Abstract

CUERVO MARTINEZ, MÓNICA ADRIANA; BONILLA GOMEZ, MARÍA ARGENIS  and  BUSTOS SINGER, RODRIGO. Morphology and Morphometry of Two Banderitas Species (Orchidaceae: Masdevallia) in Colombia. Acta biol.Colomb. [online]. 2012, vol.17, n.3, pp.575-588. ISSN 0120-548X.

Masdevallia coccinea and the Masdevallia ignea "banderitas" are ornamental orchids which are very prized by amateur farmers and collectors. In Colombia, the harvest pressure on these species has been enormous and few natural populations survive in the departments of Boyacá (Arcabuco of Berlin Páramo, Duitama) and Santander (between Málaga and Bucaramanga), in which these populations are reduced and of difficult access. For this reason these species are in the II appendix of CITES. However, little is known on their reproductive biology, floral biology and pollination and the literature about this is incomplete. Under this framework, the goal of the project was to study the morphology and morphometry of M. coccinea and M. ignea (Pleurothallidinae) under semicultivation conditions in the Villa Rosa farm located in the Municipality of Guasca, Cundinamarca (Colombia). The floral morphology was analyzed by digital photography, morphometry and Scanning Electron Microscope. The main results were differences in color and length of dorsal and lateral sepals between M. coccinea (X = 53.0 mm σ = 7.4 mm and X = 44.4 mm and σ = 8.3 mm) and M. ignea (X = 34 mm σ = 7.7 mm and X = 31.5 mm and σ = 6.1 mm). These parts were longest in M. coccinea in contrast to M. ignea. However the lip was longest in M. ignea (X = 7.1 mm y σ = 0.6 mm). On the other hand both species had lip articulated to the column but without rewards as nectar and osmophores.

Keywords : Lip; Masdevallia coccinea; Masdevallia ignea; morphology; floral morphometry.

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