nomenclature notes

The New Cattleyas By Wesley Higgins and Cássio van den Berg

The Changing Face of an Alliance’s Classification

When John Lindley published

the genus Cattleya based on Cattleya
labiata (1821), he described it as “the
handsomest species of the order.” He then
added Cattleya loddigesii, followed by
Cattleya forbesii and Cattleya citrina to the
genus (1826). Cattleya1 citrina is currently
recognized as Prosthechea citrina. Thus
the circumscription of Cattleya has been
problematic since its inception.
Flower forms in many genera of
Laeliinae are similar to Cattleya, which
has created taxonomic confusion. There
have been numerous attempts to classify the
subtribe (van den Berg and Chase 2004).
In the closing decade of the last century,
molecular systematics began to play an im-
portant role in orchid taxonomy. As updated
classifications began to be published, many
plant breeders were not surprised, because
it was already evident that Encyclia and
Prosthechea did not breed the same and
that Brazilian laelias were different from
Mexican laelias, etc.
When van den Berg et al. (2000) pu-
blished internal transcribed spacers (ITS)
sequence data (nuclear DNA), it was shown
that the Brazilian species of Laelia did not
belong with the Mexican Laelia group of
species that included the type species of the
genus. The initial solution proposed was to
place the Brazilian species of Laelia into
Sophronitis (van den Berg and Chase 2000,
2001). However, other authors preferred to
split these species into several segregate ge-
nera (Chiron and Castro Neto 2002). Both
of these approaches created havoc in hybrid
nomenclature as numerous new nothoge-
nera (artificial genera) were published to
account for changing taxonomy.
1
In 2000, the relationships of Cattleya
remained unresolved despite using molecu-
Because Cattleya, as previously cir- [1]  Cattleya labiata, the type species of Cat-
lar systematics. More recent DNA studies
cumscribed, is paraphyletic to Sophronitis tleya that John Lindley named in honor of
of Laeliinae are better resolved with the use
s.l., it would require the creation of many William Cattley. This plate, from Collecta-
of nine plastid regions (chloroplast DNA)
(van den Berg et al. 2009) plus the original new genera for the various subgroups of nea Botanica (1821), is a hand-colored
ITS data set (van den Berg et al. 2000). This Cattleya thus requiring new nothogenera engraving based on a drawing by Lindley.
combined study indicates that even though for hybrids. A more practical (and simp-
Sophronitis senso lato is always present, the ler) solution is to lump all Sophronitis s.l. den Berg (2008) has renamed the other
relationships among this group (Cattleya, species with Cattleya and classify these species. In summary, Cattleya now has 117
Brassavola and Sophronitis) are different groupings at the infrageneric level (subge- recognized species, subspecies or varieties
from those produced with the ITS data set nus, etc.). In this way, future infrageneric and 40 natural hybrids. A review of Cattleya
alone. Sophronitis s.l. is embedded among changes would not require further binomial infrageneric taxonomy will be published in
species traditionally recognized as Cat- changes, providing also nomenclatural a future article.
tleya, whereas Brassavola is placed outside stability for artificial hybrids of species in Thus the question arises, “What is
the Cattleya–Sophronitis clade. this alliance. Some species of the former not included in the new Cattleya?” The
Brazilian Laelia and Sophronitis had ori- short answer is Guarianthe, Laelia sensu
1
Formerly Euchile. ginally been placed in Cattleya and van stricto (Mexico to Tropical America) and

