Redalyc.BIOSYSTEMATIC STUDIES in the BRAZILIAN ENDEMIC
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Lankesteriana International Journal on Orchidology ISSN: 1409-3871 [email protected] Universidad de Costa Rica Costa Rica FRANCO VEROLA, CHRISTIANO; SEMIR, JOÃO; ANTONELLI, ALEXANDRE; KOCH, INGRID BIOSYSTEMATIC STUDIES IN THE BRAZILIAN ENDEMIC GENUS HOFFMANNSEGGELLA H. G. JONES (ORCHIDACEAE:LAELIINAE): A MULTIPLE APPROACH APPLIED TO CONSERVATION Lankesteriana International Journal on Orchidology, vol. 7, núm. 1-2, marzo, 2007, pp. 419-422 Universidad de Costa Rica Cartago, Costa Rica Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=44339813085 How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Journal's homepage in redalyc.org Non-profit academic project, developed under the open access initiative LANKESTERIANA 7(1-2): 419-422. 2007. BIOSYSTEMATIC STUDIES IN THE BRAZILIAN ENDEMIC GENUS HOFFMANNSEGGELLA H. G. JONES (ORCHIDACEAE:LAELIINAE): A MULTIPLE APPROACH APPLIED TO CONSERVATION 1,5 2 3 CHRISTIANO FRANCO VEROLA , JOÃO SEMIR , ALEXANDRE ANTONELLI 4 & INGRID KOCH 1 Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia, Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia, Campinas, São Paulo, Caixa Postal 6109, CEP 13083-970, Brazil. 2 Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia, Departamento de Botânica, Campinas, São Paulo, Caixa Postal 6109, CEP 13083-970, Brazil. 3 Göteborg University, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Göteborg, P.O.Box 461 SE-405 30, Sweden. 4 Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Av. Darci Carvalho Dafferner, 200, Sorocaba, São Paulo, CEP 18043-970, Brazil. 5 Author for correspondence: [email protected] KEY WORDS: Biosystematics, Hoffmannseggella, Laeliinae, endemic species, Campos Rupestres Vegetation, Conservation Introduction oration and morphology, and the occurrence of natural In recent molecular studies, the orchid genus Laelia hybrids (Blumenschein 1960a, 1960b, Brieger 1960, Lindl. was segregated in two main groups: Laelia (a Barros 1990). This study aims at investigating the ecol- Mexican/Central American group), and Sophronitis ogy and evolution of Hoffmannseggella, in order to pro- Lindl. (a South American group) (van den Berg et al. vide the grounds for a more natural classification of the 2000, van den Berg & Chase 2000). Later, other studies genus, and increase the knowledge necessary for the argued the legitimacy of this classification, suggesting management and conservation of its species. the segregation of the South American group Material and methods (Sophronitis sensu van den Berg et al. 2000) in four genera: Hadrolaelia (Schltr.) Chiron & V.P. Castro, A multidisciplinary survey with emphasis on floral Hoffmannseggella H.G. Jones, Dungsia Chiron & biology, breeding systems, pollination ecology, phy- V.P.Castro, and Microlaelia (Schltr) Chiron & logeny, biogeography, and divergence times of 13 V.P.Castro (Chiron & Castro 2002). species of Hoffmannseggella is being conducted Hoffmannseggella is one of the most ornamental based on a varying number of populations. genus of subtribus Laeliinae and has been shown to be monophyletic (van den Berg et al. 2000). It comprises Results and discussion exclusively rupicolous species and has a scattered dis- The majority of Hoffmannseggella species in this tribution confined to the High Altitude Rocky study does not normally produce nectar or floral odors, Complexes (Brazilian Campos Rupestres and Campos but this can vary among populations with fewer than de Altitude) (Semir 1991, but see discussion in Benites 0.05% of the individuals in some populations with nec- 2003) of Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo, tar and/or floral odor production). Generally, each and Bahia states. Chiron & Castro (2002) recognized 32 flower lasts seven days on average and the anthesis is species in the genus, but the number has now increased sequential racemose with about 3-7 available flowers to 42 (Castro & Chiron 2003, Chiron & Castro 2005, at the same time. The species recorded so far are polli- Lacerda & Castro 2005, Miranda & Lacerda 2003, nated by small and inconstant Hymenoptera (belonging Mota et al. 2003, Campacci 2005, Miranda 2005, predominantly to families Apidae or Halichitidae), Verola & Semir in press). Species delimitation is prob- through deceit mechanisms. Bee pollination in lematic, due to a great polymorphism in floral col- Hoffmannseggella contradicts previous suggestions RD 420 3 IOCC PROCEEDINGS (Brieger 1960a, Dressler 1981) which attribute a viability than in cross-pollination experiments. This ornithophilous (in this case hummingbird) syndrome to corroborates the hybridization hypothesis proposed by these plants, but is in accordance with