Catasetum meeae Pabst (1967: 64)

Krahl, Dayse Raiane Passos, Schmal, Philippe, Chiron, Guy, Silva, João Batista Fernandes Da, Krahl, Amauri Herbert & Cantuária, Patrick De Castro, 2023, Taxonomic notes on Catasetum meeae (Orchidaceae: Catasetinae), Phytotaxa 609 (3), pp. 240-246 : 242-244

Catasetum meeae Pabst (1967: 64) ( Figure 2 )

Type: — BRAZIL. Amazonas : Baixo Rio Içana , Floruit in cult., July 1965, Margareth Mee 105 (holotype: HB000041439 , photograph!) .

= Catasetum lendarium Blind (2020: 135) , nom. inval., syn. nov.

Type: — BRAZIL. Amazonas : Presidente Figueiredo, rural area, near the lake of the Balbina hydroelectric, 173 m a.s.l., 23 december 2014, 1 ° 45’27”S, 60 ° 37’24”W, A. D. Blind HOE0201 A; 03 Jan 2018, E. J. Blind HOE0302 B (syntypes: HUAM and HOE —not located) .

Distribution and ecology: — Catasetum meeae is restricted to the state of Amazonas, occurring along the banks of the Içana in the municipality of S„o Gabriel da Cachoeira (according to Pabst 1967), and in the municipality of Presidente Figueiredo (according to Blind 2020), where it was found along the lake of Balbina and in an area of dense forest located at a few kilometers to the north of Presidente Figueiredo (in rural area) and at the right side of the highway BR-174, which connects the municipalities of Manaus and Boa Vista ( Figure 3 ). According to Pabst (1967) the species was in flowers in July. Blind (2020) stated that the species blooms between January and April. This period coincides with the rainy season of the region ( Braga 1977, 1982). From our personal observations, an individual bloomed in ex situ cultivation between April and May. This individual was cultivated by us in a private greenhouse.

Conservation status: —The Extent of Occurrence (EOO) was estimated at 15,458.916 km ² and the Area of Occupancy (AOO) at 16.000 km ². According to the criteria defined in IUCN Guidelines ( IUCN 2022), the threshold for Endangered category (EN) is met in terms of AOO. Besides (1) the species is known only from 4 locations (EN category—criterion Ba) and (2) continuing deforestation leads to a continuing decline observed and projected in AOO (criterion Bb[ii]) whereas illegal trade of plants and even illegal predatory collection by orchid lovers for cultivation purposes together with deforestation allow us to infer continuing decline in the total number of individuals (criterion Bb[v]). Finally the taxon may be treated as Endangered (EN category—criterion B2ab[ii, v]. The global population (as defined in IUCN Guidelines art. 4.1) is evaluated at less than 50 mature individuals, which corresponds to the Critically Endangered (CR) category (criterion D). However, this estimation should be confirmed before the category of threat is increased.

Taxonomic Discussion: — Pabst (1967) stresses that the distinctive character of C. meeae compared to the other related species is the conical lip furnished with a ridge of callosities running from the base to the bottom of the lip cone, character also present in C. lendarium (see Figure 2 ). In addition, other characteristics shared by both taxa can be mentioned, such as erect or slightly arched few-flowered (4–5 flowers) inflorescence, lanceolate floral bracts, straight or slightly sinuous pedicel, oblong-lanceolate dark purple sepals, lanceolate petals with the same color as the sepals, yellowish lip with an apiculate apex and margin endowed with ornamentation.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Catasetum meeae. A–B. Flower. C–E. Pedicel, column and lip. F. Floral segments. G–J. Lip. K. Longitudinal section of the lip. L–M. Column. N–P. Anther cap. Q. Pollinarium. Photographs by A.H. Krahl.

FIGURE 3. Geographic distribution map of Catasetum meeae. Map made by A.H. Krahl.