Catasetinae: ORCHIDS OF RIO GRANDE DO SUL (BRAZIL)

Bipinnula canisii

The January issue of American Orchid Society’s Orchids publishes an article Orchids of Peru – A selection of unusual species. The article inspired me to translate and post on my blog a two part article from the July-August-September and October-November-December issues of the excellent journal of the Orchid Society of Rio de Janeiro Orquidário about the orchids of the southern-most state of Brazil Rio Grande do Sul. Rio Grande do Sul is outside the tropics, in the north of the southern temperate zone and so the conditions for its flora matches well with the southeastern United States. I asked permission from the co-authors Jacques Klein and Luiz Filipe Klein Varella to post the original articles and to translate into English their excellent articles and post them on my blog. Many of these species are not known to US orchid lovers. So with their permission I am in the process of translating the articles to English. I have so far translated part 1 and it has been approved by the authors and is post after this note. When Part II is completed it will be added. The originals are posted below the translations. I can’t resist posting at this point the cover of Orquidário which contains the second part of the article. This species Bipinnula canisii is so striking, I thought I have to post it first. You should know that the adjective that describes the people and anything from Rio Grande de Sul is the Portuguese term “gaúcho” which is the equivalent of “gaucho” in Spanish but the letters “a” and “u” which are a dipthong in Spanish are pronounced separately in Portuguese. These are the Brazilo-Argentine equivalent of our cowboys. So the title might informally be “Gaúchas Orchids” - Cowboy Orchids. Also please note that the postal abbreviation for the State of Rio Grande do Sul is RS, as we use FL for Florida, and is used in the text and everyday Brazilian usage.

ORCHIDS OF RIO GRANDE DO SUL

Jacques Klein (jklein@terra.com.br) & Luiz Filipe Klein Varella (lvarella@via-rs.net)

in Orquidário volume 25, n⁰ 3 & n⁰ 4 2011

Translated with permission of the authors by George Carr (cycnoches@verizon.net)

Abstract: Orchids of Rio Grande do Sul State, part I. Around 400 orchid species grow in the different habitats of Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. The majority of the species are epiphytes but the number of terrestrial orchids is high and corresponds to one third of the total species. Their highest concentration occurs in the eastern part of the state, in the remaining areas of the coastal plain of the Atlantic Rainforest, and in the ombrophylous mixed forest, in the mountainous region. The project “Orquídeas Gaúchas”, in progress, aims to make available through the internet information about the orchids of the state.

Key words: Rio Grande do Sul, epiphytic orchids, terrestrial orchids.
(NOTE: PHOTOGRAPHS UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED ARE BY L.F. VARELLA)
_______________________________________________________________________________

“Seen from a high altitude, Rio Grande appears as a rural area, interlaced and intercut by galleries of vegetation in which are visible clearly, two sections: The southern, low, predominately flat countryside; the northern divided between forested and flat country. In the southern section, there are three divisions: The riverine and coastal, the plain and the Southeast Sierra. In the northern section there is a slow slope toward the west. Along the River Uruguay, small plateaux are scattered about the plain.”

In this manner, Father Balduíno Rambo summarizes the two distinct areas of Rio Grande do Sul, southern-most state of Brazil, in his classic book “A fisionomia do Rio Grande do Sul” (The physical aspect of Rio Grande do Sul) – but there has been a phenomenal amount of urbanization since 1942. Over 5000 species of plant life are present, orchids representing slightly less than 10% of this sum. Today there are about 400 species of orchids known in RS in approximately 110-120 genera, a number that has increased in recent years with the publication of new descriptions and combinations. Of these, about one-third of the plants are terrestrial and rupicolous while the remaining two-thirds are epiphytes usually growing on tree trunks and branches. Although the presence of orchids has been verified throughout Rio Grande do Sul, the main concentration is in the eastern part of the state, and in a line parallel to the coast, principally distributed in the remnant areas of the Atlantic rainforest and thus in a hilly area, in the so called mixed shade-loving forest.

Although known for the presence of orchids of unequaled commercial value – Cattleya intermedia, Cattleya tigrina, Brassavola tuberculata, Brasilaelia purpurata and various species of Oncidiinae and Maxillariinae (Figs. 1-5), Rio Grande do Sul still provides the alert orchid hobbyist or researcher a huge number of micro-orchids and terrestrial orchids. In particular, the orchid flora of the Atlantic Rainforest and the mixed shade-loving forest (the Araucaria forest) which we have analyzed more frequently in the first stage of our research, is responsible for the major portion of these species.