general trends in Blumenschein (1960a, 1960b) and Brieger (1960). Laeliinae, where about 60% of species are pollinated Hybridization between synchronopatric species, poly- by Hymenoptera (van der Pijl & Dodson 1966). The ploidy (Blumenschein 1960a, 1960b, Brieger 1960, pollination by small bees in Hoffmannseggella can be Barros 1990), and disploidy (see Costa 2006 for a dis- interpreted as an evolutionary innovation in the sub- cussion on the same species and populations included tribe, whereas pollination by large bees represents a in this work) seem to be the main mechanisms trigger- plesiomorphic condition (Borba & Braga 2003, Smidt ing radiation in the genus. et al. 2006). This shift in pollinator type, accompanied Estimates of divergence times in Hoffmannseggella, by reduction in floral size and change in coloration pat- based on molecular sequence variation, indicate a terns, was suggested to have occurred in response to recent diversification event. The crown age of the genus the colonization of a new habitat, the Campos is placed in the Latest Miocene, and the short ages of Rupestres (Blumeschein 1960a, Brieger 1960, 1961, several species imply that speciation is still occurring at 1966). Pollinators generally visit a single flower per a high rate (Verola et al. unpubl. data). A high specia- inflorescence and the pollination mechanism observed tion rate seems correlated with the climate oscillation fits the “gullet type” described by Dressler (1981). that characterized the Pliocene and Pleistocene, causing Visits are sporadic and diurnal, and although they may the expansion and retraction of open vegetation types occur at any time they seem more frequent during (Ledru 2002, Safford 1999). These events promoted warmer periods. Despite population isolation and polli- high allopatric speciation by vicariance during wet peri- nator scarcity, many species developed (or retained) ods, when populations became isolated in the few spontaneous self-pollination mechanisms (Luer 1971, patches of open vegetation confined to mountain tops. Cattling 1987, Knuth & Loew 1906) as a way to guar- As climate became drier, the expansion of open habitats antee sexual reproduction in adverse situations (Catling and establishment of migratory corridors promoted con- 1990). The proportion of individuals with these mecha- tact between previously isolated species and thus facili- nisms vary, with the highest number being found in tated sympatric speciation (mainly hybridization and small and isolated populations. polyploidy) (Verola et al. unpubl. data). A similar spe- None of the species studied produced fruits through ciation mechanism has been proposed by other authors, agamospermy, and fructification rate was generally such as Alves & Kolbek (1994), Pirani et al. (1994), low. A low rate of fruit formation has been observed and Semir (1991). in other deceptive orchids (Montalvo & Ackerman Threats and conservation status 1987, Ackerman 1989, Zimerman & Aide 1989) and can be an adaptation to limited resources (Schemske Similarly to many other plant groups occurring in 1980, Montalvo & Ackerman 1987, Zimerman & the Brazilian campos rupestres (Giullieti et al. 2005), Aide 1989). In these latter studies, species’ survivor the current status of conservation of the species in could only be assured by fruit formation with a high Hoffmannseggella is precarious. The majority of its number of seeds (Dressler 1981, 1993). species seem to be endangered, as they grow outside Breeding systems were observed to vary from self- protected areas and are thus subjected to grazing, incompatibility to self-compatibility, depending on the fires, illegal collecting, and habitat destruction. As species and population. Fructification and seed viabili- many as 47% of the species are micro-endemic (with ty can vary considerably among populations of the only one natural population known), and some are same species. Grant (1975) and Lloyd (1979) pointed known only from the type collection. out that a great number of species can show mixed The highest species diversity is found in the state of breeding systems, from exclusive selfing to outcross- Minas Gerais, in the proximities of Belo Horizonte city. ing, including variations of those systems (Barrett et al. The area is densely populated and comprises a large 2000, Lande & Schemscke 1985, Schemscke & Lande number of ore prospection fields. Considering the isola- 1985). High seed viability was observed in interspecif- tion of the area, its high level of endemicity, and poor ic crossings, sometimes reaching even higher levels of availability of pollinators, coupled with the great anthro- LANKESTERIANA 7(1-2), marzo 2007. © Universidad de Costa Rica, 2007. VEROLA et al.- Hoffmannseggella conservation