Sarcoglottis woodsonii (Orchidaceae: Spiranthinae)—rediscovered in Costa Rica after 80 years, with a preliminary survey on aquatic and other wetland orchids
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2024-06-30
Tipo
artículo original
Autores
Acuña Castillo, Rafael
Blanco Coto, Mario Alberto
Artavia Solís, Miguel
Jiménez Vargas, José Esteban
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Orchidaceae, a highly diverse family of angiosperms, exhibits remarkable ecological and morphological adaptations, with most
of its species being epiphytic or terrestrial. Nonetheless, their occurrence in aquatic and wetland habitats in the tropics is relatively
uncommon, with only a few species adapted to these environments. Consequently, our current understanding of orchids inhabiting
wetland ecosystems is limited. This research focuses on Sarcoglottis woodsonii, an aquatic orchid species exclusively found in palustrine
wetlands of southern Central America. Previously considered endemic to western Panama, our recent collections (the first since 1940)
extend its known distribution to include southern Costa Rica. We provide an updated description, a modern illustration, a conservation
assessment based on IUCN criteria, and novel ecological data that shed light on its aquatic habit. With this recent discovery, the number
of known Sarcoglottis species in Costa Rica stands at six. We provide a preliminary survey of reported wetland and aquatic orchid
species from the Neotropics and give novel definitions for both wetland and aquatic plants. We also present an inventory of the vascular
plant species found in the Cañas Gordas/Valle Azul wetland in Costa Rica, where S. woodsonii occurs. This study enhances our
understanding of orchid diversity in wetland ecosystems and emphasizes