping the collection effort carried out in Costa Rica, a further 300 new species of Pleurothallidinae could be expected. We can now estimate with some confidence that the total number of Pleurothallidinae for the flora of Costa Rica would exceed 800 species, and this means that roughly 2 of every 5 orchid species recorded in the country will be a pleurothallid. An updated checklist of Pleurothallidinae accepted for the flora of Costa Rica is presented, including 561 species in 30 genera. A new name and two new combinations are proposed in Stelis.UCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Agroalimentarias::Jardín Botánico Lankester (JBL

Pleurothallis adventurae (Orchidaceae: Pleurothallidinae), eine neue Art aus einer unerforschten Region in Costa Rica

A new species, Pleurothallis adventurae is illustrated and described from an unexplored region in southern Costa Rica. This species belongs to a small group of mostly South American species with, glaucous, dark green, long, narrow leaves, with revolute margins. It is most closely related to the Ecuadorian P. portillae from which it differs in the shape of the leaf, the color of flowers, the flower indumentum and the width of the petals. It is also related to P. dibolia, P. calamifolia, P. omoglossa and P. sigynes.Eine neue Art, Pleurothallis adventurae, aus einer unerforschten Region im Süden von Costa Rica wird dargestellt und beschrieben. Diese Art gehört zu einer kleinen Gruppe meistens in Südamerika vorkommender Arten mit graugrün bis dunkelgrünen, langen, schmalen Blättern mit eingerollten Rändern. Sie ist eng mit der ekuadorianischen Pleurothallis portillae verwandt, von der sie sich durch die Form der Blätter, die Farbe der Blüten, die Behaarung der Blüten unddie Breite der Petalen unterscheidet. Sie ist ebenso verwandt mit P. dibolia, P. calamifolia, P. omoglossa und P. sigynesUCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Agroalimentarias::Jardín Botánico Lankester (JBL

Two novelties in genus Platystele (Orchidaceae: Pleurothallidinae) from Costa Rica

Two new species of Platystele allied to P. oxyglossa complex are described from Costa Rica. Platystele carl-lueriana can be distinguished from P. catiensis and P. oxyglossa by the compact inflorescence that barely exceeds the leaf, from P. pedicellaris by the large plants with long leaves and small flowers, and from P. tausensis by the yellowish sepals and petals (vs. purple stained) and the minutely glandular (vs. apically hirsute) lip. The second species, Platystele jane-lueriana, can be easily distinguished by the glabrous flowers, and the conspicuously inflated, bulbous lip, with an incurved apex. Among the other members of the complex, it is most closely resembles P. pedicellaris in the compact inflorescence that is subequal to the leaves, but is distinguished by tail-less sepals and the linear-ligulate petals. With these additions, the total number of Costa Rican Platystele reaches twenty species.Universidad de Costa Rica/[814-B3-075]/UCR/Costa RicaUCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Agroalimentarias::Jardín Botánico Lankester (JBL

A new Specklinia (Orchidaceae: Pleurothallidinae) from Costa Rica and Panama

A new species of Specklinia from the Cordillera de Talamanca in southern Costa Rica and western Panama is described and illustrated. Specklinia absurda most closely resembles Specklinia fuegi. It differs from that species in the pendent, single flowered inflorescence, whitish yellow sepals with red-pink veins and yellow apex, red petals with translucent margins, pandurate-trilobed, unguiculate lip with a distinct papillose isthmus below the anterior lobe, and reniform, erose, erect lateral lobes, with a Y-shaped thickened, hirsutulous apical callus. The affinities of this species to other Specklinia species are discussed.Se describe e ilustra una nueva especie de Specklinia de la Cordillera de Talamanca en el sur de Costa Rica y el oeste de Panamá. Specklinia absurda es similar a Specklinia fuegi, sin embargo se diferencia principalmente en la inflorescencia pendulosa de una sola flor, las flores con los sépalos blanco-amarillentos con venas roja-rosadas, el ápice amarillo, los pétalos de color rojo con bordes translúcidos y el labelo pandurado-trilobulado, unguiculado, con un istmo conspicuamente papiloso detrás del lóbulo anterior, los lóbulos laterales reniformes, erosos, erectos en posición natural, con un callo apical, engrosado, hirsutuloso en forma de Y. Se discuten las afinidades de esta especie dentro de Specklinia.UCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Agroalimentarias::Jardín Botánico Lankester (JBL

