A new species of Vanilla (Orchidaceae: Vanilloideae) from São

Paulo, Brazil
EMERSON R. PANSARIN1, JOÃO M. R. B. V. AGUIAR1, AND
ALESSANDRO W. C. FERREIRA2
1
Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de São Paulo, FFCLRP, Av. Bandeirantes 3900, 14040-
901, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brasil; e-mail: colax@pop.com.br
2
Universidade Federal do Maranhão, Campus Pinheiro Rua Raimundo José Pimenta s/n, 65200-000,
Pinheiro, MA, Brasil; e-mail: alessandrowcf@yahoo.com.br

Abstract. A new orchid species, Vanilla paludosa, native to marshy forests close to
cerrado vegetation in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, is described and illustrated. The
relationship of V. paludosa to other species of the genus is discussed.
Key Words: cerrado vegetation, marshy forests.
Resumo. Uma nova espécie de orquídea, Vanilla paludosa, que ocorre em florestas
alagadas adjacentes a áreas de cerrado no estado de São Paulo, Brasil, é descrita e
ilustrada. As relações de V. paludosa com outros táxons do gênero são discutidas.

Tribe Vanilleae is subcosmopolitan in distri- Vanilla was found. A taxonomic description

bution and contains ten genera: Cyrtosia
Blume, Erythrorchis Blume, Galeola Lour.
and Pseudovanilla Garay (often referred to
subtribe Galeolinae according to Dressler,
1993); Clematepistephium N. Hallé, Dictyo-
phyllaria Garay, Epistephium Kunth, Eriaxis
Rchb.f. and Vanilla Plum. ex Mill. (previously
included in subtribe Vanillinae; Dressler, 1993);
and Lecanorchis Blume, an insular genus
occurring between Malasia and Japan, included
in Lecanorchidinae (Cameron, 2009). The
pantropical Vanilla is the most diverse among
the vanilloid orchids, with approximately 100
species (Cameron, 2003). This genus is mono-
phyletic (when Dictyophyllaria Garay is
included; Pansarin 2010a, b) and is represented
by 30 species in Brazil (Barros et al., 2010).
According to Soto Arenas (2010), Vanilla
reaches its highest diversity in South America,
where undescribed vanillas likely occur. Vanilla
is an economically important genus because V.
planifolia Andrews is a natural source of vanilla
(Rain, 2004).
During a floristic survey of the orchid
family in the interior of the state of São
Paulo, Brazil, a new species of the genus
and illustrations of this new species are
presented and its morphological characters
are compared with other species of Vanilla.
Vanilla paludosa Pansarin, J. M. Aguiar &
A. C. Ferreira, sp. nov. TYPE: Brazil. São
Paulo: Mun. Brotas, Fazenda Laranjal, 9
July 2010, E. R. Pansarin, J. M. R. B. V.
Aguiar & A. W. C. Ferreira 1361 (ho-
lotype: SPFR). (Figs. 1, 2)
Ab omnibus aliis speciebus sui generis in paludibus
habitanti et labello 3–lamellato, lamellis in apice rotundis
distinguenda; a Vanilla edwallii Hoehne et V. parvifolia
Barb. Rodr. foliis majoribus, ovatis, coriaceis, apice
acuminato, racemis axillaribus erectis, 5–12 floris,
bracteis foliaceis minoribus, sepalis et petalis viridibus
vel paulo flavis et marginibus paulo undulais, labello 3-
carinato, lobo intermedio ovato et cum marginibus
undulatis differt.
Hemiepiphyte, paludose herb, ca. 15–20 m
tall. Subterranean roots 12–40×0.5–0.8 cm,
villous, brown and showy; aerial roots 15–
25×1.7–2.4 mm, white to brown, glabrous.
Rhizome cylindrical and subterranean. Aerial
stem 2.8–4.8 mm diam., green, ramified only
in the most distal portion, with 1–17 race-

Brittonia, 64(2), 2012, pp. 157–161 ISSUED: 1 June 2012

© 2011, by The New York Botanical Garden Press, Bronx, NY 10458-5126 U.S.A.
158 BRITTONIA [VOL 64

