First natural report of Pabstiella teschiana Chiron & Xim.Bols. (Orchidaceae) from the Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest: notes on morphology, ecology and conservation

Abstract

The state of Espirito Santo holds an incredible diversity of Pabstiella species in Brazil, but many of them are poorly known. During field expeditions in private properties representing a fragment of Atlantic Rainforest in Santa Teresa municipality, we found a population of Pabstiella teschiana, a species only known from its type. The population was observed during one year to provide phenological and ecological data. Here we report this first record of the species in nature with details on its morphology, ecology and conservation. As our main contribution, we found some differences in both vegetative and reproductive structures in relation to the protologue and first described the fruits and seeds of the species. We also provide a brief discussion on the species conservation, emphasizing the potential role of the protected areas near the study area as suitable sites to the species occurrence.