344  Orchids  june  2010   www.AOS.org

Rhyncholaelia. The genus Schomburgkia
has gone away with some species being
transferred into Myrmecophila and the rest
grouping with Laelia. Rhyncholaelia2 dig-
byana was also once classified as Cattleya
digbyana. Hybridization could have played
a significant role in the evolution of the
Cattleya alliance before the early diversi-
fication within each lineage. Guarianthe3
aurantiaca, Guarianthe 3 bowringiana,
Guarianthe3 patinii, Guarianthe3 skinneri
and Guarianthe3 ×guatemalensis (auranti-
aca × skinneri) are not part of the Cattleya
clade, but the assemblage only has weak
support as an independent group. In some
analyses, Cattleya maxima and Cattleya
araguaiensis are sister (adjacent) to Gua-
rianthe with weak support (van den Berg
et al. 2009). Hybrids can have a negative 2
effect on parsimony analysis (Huson and
Bryant 2006), creating false relationships. [2]  Cattleya coccinea is illustrated as
The molecular studies of Laeliinae have Sophronitis grandiflora (Plate 161) in
revealed additional interesting data. Using Lindenia (1888). Lindenia — Iconographie
combined plastid and nuclear phylogenies des Orchidées was one of the important
in conjunction with mixed statistical infe-
periodic series on orchids published dur-
rence models (Bayesian), it is possible to
ing the 19th century.
recognize eight well-supported alliances
within Laeliinae, and make deductions
about biogeography, pollination system, Wesley E. Higgins, PhD, serves on the
and hybridization potential. Laeliinae IUCN-SSC Orchid Specialist Group. He
seems to have originated in Mexico and the is a member of the International Scientific
Caribbean, and primitive members seem Committee of Lankesteriana and a research
to have been originally pollinated by large associate at Centro de Investigación en Or-
bees, following dispersion to Central and quídeas de los Andes, Universidad Alfredo
South America and adaptive radiation due Pérez Guerrero, Ecuador. Higgins is also
to change in pollinator syndromes to birds, an accredited AOS judge, an approved AOS
butterflies, moths, wasps, and small bees taxonomic authority, and serves on the AOS
(van den Berg et al. 2009). Publications Committee, where he coordi-
nates the Nomenclature Notes column for
Orchids. 5317 Delano Court, Cape Coral,
References
Chiron, G.R., and V.P. Castro Neto. 2002. Revision des Florida 33904 (e-mail Higgins@alumni.
Espèces Brésiliennes du Genre Laelia Lindley. Rich- ufl.edu). Cássio van den Berg, PhD, gra-
ardiana 2:14–28. duated in agronomy from the University of
Huson, D., and D. Bryant. 2006. Application of Phylo-
genetic Networks in Evolutionary Studies. Molecular
São Paulo, and holds a master’s in ecology
Biology and Evolution 23(2):254–267. from the Universidade Estadual de Cam-
van den Berg, C. 2008. New Combinations in the Genus pinas and PhD in botany, University of
Cattleya Lindl. (Orchidaceae). Neodiversity 3:3–12.
Reading and the Royal Botanic Gardens,
— and M.W. Chase. 2000. Nomenclature Notes on
Laeliinae — I. Lindleyana 15(2):115–119. Kew. He is a professor in the Department
—. 2001. Nomenclature Notes on Laeliinae — II. Lind- of Biological Sciences at Universidade Es-
leyana 16(2):109–112. tadual de Feira de Santana. Van den Berg
—. 2004. A Chronological View of Laeliinae Taxonomical
History. Orchid Digest 68:226–254. has worked extensively on molecular and
—. 2005. Nomenclatural Notes on Laeliinae. IV. New morphological systematics of Laeliinae.
Combinations in Laelia and Sophronitis. Kew Bulletin Departamento de Ciências Biológicas,
59:565–567.
van den Berg, C., W.E. Higgins, R.L. Dressler, W.M.
Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santa-
Whitten, M. Soto Arenas and A. Culham. 2000. A Phy- na, BR116 KM3, 14 44031-460, Feira de
logenetic Analysis of Laeliinae (Orchidaceae) Based on Santana, Bahia, Brazil (e-mail vcassio@
Sequence Data from Internal Transcribed Spacers (ITS) gmx.de).
of Nuclear Ribosomal DNA. Lindleyana 15:96–114.
van den Berg, C., W.E. Higgins, R.L. Dressler, W.M. Whit-
ten, M. Soto Arenas and M. Chase. 2009. A Phylogenetic Manuscript submissions for Nomenclature
Study of Laeliinae (Orchidaceae) Based on Combined Notes should be sent to Higgins@alumni.
Nuclear and Plastid DNA Sequences. Annals of Botany
104(3):417–430.
ufl.edu.
World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. (2010). The
Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2
Formerly Brassavola.
http://www.kew.org/wcsp/. Accessed April 22, 2010. 3
Formerly Cattleya.

www.AOS.org   june  2010  Orchids  345