Vanilla lindmaniana Kraenzl.

Pansarin, Emerson R., 2025, Vanilla lindmaniana and V. palmarum (Orchidaceae) are distinct allopatric species, Plant Ecology and Evolution 158 (1), pp. 53-62 : 53-62

Vanilla lindmaniana Kraenzl.

Figs 1 , 3 , Table 1

Type.

BRAZIL • Matto Grosso, near Palmeiras ; 15°58’14”S, 55°32’10”W; 24 Dec. 1893; C. A. M. Lindman 2481; holotype: S [ S 08-5056 ]; isotypes: S [ S 08-5055 , S-R-6327 ] .

Description.

Epiphytic herbs, long scandent. Roots axillary, one per node; aerial roots 1.5–2.5 mm diam., velamenous, glabrous, simple, whitish to greenish; storage roots up to 5 mm diam., branching, white. Stem climbing, sinuous, cylindrical, fleshy, glabrous, green to yellowish green; internodes 40–90 × 5–9 mm. Leaves 7–16 × 3.5–6 cm, alternate, distichous, elliptic to lanceolate, rarely ovate, symmetric or asymmetric, fleshy, glabrous, green to yellowish green, margin entire, apex acute to acuminate, pseudopetiolate; pseudopetiole concave, 4–8 mm long. Inflorescence 2–3 cm long, apical, racemose, pending, with up to 13 flowers opening in succession; 1 flower opening each morning; bracts 5–16 × 3–11 mm, progressively smaller toward the apex, alternate, triangular to ovate, coriaceous, concave, patent, apex acute, sometimes leafy. Flowers resupinate, pedicellate, with an abscission layer between perianth and ovary; pedicel with ovary 2.4–2.8 × 0.3–0.34 cm, straight to incurved, calyculate, cylindrical in transverse section, white along the pedicel and green along the ovary; calycule green, persistent. Sepals 6.3–6.8 × 0.9–1.1 cm, free, oblanceolate, fleshy, slightly concave, internally pale yellow, externally yellow, apex obtuse, margin entire, slightly reflexed; dorsal sepal symmetric; lateral sepals asymmetric. Petals 6–6.2 × 1.8–2 cm, free, obelliptic to spatulate, asymmetric, membranous, apex acute, slightly reflexed, yellow, adaxial surface with a central and longitudinally arranged keel. Labellum 3 - lobed, 6.1–6.4 × 3.5–3.8 cm, unguiculate, tubular, yellow, whitish in the basal portion, inner surface with longitudinal prominent stripes converging in four triangular protuberances and in a cluster of the digitiform secretory trichomes at the entrance of the nectar chamber; central crest (nectar guide) ca 5 mm wide, with longitudinal yellow strips near the apex, and with a channel-like depression ca 2 mm wide (concave) just below the anther and stigma; labellum margins fused from the base to ca ¾ of the column length forming a tubular nectar chamber; nectar chamber 2.2–2.4 cm long; lateral lobes obliquely rounded, margins undulate; apical lobe emarginated, reflexed, margin undulate. Column 4.1–4.3 × 0.35–0.38 cm, semi-cylindrical, slender, base attenuate, dilated towards the apex, with white-hyaline hairs close to the stigma, apex with two projections (wings) facing downwards; anther 4–4.2 × 3.7–4 mm, rhomboid, yellowish, versatile; rostellum 4–4.2 × 3.5–3.8 mm, trapezoidal, white. Fruits 5.4–6.7 × 1.1–2 cm, linear to clavate, strait to incurved, cylindrical to subcylindrical in transverse section, fleshy, dehiscent, opening in two valves, green when immature, yellowish when mature. Seeds ca 0.5 mm, ovate, crustose, black.

Distribution and ecology.

Vanilla lindmaniana occurs in open forests of the Amazonia, Cerrado, and Pantanal Biomes (Fig. 3 ). Vanilla lindmaniana has an epiphytic habit, rooting on the trunk and leaves of palm trees of the genera Acrocomia Mart. , Attalea Kunth. , and Mauritia L. f. ( Barberena et al. 2019; Table 1 ). The elevation is from 100 to 500 m a. s. l. Flowers open in the morning hours and each flower lasts ca 12 hours. In a study involving populations from Maranhão State ( Brazil), it was found that the flowers of V. lindmaniana (as V. palmarum ) offer nectar as a reward which is stored in the nectar chamber. Vanilla lindmaniana has a mechanism of facultative self-pollination. Its flowers are chasmogamous and pollinated by hummingbirds but in the absence of biotic pollination, flowers self-pollinate ( Pansarin and Ferreira 2022).

Phenology.

Vanilla lindmaniana blooms from December to January. The fruits ripen between July and August.

Preliminary IUCN conservation assessment.

Endangered: EN B 2 a (ii, iii). Vanilla lindmaniana is a rarely collected species currently known to grow in the Amazonian Rainforest and Cerrado of South America. The extent of occurrence (EOO) is estimated to be 5,310,777 km 2, which falls within the limits for Least Concern (LC), according to the IUCN Red List categories and criteria and guidelines. The area of occupancy (AOO) is estimated to be 108 km 2 (cell width of 2 km), which falls within the limits for Endangered (EN) under criterion B 2 (area of occupancy). Considering that the Amazon Rainforest and especially the Brazilian Cerrado have been reduced to scattered fragments due to extensive human occupation, I project a continuing decline in (ii) area of occupancy and (iii) extent and / or quality of the habitat of V. lindmaniana . Based on these threats, V. lindmaniana is assessed as Endangered.

