Cyrtopodium kleinii J.A.N.Bat. & Bianch.(2005: 75)

Batista, João A. N., González, Andrés & Cruz-Lustre, Gabriela, 2023, A new overlooked species and a new record of Cyrtopodium (Cymbidieae, Orchidaceae) from Uruguay, Phytotaxa 613 (2), pp. 127-139 : 136-137

3. Cyrtopodium kleinii J.A.N.Bat. & Bianch.(2005: 75) .

Type: — BRAZIL. Santa Catarina: Lages , 3 Nov 2003 (fl.), J.A.N. Batista 1443 (holotype: CEN 60718 !; isotypes: AMES 00351970 !, BHCB 134823 !, SP 442214 !).

Distribution and ecology: —We report here the first record of Cyrtopodium kleinii for Uruguay, where it was found in the same locality and habitat as C. izaguirreae , growing together with it. The species is locally very rare and only two plants have been observed. Cyrtopodium kleinii is a rare taxon throughout its distribution and was until now known only from the states of Paraná and Santa Catarina in Brazil ( Batista and Bianchetti 2005). The collection for Uruguay as far as we have been able to determine is the first after the species was described in 2005. So far the species is known from only four collections. The record for Uruguay is from the department of Rivera, about 50 km from the border with the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, and it is likely that the species also occurs in this state, located between the state of Santa Catarina and Uruguay ( Figure 3 ).

Conservation Assessment: — Cyrtopodium kleinii is known from three localities and shows a small AOO estimated at 12 km 2 and EOO of 72,896 km 2. None of the three known populations is in a protected area and the population from Rio Guavirova, Paraná, is known from a single record made 54 years ago and may no longer exist. The two most recently recorded populations are small and comprise only a few individuals. The conversion of native vegetation into agricultural land or reforestation with eucalyptus and pines, and overgrazing by livestock are apparently the main threats to the species. Based on the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria, and its guidelines ( IUCN 2012, 2016), the species can be tentatively classified as Endangered (EN) [B2ab(iii); D].

Additional specimens examined:— BRAZIL. Paraná: Ponta Grossa, Rio Guavirova, 7 Oct 1969 (fl.), G. Hatschbach 22320 (MBM!). Santa Catarina: Lages, Morro do Pinheiro Seco, 950 m, 1 Nov 1963 (fl.), R.M. Klein 4488 (HBR!). URUGUAY. Rivera: Ladera superior norte, 22 Oct 2017 (fl.), A. González & J.L. Antúnez s.n. (MHNH 23503!).

Taxonomic discussion: — Cyrtopodium kleinii , C. izaguirreae , C. dusenii Schlechter (1920: 334) , C. linearifolium Batista & Bianchetti (2001: 226) and C. brunneum have in common small pseudobulbs, buried in the soil, and small flowers with a predominant yellow and/or brownish colour ( Batista and Bianchetti 2005), except C. izaguirreae which has predominantly pink flowers. Of these, the one that seems closest to C. kleinii is C. izaguirreae because of the similar vegetative morphology and southern geographical distribution. Based only on morphological characters it has not yet been possible to establish relationships both between these species and between the species of the genus as a whole and a phylogenetic analysis of Cyrtopodium is still lacking.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Distribution map of Cyrtopodium brandonianum, C. izaguirreae, C. kleinii, C. lageanum, and C. pallidum based on the ecoregions of Olson et al. (2001), following the modified map by Turchetto-Zolet et al. (2013). Abbreviations for Brazilian states: BA, Bahia; DF, Distrito Federal; GO, Goiás; MG, Minas Gerais; MT, Mato Grosso; PR, Paraná; RS, Rio Grande do Sul; SC, Santa Catarina; SE, Sergipe; SP, S„o Paulo.