Lepanthes cordillerana (Orchidaceae) a new species and the landscape threats to its wild populations

Abstract

Extensive fieldwork carried out on the Andean forests of Colombia resulted in the discovery of Lepanthes cordillerana, described here as a novel taxon. The new species is most similar to Lepanthes teres from Ecuador, from which it can be easily distinguished by the ciliated margins of the leaf, the oblong-acute lower lobe of the petals and the capitate, cuneate basally, apically caved, villose appendix. Despite its wide distribution across the three Colombian mountain ranges, a landscape analysis shows that 50% of the recorded wild populations of the endemic Lepanthes cordillerana are under threat of habitat loss and landscape fragmentation. Conservation efforts should be directed to reduce landscape scale threats to their populations.

Blossoming Legacies: Eight New Lepanthes (Orchidaceae: Pleurothallidinae) Species from Los Farallones de Cali National Park Named in Honor of Colombian Women

“…In 2020, a new study recorded 430 orchid species for Los Farallones National Park, representing 10% of the country's species (Galindo-Tarazona et al, 2020). Given its vast expanse, making it one of the largest parks in Colombia, and with much of its forests yet to be explored, new orchid species are uncovered annually (Galindo-Tarazona et al, 2021; Baquero et al, 2021; Wilson et al, 2022; Parra-Sánchez et al, 2023; Moreno et al, 2023).…”