Platystele aurea Garay, Orquideología

Karremans, Adam P., Albertazzi, Federico J., Bakker, Freek T., Bogarín, Diego, Eurlings, Marcel C. M., Pridgeon, Alec, Pupulin, Franco & Gravendeel, Barbara, 2016, Phylogenetic reassessment of Specklinia and its allied genera in the Pleurothallidinae (Orchidaceae), Phytotaxa 272 (1), pp. 1-36 : 31-32

Platystele aurea Garay, Orquideología 8(3): 182. 1973.

Syn. Pleurothallis rubella Luer, Selbyana 3(3–4): 378–379, f. 289. 1977. Rubellia rubella (Luer) Luer, Monogr. Syst. Bot. Missouri Bot. Gard. 95: 258. 2004.

The monospecific genus Rubellia was previously unplaced in Pleurothallidinae . In the analyses presented here, its type species is placed sister to Platystele ( Figs. 2 & 3 ). Its morphological similarities with species of Platystele had already been noted by Garay (1973) when he described Platystele aurea , a name frequently placed in synonymy of Pleurothallis rubellia . In our view, Platystele aurea and Pleurothallis rubella might represent two closely related yet different species. However, if considered synonyms, Garay’s name has priority.

The genus Rubellia could have been kept separate from Platystele using the evidence presented here. However, the plants are similar to other members of the genus and the flowers share the apical anther and stigma and the presence of a glenion. Keeping Rubellia separate would not present any advantages.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Phylogenetic relationship amongst the species of Specklinia based on a combined nrITS + matK dataset, using BEAST v1.6.0. Node values are posterior probabilities. A. Tree with branches transformed to be of equal length. B. Branch lengths proportional to the number of substitutions. Clade A. Specklinia subgen. Specklinia. Clade B. Specklinia subgen. Sylphia. Clade C. Specklinia subgen. Hymenodanthae. Clade D. Specklinia subgen. Acostaea. Clade E. Specklinia subgen. Sarcinula. Clade F. Platystele. Clade G. Scaphosepalum. Clade H. Teagueia. Clade I. Muscarella. Clade J. Dryadella.

FIGURE 3. Phylogenetic relationship amongst the species of Specklinia. The tree was produced with an analysis of a combined nrITS + matK dataset using RAxML v8.1.11. Node values are bootstraps. Clade A. Specklinia subgen. Specklinia. Clade B. Specklinia subgen. Sylphia. Clade C. Specklinia subgen. Hymenodanthae. Clade D. Specklinia subgen. Acostaea. Clade E. Specklinia subgen. Sarcinula. Clade F. Platystele. Clade G. Scaphosepalum. Clade H. Teagueia. Clade I. Muscarella. Clade J. Dryadella.