FIG. 1. Vanilla paludosa. A. Habit. B. Flower. C. Perianth parts. D. Column in ventral and lateral views. (Drawn
from the holotype).
2012] PANSARIN ET AL.: VANILLA (ORCHIDACEAE)
FIG. 2. Vanilla paludosa. A. Flower. B. Detail of the labellum showing the three longitudinal keels with rounded
apices (arrow). C. Column in lateral view. Note the basal triangular keel (arrow).
mose inflorescences; internodes ca. 3.2–
5.5 cm long. Leaves 3.1–14.9×1.8–7.6 cm,
oval, flat, coriaceous, distichously disposed,
green or pale green, with dark green veins
forming a network, apex acuminate. Inflo-
rescence ca. 4.6–11.4 cm long, lateral, erect,
with up to 12 flowers opening in succession,
and with up to three flowers open simulta-
neously; scape ca. 2–3.5 mm diam., cylin-
drical, sinuous, yellowish-green; floral bracts
6.2–27×5.3–15 mm, elliptic to oval, yellow-
ish-green, persistent. Flowers resupinate, pre-
dominantly yellowish-green; ovary and
pedicel 3–3.6 × 0.28–0.32 cm, yellowish-
green; abscission layer between perianth and
ovary present; sepals lanceolate, yellowish-
green, apex acute, lateral sepals ca. 4.8×
1.5 cm, asymmetric; dorsal sepal ca. 5×
1.4 cm, symmetric; petals 4.8–5×1–1.2 cm,
asymmetrically lanceolate, yellowish-green,
apex acute; labellum 3-lobed, ca. 4.2 ×
2.9 cm, oval, predominantly white with three
central and longitudinally disposed yellow
keels; margins united to the column in the
basal portion; lateral lobes round, with longi-
tudinal lines, margin entire; apical lobe oval,
margin undulate. Column ca. 2.3–2.6 cm
159
long, arched, white with a yellow projection at
the base; stigma ca. 3×1 mm, transversally
oblong, yellow; anther ca. 3.5×4.5 mm, white,
with two lateral projections (wings) at the apex;
rostellum semicircular, prominent; pollen free,
pale yellow. Fruits 85–105×6–8 mm, arcuate,
green, opening through two longitudinal
valves. Seeds crustose, spherical, black.
Distribution and ecology.—The species is
known from the interior of the state of São
Paulo, municipalities of São Simão, Brotas
and Luiz Antônio, Brazil. In all three local-
ities Vanilla paludosa occurs in marshy
forests, close to cerrado vegetation (savanna).
Plants were found growing on marshy soils,
at about 850 m.
Phenology.—The flowering period occurs
from June to September.
Etymology.—The specific epithet (paludosa,
from the Latin paludosus, meaning swampy,
marshy, boggy) makes reference to the marshy
habitat in which this species occurs.
Conservation status.—Much of the interior
of the state of São Paulo has been converted
to sugarcane cultivation (Saccharum officina-
rum L.), and thus Vanilla paludosa can be
considered as a endangered species according
160
TABLE I
Diagnostic morphological characters of Vanilla paludosa and related species.
Feature V. paludosa
Vegetation formation Cerrado (Brazilian savanna)
Hemiepiphyte habit Paludose
Length of the aerial roots Less than 2.5 cm
Leaf blade shape Oval
Number of flowers Up to 12
per raceme
Floral bract size Reduced
Color of the sepals Yellowish-green
and petals
Margin of the petals Entire
Shape of the midlobe Oval
of the lip
Number of ribs on the lip 3 5
Shape of the ribs of Rounded
longitudinal carenae
to the classification of IUCN Red List (IUCN
2010).
Additional specimens examined. BRAZIL. São Paulo:
Mun. Luiz Antônio, 25 Feb 2009, Pansarin 1284
(SPFR); Mun. São Simão, Trilha do Rio Tamanduá, 23
Jun 2010, Pansarin & Aguiar 1358 (SPFR).
The vegetative and floral morphology of
Vanilla paludosa is similar to that of V.
edwallii Hoehne and V. parvifolia Barb. Rodr.
According to Pansarin (2010a, b), Vanilla
dietschiana Edwall also is related to V.
edwallii and V. parvifolia, and in fact these
species are included in the same clade in
phylogenetic analyses (Pansarin & Salatino,
unpublished data). Vanilla dietschiana is a
terrestrial herb with a monopodial (pseudo-
sympodial) non-climbing habit. Its reduced
leaves are pale green, reticulate-veined and
membranous (Pansarin 2010a, b), like those
observed in V. edwallii, V. parvifolia and V.
paludosa. As in V. paludosa, the lip of V.
dietschiana has three longitudinal yellowish-
cream carinae with ribs that present round
apices (Fig. 2B). In V. edwallii and V.
parvifolia, the longitudinal carinae have five
triangular to trapezoidal longitudinal ribs.
According to Soto Arenas and Cribb
(2010), the group that includes the reticu-
late-veined Vanilla (i.e., the “V. parvifolia
group”) is characterized by the absence of
BRITTONIA [VOL 64
V. edwallii V. parvifolia
Atlantic Rainforest Atlantic Rainforest
Terrestrial Terrestrial
More than 2.5 cm More than 2.5 cm
Elliptic Elliptic
2 to 4 2 to 4
Similar to the leaves Similar to the leaves
Dark green Dark green
Undulate Undulate
Acute to triangular Acute to triangular
5
Triangular to trapezoidal Triangular to trapezoidal
undulated petals, coiled sepals, and presence
of a 3-lobed lip with a rounded apical lobe
and also a column with a basal triangular keel
on the abaxial surface. This basal and
triangular keel of the column is also observed
in V. paludosa (Fig. 2C). According to our
investigations, however, V. parvifolia and V.
edwallii, both included in the “V. parvifolia
group” (Soto Arenas & Cribb, 2010), present
undulate petals, revolute sepals, and a lip with
an acute to triangular midlobe.
The paludose habit of Vanilla paludosa is
uncommon in the genus. Most species exhibit
a terrestrial habit, except V. palmarum
(Salzm. ex Lindl.) Lindl., which occurs
exclusively as an epiphyte on palms, includ-
ing the “buriti” (Mauritia flexuosa L.f.)
(Hoehne, 1945; Pansarin, pers. obs.). Fur-
thermore, members of the “V. parvifolia
group” present only two to four flowers per
raceme and their foliaceous bracts are well
developed (Soto Arenas & Cribb, 2010),
except in V. dietschiana (Pansarin, 2010a, b).
Principal differences between V. paludosa and
related taxa (V. edwallii and V. parvifolia) are
summarized in Table I.
According to Pansarin (2010a), Brazilian
biomes are the center of diversity of some
genera within Vanilloideae, such as Cleistes,
Epistephium, and Vanilla. Thus, the knowl-
edge of generic taxonomy and increasing of
2012] PANSARIN ET AL.: VANILLA (ORCHIDACEAE)
phylogenetic studies of members of Brazilian
Vanilloideae are crucial to understanding the
evolution of this orchid group.
Acknowledgments
We thank Cláudia C.S. Evangelista for
preparing the illustration. João Aguiar thanks
Carla Bruniera for help with the first version
of the Latin diagnosis and Luzia R. Bignelli
for help with fieldwork. Funds were provided
by FAPESP (grants 07/07445-7 and 09/
53917-3).
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