Fig 1. Cattleya intermedia growing epiphytically, exposed
to high light, on the coastal plain

Fig. 2. Cattleya intermedia, showing the flowers of this
extremely valuable commercial species.

Fig. 4. Baptistonia riograndense, species found in the
center of RS. (photo by J. Klein)

Fig. 5. Brasilidium ottonis, Oncidiinae typical of the
higher elevations (photo J. Klein)

Fig. 6. Acianthera glumacea, still found in the squares
and streets of Porto Alegre.

Although seriously deforested in recent decades, the forest areas of the northeast of the state still provide a large number of micro-orchids, for example species of the genera of the sub-tribes Pleurothallidinae (Acianthera, Anathallis, Barbosella, Octomeria, Pleurothallis, Stelis and others) (Figs. 6-9).

Fig. 7. Barbosella dusenii, one of the small
orchids of Rio Grande do Sul

Fig. 10. Leptotes bicolor, typical species
of the Mata Atlantica

The largest number of species of these genera grows on the lower parts of trees, thus assuring survival under sufficient humidity provided by the subtropical forest. However, the species of the genera belonging to the sub-tribes Oncidiinae, Laeliinae and Maxillariinae with a few exceptions grow on higher branches, seeking more light (Figs. 10-13).

Fig. 11. Alatiglossum chrysopheranthum, often found
in the bushes around the Eastern coastal lagoons of RS,
as often in shade as in full light.

Fig. 12. Alatiglossum chrysophtheranthum & Alatiglossum
micropogon, formerly in the genus Oncidium, the two species
share the same habitats and flower at the same time. In practice
impossible to tell them apart from their vegetative growth which
is identical.

Fig. 13. Vanilla edwalii, creeping vine which can extend several
meters.

Fig. 14. Govenia utriculata, terrestrial species found in
shady areas. (photo J. Klein)

Terrestrial species, for their part, may be divided in two basic categories: those that grow in the interior of the forests (plants generally more sensitive and which grow in shade, for example, species of Malaxis, Corymborkis, Govenia, Pelexia, and Liparis (Figs. 14-16),

Fig. 16. Chloraea membranacea, terrestrial which grows in
shady locations, close to running water. (photo J. Klein)

and the terrestrial or rupicolous orchids of the plain which need more light, found only in very well drained and dry areas, species such as Sacoila lanceolata, Epidendrum fulgens, Eulophia alta and Epidendrum secundum (Fig. 17-19)

Fig. 17. Epidendrum fulgens, terrestrial of
well-drained plains which grows in full sun
found in a great variety of colors.

Fig. 18. Cyanaeorchis arundinae,
terrestrial species of open and humid
areas, found from swamps of
the costal plains to the hill tops.
(photo J. Klein)

Fig. 19. Veyretia hassleri, scarce terrestrial
found in open and poorly-drained areas.

Fig. 20. Habenaria johannensis, one of the many
species of Habenaria found in the south of Brazil,
growing in flooded swamps.

or growing in wet marshes or swamps such as the innumerable members of the genus Habenaria (Fig.20).

There are a number of works from Rudolf Schlecter (who published his Orchideenflora Von Rio Grande do Sul in 1925) to those that follow the works of Father Balduíno Rambo (Orchidaceae riograndensis, 1965, listing 185 species of the Orchidaceae for the state) and the innumerable studies of Guido Pabst, followed by a growing series of valuable academic studies published in recent years. We understand, however, that the subject of orchids of Rio Grande do Sul still lacks material available to the lay public. It is with the objective of covering these species with photographic records and the main data, that in 2009 we began the project Orquídeas Gaúchas, though the website http://www.orquideasgauchas.net/ and a future book Orquídeas Gaúchas still in preparation. On the website, the primary goal is photographic coverage of the species through records of the habitat and studies of the genera, species, synonyms, short descriptions and notes on the locations of the plants. The Internet is an extremely useful tool facilitating the classification of the orchid family with the difficulties caused by the constant updating of nomenclature these days based on the importance of phylogenetics and botanical classification. So our website is constantly being changed and still has not attained its final form. Meanwhile, study the photographic material already provided of more than half of the species which will be covered.

___________________________________________________________________