Orchids: Botanical Jewels of the Golfo Dulce Region, CostaaRica Region, Dulce Golfo the of Jewels Botanical Orchids: Orchids Botanical Jewels of the Golfo Dulce Region, Costa Rica Imprint Publisher: Verein zur Förderung der Tropenstation La Gamba, University of Vienna, Rennweg 14, 1030 Vienna, Austria, www.lagamba.at, [email protected] Editors: D. Rakosy, M. Speckmaier, A. Weber, W. Huber, A. Weissenhofer Authors (alphabet.): C. Gegenbauer, W. Huber, F. Pupulin, D. Rakosy, M. Speckmaier, W. Wanek, A. Weber, A. Weissenhofer Illustrations: see credits p. 198 Layout: M. Ringler Language Editing: C. Dixon, A. Luck Printing: Rema-Print, Vienna Date of publication: June 2013 ISBN: 978-3-9502996-3-2 Book may be referenced as: Rakosy, D., Speckmaier, M., Weber, A., Huber, W., Weis- senhofer, A. (eds) 2013. Orchids: Botanical Jewels of the Golfo Dulce Region, Costa Rica. Verein zur Förderung der Tropenstation La Gamba. Vienna, Austria. Orchids Botanical Jewels of the Golfo Dulce Region, Costa Rica 1 Authors for affiliations see page 136 Christian Gegenbauer Werner Huber Franco Pupulin Demetra Rakosy Manfred Speckmaier Wolfgang Wanek Anton Weber Anton Weissenhofer 2 Contents The Tropical Research Station La Gamba 4 The Rainforest of the Golfo Dulce Region 6 Welcome to the Fascinating World of Golfo Dulce Orchids 8 Plant Body, Growth Patterns and Inflorescence Structure 10 of Orchids The Orchid Flower 14 Pollination Biology of Orchids 19 Fruit Structure and Seed Dispersal of Orchids 26 Orchid Diversity and Classification, with a Focus on the 28 Golfo Dulce Region, Costa Rica Orchids and Ants 34 Cultivation of Orchids in the Tropics 36 The Spice Vanilla 39 Selected Orchids of the Golfo Dulce Region 43 Glossary and Abbreviations 186 References 190 Appendix: Checklist of the Orchid Species in the Golfo 194 Dulce Region Photo Credits 198 Authors 199 Acknowledgments 199 3 The Tropical Research Station La Gamba Wolfgang Wanek The La Gamba Tropical Research Station is lo- financial support of Schnitzler’s original foun- cated near the small village of La Gamba, on the dation – the Verein Regenwald der Österreicher edge of the Esquinas rain forest. The Esquinas – and of the Verein zur Förderung der Rettung rain forest exists thanks to the conservation des Esquinas-Regenwaldes in Costa Rica, the Aus- work of Michael Schnitzler, who collected finan- trian Ministry of Science and Research and the cial donations in Austria and forwarded them University of Vienna, the station has been vari- to the Costa Rican government, which in turn ously expanded and improved during the last purchased large tracts of forest from landown- ten years, and now comprises several buildings ers in south-western Costa Rica. This rain for- (including an air-conditioned laboratory) and a est, which is also known as the Regenwald der botanical garden. It provides comfortable living Österreicher (“Rainforest of the Austrians”), and research facilities for over 30 visitors at a has since become part of the Parque Nacional time. Thanks to this infrastructure, the station is Piedras Blancas and is a valuable link in the im- on the threshold of becoming an internationally pressive chain of national parks in Costa Rica. established research institution and educational The La Gamba Tropical Research Station is situ- centre, focusing on the scientific exploration ated close to the national park and its luscious and conservation of Neotropical rain forests. primary tropical rain forests. Being located near Since its foundation, many scientists have used the village of La Gamba also means that the it to carry out field research in the Esquinas rain station allows access to a mosaic of managed forest, while visitors have enjoyed its beautiful land, including oil palm and tree plantations, surroundings. pastures, rice fields and residential gardens. Numerous scientific publications have result- It therefore offers easy access to a wide range ed from research performed at the La Gamba of natural and man-made ecosystems. The sta- Tropical Research Station, including around tion is run by the Verein zur Förderung der Ret- 70 doctoral and master’s theses. This scientific tung des Esquinas-Regenwaldes in Costa Rica work focused initially on the flora and vegeta- (“Association for the advancement of the La tion of the forest, but has since broadened to Gamba Tropical Research Station”), an Austrian include a wide range of other topics, such as ani- non-profit organisation dedicated to fostering mal–plant interactions, herpetology, ornithol- research and teaching at the station. With the ogy, entomology, limnology, plant ecophysiol- Main building of the Tropical Research Station La Gamba 4 ogy, biogeochemistry, ecosystem ecology, geography and sociology. Around 60 field courses and excur- sions have been held, enabling stu- dents and scientists from universi- ties all over the world to visit and study the Piedras Blancas National Park. Much of the biological data that has recently been gathered, as well as older