What are the species of phorophytes of Vanilla palmarum (Orchidaceae) in Brazil? An assessment of emblematic specificity with palm tree species

Felipe Fajardo Villela Antolin Barberena,Bianca De Souza Ambrosio-Moreira,Nádia Roque,Tainan Da Silva Sousa

doi:10.1590/2175-7860201970037

Abstract

Abstract Vanilla palmarum is an obligately epiphytic orchid distributed widely throughout South America with emblematic specificity for species of palms. This epiphyte-phorophyte association was examined through the analysis of specimens available via the database of Centro de Referência em Informação Ambiental and from Brazilian herbaria. We recognized nine species as hosts of V. palmarum in Brazil: Acrocomia aculeata, Attalea phalerata, Attalea speciosa, Elaeis guineensis, Mauritia flexuosa, Syagrus cearensis, S. coronata, S. schizophylla, and S. vagans. The most important phorophytes of V. palmarum were found to be A. speciosa (Cerrado), A. phalerata (Pantanal), M. flexuosa (Amazon Forest) and S. coronata (Caatinga). Future management actions must consider the association between V. palmarum and its phorophyte palm species in order to ensure the protection of this ecological interaction.

Highlights

Vanilla palmarum is an obligately epiphytic orchid distributed widely throughout South America with emblematic specificity for species of palms
Nós reconhecemos nove espécies hospedeiras de V. palmarum no Brasil: Acrocomia aculeata, Attalea phalerata, Attalea speciosa, Elaeis guineensis, Mauritia flexuosa, Syagrus cearensis, S. coronata, S. schizophylla e S. vagans
We provided a list of phorophyte species associated with V. palmarum and briefly discussed future implications for the maintenance of this epiphyte-phorophyte interaction

Summary

Introduction

Vanilla palmarum is an obligately epiphytic orchid distributed widely throughout South America with emblematic specificity for species of palms. Nós reconhecemos nove espécies hospedeiras de V. palmarum no Brasil: Acrocomia aculeata, Attalea phalerata, Attalea speciosa, Elaeis guineensis, Mauritia flexuosa, Syagrus cearensis, S. coronata, S. schizophylla e S. vagans. In Brazil, the species occurs in the Amazon Forest, Atlantic Forest, Caatinga and Cerrado phytogeographic domains (Freitas et al 2011; BFG 2015).

Results

Conclusion