Pseudolaelia corcovadensis Porto & Brade (1935:209)

Wängler, Marilia S., Meneguzzo, Thiago E. C., Berg, Cássio Van Den & Baumgratz, José Fernando A., 2020, Untangling the type collection and recircunscription of Pseudolaelia corcovadensis: a threatened orchid species from Brazilian Atlantic Rain Forest, Phytotaxa 433 (4), pp. 265-276 : 266-268

Pseudolaelia corcovadensis Porto & Brade (1935:209) .

Lectotype (designated here):— BRAZIL. Rio de Janeiro: Rio de Janeiro, Morro do Corcovado , 500 m, 20 June 1935, fl., O. Voll & B. Carris s.n. (lectotype RB barcode RB00567316 sheet 1 in full!; isolectotypes F 1524879 in full!; RB barcode RB00567317 sheet 2 only yellow capsule!; RB barcode RB00542703 sheet 3 in full!).

Epiphytic herb, rarely rupicolous or saxicolous; rhizome 1–7.5 cm long, cylindric covered with translucid cataphylls; pseudobulb 1–9 cm long, turbinate, green when young; chestnut when adult, covered with paleaceous, deliquescent cataphylls. Leaves 3–10, in rosettes, erect to somewhat curved, emerging from the pseudobulb apex; leaf 10–19.5 cm long blade pale green when young, dark green to vinaceous at the apex when adult, glabrous, chartaceous, linear, base truncate, apex acute. Inflorescence 0.8–1.2 m long, racemes primary or secondary 5–22 flowers with successive flowering, cylindric, erect, sometimes sinuose; peduncle green, apex magenta; bracts with acute to acuminate apex; bracteoles magenta, membranaceous, triangular, apex acuminate. Flowers odoriferous; pedicel 1.3–2.1 cm long, magenta; dorsal sepal symmetric 1.3–2.1 × 0.5–0.65 cm, magenta, elliptic, apex obtuse; lateral sepals 1.4–2 × 0.6–0.85 cm, magenta, concave, elliptic, asymmetric, apex acute; petals 1.4–1.9 × 0.6–0.85 cm, magenta, narrowly elliptic, somewhat asymmetric, apex rounded, margin undulate in median part; labellum 1.05–1.55 × 0.95–1.35 cm, trilobed, lateral lobes 5–8 × 1.5–3 mm, magenta, ligulate, apex rounded, isthmus of labellum 2.5–3.5 mm, median lobe 0.95–1.3 × 0.5–1 cm, magenta, apex retuse, margin strongly undulate, labellum disc fleshy with 7–10 lamellae, white to yellow, longitudinal to the labellum length, arising above the lateral lobes and extending to the half-way point of the central lobe, labellum base adnate to the column; cunicle inconspicuous externally with a supply of viscous odoriferous substance; column 4–7 × 2–3.5 mm, rose-coloured, with white apex; anther green or yellow; pollinia eight, yellow. Fruit 1.1–1.3 × 1.1–1.7 cm capsule triseptate rounded to elliptical, green when mature, seeds 2.700 × 480 µm, beige, escobiform.

Material examined: MINAS GERAIS: Juiz de Fora , Área de Proteção Ambiental Santo Cristo, 3 June 2008, fl. and fr., Menini Neto 521 & Clemente ( RB) ; Monte Verde , 10 August 2010, fr., Menini Neto 521 & Clemente ( RB). RIO DE JANEIRO: Nova Friburgo: Morro da Cruz, June 1936, fl., Gomes s.n. ( RB 29801 ) ; Macaé de Cima , 6 May 2007, fl., Fraga 1810 et al. ( RB), Córrego D’Antas: Duas Pedras, 12 May 2019, fl., Wängler 2542 & Ferreira ( RB) ; Paty do Alferes : Alto da Boa Vista, 7 June 2008, fl., Menini Neto 522 & Baltar ( RB) ; idem, 17 May 2015, fl., Wängler 1642 & Ferreira ( RB). Petrópolis : Araras, 22°25’50” S, 43°14’41”W, 26 August 2016, fl., Wängler 1806 & Arruda ( RB) ; Corrêas : Pedra do Cone, 10 May 2019, fl., Wängler et al. 2501 ( RB), Malta, 8 November 1968, fl., Braga 1358 ( RB) ; Morro da Pedra do Oratório , 25 September 1982, fr., Martinelli 8751 ( RB) ; idem, 26 August 2016, fl,, Wängler 1806 & Araújo ( RB) ; A. P. A. Petrópolis , Serra de Santa Catarina, Morro da Pedreira, 17 June 2006, fl., Moraes & Bevenuto 147 ( RB) ; idem, 10 May 2019, fl., Wängler 2494 & Ferreira ( RB) ; Alto das Perobas, 10 April 2006, fl., Martinelli 16080- A et al. ( RB) ; Vale das Videiras, 5 May 2007, fl., Menini Neto 401 & Baltar ( RB) ; Rio de Janeiro , Corcovado, 1935, fl., Carriz, s.n. ( RB 325513 ) ; Pico da Tijuca , 6 March 2019, fl., Wängler 2481 ( RB), idem, 6 March 2019, fl., Wängler 248 2 ( RB) ; idem, 6 March 2019, fl. and fr., Wängler 248 3 ( RB) ; S.l.: cultivated in Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro , s.d., s.c., fl., ( RB 426398 ) ; Sapucaia , Pedra das Flores, 11 May 2019, fl., Wängler 2525 & Ferreira ( RB) .

Distribution, habitat and phenology: The species occurs in the state of Minas Gerais, in the municipality of Juiz de Fora, and Rio de Janeiro State in the municipalities of Nova Friburgo, Paty do Alferes, Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro and Sapucaia ( Figure 1 ). It occurs only in inselbergs usually on the drier northern face of the rock outcrop, at altitudes varying from 500 to 1,200 m elevation, in the Atlantic Forest biome, and frequently as epiphytes on plants of Vellozia spp. Flowering and fruiting simultaneously from March to August.

Conservation status: Pseudolaelia corcovadensis is not included in the list of threatened species of the Flora of Brazil ( Martinelli & Moraes 2013), but it has been recognized as EN in the threatened flora of Minas Gerais state ( Biodiversitas 2007) and more recently as EN (B1ab(iii)B2a) by Menini-Neto (2013). In a single population near Petrópolis (Pedra do Oratório) a total size of 300,000 individuals has been estimated (Wängler in prep.) whereas in the other localities where the species has been recorded the census varied between 1 to 120 individuals per population. We found that the population in Minas Gerais is almost extinct, since only about five individuals remain as a result of mining activity. Burning and urban development are other constant threats to this species. Only in the municipalities of Petrópolis and Rio de Janeiro the species occurs in conservation areas: one state area, the Reserva Biológica de Araras, and three federal areas, the Área de Proteção Ambiental de Petrópolis, the Parque Nacional da Serra dos Órgãos and the Parque Nacional da Tijuca.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Distribution of Pseudolaelia corcovadensis in the state of Rio de Janeiro, municipalities of Rio de Janeiro (1), Paty do Alferes (2), Petrópolis (3), Nova Friburgo (4) Sapucaia (5); and in the state of Minas Gerais, municipality of Juíz de Fora (6).