Abstract
Orchids of the genus Stanhopea are currently identified only by their floral structure characteristics. A statistical analysis of a sig- nificant number of species of this genus disclosed that measurements of adaxial and abaxial epidermal cell surface areas can be correlated with spe- cific recognized species by a leaf printing method. This allows an objective- ly either positive or nearly positive confirmation of the identity of a species in the absence of flowers and without damage to plants. When ordering the mean values obtained for these surface areas in each species in a decreas- ing order, a correlation was observed in a hierarchical way that went from primitive to more advanced floral forms. This reflects the evolutionary radi- ation of the genus. It is established that in Stanhopea, the presence of large leaf epidermal cells on species from South America represents a primitive evolutionary condition that became to smaller cells in evolutionarily more recent individuals as the genus radiated towards Mexico.
Highlights
The collection, pressing and drying of plant samples, which are analyzed for its classification and taxonomical identification, has been the classical botanical protocol to investigate and describe the flora of a particular region
It is established that in Stanhopea, the presence of large leaf epidermal cells on species from South America represents a primitive evolutionary condition that became to smaller cells in evolutionarily more recent individuals as the genus radiated towards Mexico
If any plant sample could not be recognized as a known species, it was considered as a new species
Summary
The collection, pressing and drying of plant samples, which are analyzed for its classification and taxonomical identification, has been the classical botanical protocol to investigate and describe the flora of a particular region. Classical taxonomy stresses the need of selecting and describing a “type” from a plant population, which is deposited in a recognized herbarium, to validly describe a new species. This information might be published in a high impact factor scientific Journal. Most new orchid species have been described by foreign botanists residing in remote localities from the plant’s native area. They have mostly worked with floral specimens either dried or pressed or preserved in alcohol or some other fixative solution. Thousands of them were taken out from their habitats and either died in transit or during the establishment phase because of improper transporting and/or ignorance of their cultivation requirements
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