Porroglossum hildeae sp. nov. (Orchidaceae), a new species from the threatened cloud forests of northwestern Ecuador

By

Monteros, Marco
Restrepo, Eugenio
Iturralde, Gabriel
Jiménez, Marco
Baquero, Luis

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2025-9-24

Original Publication

PhytoKeys

Volume

263

Pages

151--164

Subjects

Conservation , Cordillera del Toisán , Epiphyte , Intag Valley , IUCN Red List , Río Manduriacu Reserve

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers [2010]-

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.263.159826

 

Abstract

A new species of Porroglossum (Orchidaceae) is described and illustrated from the cloud forests of northwestern Ecuador. Porroglossum hildeaesp. nov. is morphologically similar to P. josei Luer, but can be distinguished by several features: it has narrowly obovate leaves reaching up to 9 cm in length (vs. elliptical, 4.5 cm), a longer dorsal sepaline tail measuring 6 mm (vs. 1.5 mm), oblong-ovate petals with one acute angle at the upper margin (vs. ovate with the upper and lower margins acutely angled below the middle), and the lip obtrullate, attenuate at the base, and acute at the apex (vs. obovate with the apex obtuse and abruptly acuminate). It grows epiphytically at approximately 1,600 m elevation in a cloud forest ecosystem that is increasingly threatened by deforestation, land-use change, and mining activities. Due to its restricted distribution and the ongoing degradation of its habitat, we recommend classifying it as Critically Endangered according to IUCN Red List criteria.