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| Porroglossum hildeae M.F.Monteros, E.Restrepo & Baquero, in Monteros, Restrepo, Iturralde, Jiménez et Baquero. 2025. Photos by M.F. Monteros & Jaime Culebras |
Abstract
A new species of Porroglossum (Orchidaceae) is described and illustrated from the cloud forests of northwestern Ecuador. Porroglossum hildeae sp. 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.
Key words: Conservation, Cordillera del Toisán, epiphyte, Intag Valley, IUCN Red List, Río Manduriacu Reserve
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| Composite plate of Porroglossum hildeae M.F.Monteros, E.Restrepo & Baquero. A. Plant; B. Frontal view of dissected perianth (holotype: flower preserved in alcohol); C. Frontal view of flower (holotype); D. Lateral view of flower; E. Petals (holotype); F. Anther cap, and pollinarium; G1. Lip frontal view (paratype); G2. Lip ¾ view (paratype); G3. Lip lateral view (paratype) H. Ovary and column and column foot. Photographs by M. F. Monteros from holotype (Monteros 212, QCNE) and paratype (Monteros 312, QCNE). |
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| A. Porroglossum hildeae M.F.Monteros, E.Restrepo & Baquero growing in situ as an epiphyte on mossy branches in the Río Manduriacu Reserve; B. Cloud forest habitat of P. hildeae; C. Aerial view of the Río Manduriacu Reserve and landscape of the Cordillera del Toisán. Photos by M.F. Monteros (A, B); Jaime Culebras (C). |
Porroglossum hildeae M.F.Monteros, E.Restrepo & Baquero, sp. nov.
Diagnosis. Most similar to P. josei Luer but distinguished by the longer, narrowly obovate leaves 8.0–9.0 cm long (vs. shorter, elliptical, 4.5 cm long), tail length of the dorsal sepal 6 mm long (vs. 1.5 mm long), longer lateral sepaline tails 19–20 mm long (vs. ca. 14 mm), petals oblong-ovate with one acute angle near the middle of the upper margin (vs. ovate with two acute angles below the middle), obtrullate blade of the lip with an attenuate base (vs. obovate) and apex of the lip acute (vs. obtuse and abruptly acuminate).
Eponymy. The specific epithet is a noun in the genitive case, honoring Hildegarden Toeppfer de Kohn (1912–2006), a Czech refugee who settled in Ecuador in 1945. A devoted admirer of nature, particularly orchids, she inspired in her children and grandchildren a deep appreciation for the natural world. This legacy ultimately led them to establish the Río Manduriacu Reserve, the site where this species was discovered.
Marco F. Monteros, Eugenio Restrepo, Gabriel A. Iturralde, Marco M. Jiménez and Luis E. Baquero. 2025. Porroglossum hildeae sp. nov. (Orchidaceae), A New Species from the threatened cloud forests of northwestern Ecuador. PhytoKeys. 263: 151-164. DOI: doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.263.159826
