|
  
|
||||
 You
Might
Also Like    
  |
Published on
Monday, August 4, 2025
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Researchers at the Lankester
Botanical Garden of the University
of Costa Rica have identified three new
orchid species in the country’s highland
cloud forests, all belonging to the Pleurothallis
genus within the Orchidaceae
family.
The discovery
highlights Costa Rica’s rich
biodiversity and the scientific
potential of its largely unexplored
Talamanca range.
The newly
described species (Pleurothallis
matrisilvae, Pleurothallis
pridgeoniana, and Pleurothallis
winkeliana) were found at elevations
ranging from 1,400 to 2,550 meters, in
dense, mossy, humid environments
characteristic of the country’s
southeastern mountain forests.
All three species exhibit prolific vegetative growth, a trait common in the Pleurothallidinae subtribe. According to the research team, proliferation occurs when a vegetative bud develops from the axil of a bract within the floral meristem, often resulting in a new ramicaul (stem) emerging from the apex of an older one. Over time, these growths naturally separate from the parent plant.
The
Pleurothallis
m. is
noted
for its prolific growth
habit, slender stems,
and typically 1–2 open
flowers. It features
long floral segments,
lanceolate petals, and
distinctive black flecks
on the pedicel, ovary,
and outer sepals. While
the Pleurothallis
p.
is a smaller species
with compact stems and
yellow flowers tinged
with rose to purple hues.
It
has a triangular-ovate
lip with glandular
margins and lacks a
central groove (sulcus). And
the Pleurothallis
w.
occasionally exhibits
prolific growth and
forms clumps of stems.
It is
characterized
by broad, heart-shaped
leaves with overlapping
basal lobes, smaller
flowers, and a pendant
lip that extends
perpendicular to the
floral column. “The
description of the three
new Pleurothallis
brings the total for the
genus in Costa Rica to
67 species and four
natural hybrids,” the
researchers wrote in
their report. Costa
Rica is home to several
species complexes within
Pleurothallis,
many of which are still
undergoing
classification. Despite
recent advances,
numerous species remain
undescribed,
particularly in the
biologically rich yet
underexplored Talamanca
Mountains, which span
parts of central and
southern Costa Rica. In
2023, Costa Rican
botanists, working
with researchers from
Germany, Ecuador, and
Peru, also
rediscovered a
long-lost group of
plants from the Nasa
genus in the remote
Andean tropics.
These plants had not been
documented
in scientific literature
for over a century.
---------------- How could the discovery of new orchid species help advance biodiversity conservation efforts in Costa Rica and beyond? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com
Real Estate For Sale 
  Real Estate
for Rent
  |
|||
|