Three new orchid species endemic to Costa Rica and Panama discovered
Gaby Clark
scientific editor
Robert Egan
associate editor
Three new orchid species from the genus Pleurothallis have been discovered in the cloud forests of Costa Rica and western Panama, each utilizing an unusual method of asexual reproduction known as prolification.
Found in the cool, misty highlands of the Talamanca range at elevations between 1400 and 2550 meters, the newly discovered species, Pleurothallis matrisilvae, Pleurothallis pridgeoniana and Pleurothallis winkeliana are in the journal PhytoKeys.
Prolification is a phenomenon by which plants produce miniature plantlets directly from their flowering stems, allowing them to bypass seed production and spread through vegetative means.
While prolification is rarely a fixed feature within this group of orchids, it becomes common under stressful environmental conditions. The ability may be advantageous in the challenging conditions of cloud forests, but remains underexplored scientifically. Methods of asexual reproduction might also be important when pollinators are scarce.
The three new species, endemic to the mountains of Costa Rica and western Panama, are each uniquely adapted and exhibit prolifications in different ways, such as forming long chains or bushy growths. These adaptations helped researchers identify them as distinct species, despite their initial visual similarities with other plants.
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Prolific ramicauls in species across Pleurothallidinae A Zootrophion machaqwayi B Z. vulturiceps C Z. gracilentus D Lepanthopsis prolifera E Karma chaetoglossa F Karma sp. G Myoxanthus scandens H Dresslerella pilosissima I Trichosalpinx sp. J Trichosalpinx blaisdellii K Andinia sp. L Restrepia trichoglossa M Lepanthes sp. N Echinosepala uncinata O E. longipedunculata. Credit: Franco Pupulin -
Prolific ramicauls in species of Pleurothallis. Macrophyllae-fasciculate group A P. matrisilvae B P. phyllocardioides C P. homalantha D Pleurothallis sp. E P. winkeliana F P. palliolata G, H P. pridgeoniana. Macrophyllae-racemosae group. Ancipitae group I P. eumecocaulon I P. crocodiliceps. Pleurothallis group J P. ruscifolia K Pleurothallis cf. ruscifolia L Pleurothallis sp. M P. rowleei. Credit: Adam P. Karremans, Franco Pupulin. -
Pleurothallis matrisilvae Karremans, A habit, showing some ramicauls bearing flowers and others bearing new growths B single leaf with flower C flower D dissected perianth (dorsal sepal, two lateral petals, lateral sepals fused into a synsepal and two views of the lip) E column and lip, lateral view F column and ovary, lateral and ventral views G two views of the anther cap and pollinarium. Credit: Karremans et al. -
Pleurothallis matrisilvae Karremans, A the florally similar P. bothros B bearing a single open flower and several developing buds C epiphytic plant in its natural habitat in Madreselva on the central Talamanca range, showing the prolific growth and asexual production of new units. Credit: Adam P. Karremans -
Pleurothallis pridgeoniana Karremans, A habit showing the typical prolific vegetative growth B prolific growth featuring a single flower on a secondary ramicaul C flower D dissected perianth (dorsal sepal, two lateral petals, two lateral sepals fused into a synsepal and a view of the lip) E lip F column and lip, lateral view G column, lip and ovary, lateral view H anther cap and pollinarium. Credit: Karremans et al.
With close to 1700 species currently recorded, a third of which are not known to grow anywhere else in the world, Costa Rica is a well-known orchid biodiversity hotspot. The discovery of these orchids displays the Talamanca range's significance as a rich and largely unexplored area.
With these additions, Costa Rica now boasts 67 recognized species of Pleurothallis, though researchers believe many more await formal identification. Such abundance highlights the importance of conserving these unique ecosystems.
Thanks to Costa Rica's robust system of protected areas (SINAC), local institutions such as Lankester Botanical Garden of the University of Costa Rica are able to uncover and describe floristic novelties in an effort to study and conserve the country's unique biodiversity.
More information: Adam P. Karremans et al, Three new species of Pleurothallis (Orchidaceae) from Costa Rica and Panama, with a note on asexual reproduction by prolification in Pleurothallidinae, PhytoKeys (2025).
Journal information: PhytoKeys
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