Masdevallia luerorum (Orchidaceae: Pleurothallidinae), a new species from Costa Rica

Masdevallia luerorum from the southern Pacific region of Costa Rica is described and illustrated. It resembles M. lata, but differs in the single flowered inflorescence, the shorter sepals, the broad and cylindrical sepaline tube, the smaller mentum beneath the column-foot, a smaller secondary mentum, a slight deflection between the two mentums, and the lip with marginal folds near the middle, apically rounded and conspicuously verrucose. Initial phylogenetic evidence indicated that Masdevallia nicaraguae is closely allied to M. luerorum. However, M. nicaraguae is distinguished by the white flowers suffused with fuchsia stripes toward the bases of sepals and the thick and triangular, shorter sepaline tails of the lateral sepals. Moreover, both species are isolated geographicallySe describe e ilustra Masdevallia luerorum del Pacífico sur de Costa Rica. Es similar a M. lata, pero difiere en la infloresencia uniflora, los sépalos más cortos, el tubo sepalino amplio y cilíndrico un mentón más pequeño debajo del pie de la columna, un mentón secundario más corto, una ligera deflexión entre ambos mentones, y el labelo con pliegues marginales cerca de la mitad y apicalmente redondeado y conspicuamente verrucoso. Evidencia filogenética inicial indicó que Masdevallia nicaraguae está estrechamente relacionada con M. luerorum. Sin embargo, M. nicaraguae se distingue por las flores blancas con rayas fucsia hacia las bases de los sépalos y colas sepalinas triangulares, más cortas y gruesas. Además, ambas especies están aisladas geográficamente.Universidad de Costa Rica/[814-B3-080]/UCR/Costa RicaUCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Agroalimentarias::Jardín Botánico Lankester (JBL

Florae costaricensis subtribui Pleurothallidinis (Orchidaceae) prodromus II. Systematics of the Pleurothallis cardiothallis and P. phyllocardia Groups, and Other Related Groups of Pleurothallis with Large Vegetative Habit

We discuss a group of Pleurothallis species mostly characterized by plants relatively tall for the genus, with stems more than 20 cm long and fasciculate inflorescences produced above the leaf from a spathaceous, sometimes erect bract. We recognize 26 species and 4 natural hybrids in Costa Rica in this group of Pleurothallis, belonging to 4 informal assemblages of species, each one characterized by a unique set of vegetative, floral, and ecological features. This group, as well as its component units, is discussed as to its salient characteristics and internal relationships, underlying possible evolutionary trends. Diversity, general and floral ecology, color dimorphism, and natural hybridization are examined to address their systematic significance. We present a dichotomic key to the groups and the species discussed in this study, together with descriptions based on Costa Rican materials, and one or more line drawings or a Lankester Composite Dissection Plate when required for improved clarity. Also, we discuss their taxonomy and provide information on etymology, habitat, distribution, distinguishing features, and Costa Rican collections. Three species (P. callosa, P. longipetala, and P. mesopotamica), and three nothospecies (P. ×karremansiana, P. ×subversa, and P. ×parentis-certa) are described as new to science, discussed as to their affinities, and illustrated with photographs, composite digital plates, and ink drawings. Pleurothallis triangulabia is removed from the synonymy of P. phyllocardia, treated as a distinct species, and lectotypified. Pleurothallis anthurioides and P. maduroi are first recorded and documented for the flora of Costa Rica.UCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Agroalimentarias::Jardín Botánico Lankester (JBL