research, indicates that these lowland forests rank among the most diverse and pro- ductive lowland rain forest ecosys- tems in Central America. As well as supporting research and teaching activities, the station works with the inhabitants of La Gamba through a series of projects aimed at improving their living conditions. These projects are run partly in collaboration with the nearby Esquinas Rainforest Lodge, an example of sustainable ecot- ourism also founded by Michael Schnitzler. The Association is particularly keen to provide our visitors, as well as all those who love and are fascinated by the tropics, with in- formation about the biology and ecology of the local and regional rain forests and the adjacent cul- tivated land. In 2001, the station published an Introductory Field The orchid garden of the Tropical Research Station La Gamba Guide to the Flowering Plants of the Golfo Dulce Rain Forests, Costa Rica, followed the Golfo Dulce region. The booklet offers an by a series of 11 full-colour brochures: The Am- insight into the general biology and flower mor- phibians and Reptiles of the Golfo Dulce Region, phology of orchids, as well as their pollination Costa Rica; The Birds of the Golfo Dulce Region, mechanisms, systematics, habitat adaptation Costa Rica; Das Leben hier und dort – La vida aquí and cultivation. Orchids are the most diverse y allá; Ecosystem Diversity in the Piedras Blancas plant family in Costa Rica and this booklet de- National Park and Adjacent Areas (Costa Rica); scribes around 70 species from the Golfo Dulce Fruits in Costa Rican Markets; Corbiculate Bees of region. We hope that it will be a source of infor- the Golfo Dulce Region, Costa Rica; Dragonflies of mation and joy to all those who love the tropics the Golfo Dulce Region, Costa Rica; Butterflies of and its orchid flora, as well as scholars, students, the Golfo Dulce Region, Costa Rica; Stream Ecosys- teachers and researchers at universities, and – tems of Costa Rica; Lichens of the Golfo Dulce Re- of course – all the friends of the Rainforest of gion, Costa Rica; and Creating a Forest – Creando the Austrians and the La Gamba Tropical Re- un Bosque. A scientific monograph, Natural and search Station. Cultural History of the Golfo Dulce Region, Costa Rica, was also published in 2008. For further information, see: We are now pleased to add a new full-colour www.lagamba.at booklet to this series, covering the orchids of www.regenwald.at 5 The Rainforest of the Golfo Dulce Region Werner Huber & Anton Weissenhofer The Golfo Dulce region is located at the south- (Fabaceae–Mimosoideae), Carapa guianensis ern corner of Costa Rica’s Pacific coast, near the (Meliaceae), Brosimum utile (Moraceae) and border with Panama, in an area containing the Caryocar costaricense (Caryocaraceae) – most of Corcovado and Piedras Blancas (Esquinas forest) which retain their foliage throughout the year. national parks. The region’s forests are the only Palms are a typical feature of the Esquinas for- remaining moist and wet evergreen lowland for- est, which contains around 45 species, including ests on the Pacific slope of Central America. The Socratea exorrhiza, Iriartea deltoidea, Welfia regia elevation of the region ranges from sea level to and Asterogyne martiana. Heliconia herbs grow 745 m on the Cerro Rincón, Peninsula de Osa, and conspicuously near streams and in forest gaps. 579 m on the Cerro Nicuesa in the Esquinas for- Lianas, such as Bauhinia sp. (Fabaceae–Caesalpin- est. Annual precipitation is about 6000 mm, with ioideae) and Entada sp. (Fabaceae–Mimosoi- a short dry season from December to March. The deae), vines and epiphytes (Bromeliaceae, Or- relief is strongly structured at the landscape level chidaceae) are often found on trees. About 233 and contains many microhabitats and niches. The species of orchids and 40 species of bromeliads region contains diverse soil types, and it has high are distributed in the region. Hemiepiphytic vegetation dynamics (i.e. many forest gaps). All plants of the genus Clusia are abundant in the of these factors, together with the biogeographi- very wet parts of the forest, while fig trees Fi( - cal position of the Golfo Dulce region, have pro- cus) are more frequent in the drier parts (e.g. on duced a highly species-rich forest, with about the Corcovado plains). Epiphyllic plants such as 2.700 species of higher plants and around 145 mosses and lichens are abundant, mainly in the mammals, 50 amphibians, 90 reptiles, 370 birds very wet gorges. On the coast, the coconut palm and numerous insects. (Cocos nucifera) and the tropical almond tree The moist and wet evergreen lowland forests (Terminalia catappa, Combretaceae) are the most contain trees up to 60 m high, including Anacar- conspicuous plants; in the mangroves, it is the dium excelsum (Anacardiaceae), Parkia pendula red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle, Rhizophora- The Chorro waterfall near La Gamba 6 ceae) and the tea mangrove (Pelliciera rhizophorae, Pellicieraceae).