Additional material examined.

BOLIVIA – Beni • Tumi Chucua, 30 km S of Riberalta, flood plain forest, Vaca Diez ; 11°07’59”S, 66°09’59”W; 210 m; 29 Sep. 1981; J. C. Solomon 6503; MO . – Pando • Frederico Román, on the west bank of the Madeira River, ca 1 km south of Cachuela Las Pedritas ; 09°57’13”S, 65°20’13”W; 20 Jul. 2002; J. Urrelo et al. 501; V . – Santa Cruz • San Jose de Campamento, a 3 km sobre el caminho hacia San Roque, José Miguel de Velasco ; 15°09’20”S, 60°59’29”W; 9 May 1996; R. Guillén 4343; NY • Velasco, Parque Nacional Noel Kempff Mercado, 500 m al S de la comunidade Florida hacia el Campamento Toledo ; 14°33’00”S, 60°49’00”W; 2 Dec. 1994; R. Guillén & R. A. Medina Guillén Villarroel 2701; MO • Velasco, Reserva Ecológica El Refúgio, a 300 m al SO de campamento, em la pampa de las islas ; 14°47’09”S, 61°03’14”W; 150 m; 21 Jan. 1995; R. Guillén & R. A. Medina Guillén Villarroel 2944; MO .

BRAZIL – Amazonas • Manaus, Ramal Vale do Novo Amanhecer, ao lado do sítio Toc ; 02°27’00”S, 60°06’00”W; 12 Oct. 2014; A. H. Krahl 471; INPA • Manaus, Reserva Florestal Ducke, Manaus-Itacoatiara , km 26; 02°52’59”S, 59°58’00”W; 29 Jun. 1994; J. E. L. S. Ribeiro 1333; NY . – Goiás • Colinas do Sul, Estrada de acesso ao rio Preto, km 1, a partir da entrada da fazenda Vale das Araras, Mata de galeria perturbada, com alta presença de babaçu, Relevo suave ondulado, Solo areno-argiloso, Área de influência da futura Hidrelétrica de Cana Brava ; 13°44’22”S, 48°07’42”W; 310 m; G. Pereira-Silva et al. 5573; BHCB • Uruaçu, Reservatório em formação do AHE Serra da Mesa, Originalmente mata ciliar alterada ; 14°31’28”S, 49°08’26”W; 15 Oct. 2007; S. P. Cordovil-Silva & J. B. Pereira 705; BHCB . – Maranhão • Estreito, Canteiro de obras do UHE Estreito (próximo ao porto da balsa) ; 06°33’38”S, 47°27’03”W; 150 m; 11 Mar. 2007; G. Pereira-Silva 11374; CEN • Passagem Franca, a 24 km de Buriti Bravo, à esquerda no Café Buriti mais 22 km do posto fiscal, à direita mais 60 km ; 06°20’59”S, 43°31’59”W; 270 m; 24 Nov. 1993; R. F. Vieira et al. 1545; BHCB • São Luís, Araçagy, Base do Cabral ; 02°28’30”S, 44°12’53”W; 11 Apr. 1988; R. Nina 98; SLUI • São Luís, UFMA, campus Dom Delgado, em frente ao centro pedagógico Paulo Freire ; 02°33’43”S, 44°18’37”W; 20 Aug. 2019; K. N. Santos 122; SLUI . – Mato Grosso • Cáceres ; 16°04’14”S, 57°40’44”W; Aug. 2003; M. A. Carniello 55; HRCB • Cocalinho ; 14°23’49”S, 50°59’44”W; 1 Jan. 1997; A. F. Rozza et al. 490; ESA • Barra dos Bugres ; 15°04’22”S, 57°10’51”W; 20 Jun. 2012; s. col.; HCF [ HCF 10838 ] . – Mato Grosso do Sul • Aquidauana ; 20°28’15”S, 55°47’13”W; 8 Dec. 2001; M. A. Assis 1521; HRCB • Corumbá, Passo do Lontra ; 19°34’35”S, 57°01’05”W; 106 m; 30 Jul. 2007; M. G. Caxambú 1598; HCF • Corumbá, Morro na margem da Baía Mandiré ; 19°00’33”S, 57°39’11”W; 18 Oct. 2002; G. A. Damasceno Júnior et al. 2533; HUFU • Balneário Iracema, Região de A. Maria Coelho ; 19°00’33”S, 57°39’11”W; 21 Nov. 2004; D. P. Rodriguez & H. Baracat s. n.; UPCB [ UPCB 104531 ] • Ladário, Fazenda Vale do Paraíso ; 19°00’16”S, 57°36’06”W; 110 m; 28 Oct. 2004; E. R. Macedo et al. 5; MBM . – Pará • Breves ; 01°40’55”S, 50°28’49”W; 17 Jul. 1950; G. A. Black & R. L. Fróes 10036; IAN • Melgaço, Floresta Nacional de Caxiuanã, rio Curuá-grande, margem esquerda ; 01°48’15”S, 50°42’43”W; 29 Nov. 2010; A. K. Koch & C. Souza 347; IAN . – Rondônia • Guajará-Mirim, 23 km de centro de Guajará-Mirim, Colônia do Yata ; 10°46’58”S, 65°20’21”W; 15 Oct. 1990; L. B. Bianchetti 1092; HUEFS • Porto Velho , nas margens da BR- 364; 08°45’42”S, 63°54’14”W; 100 m; 19 Aug. 2022; M. Figueira 1876; CEN . – Tocantins • Paranã, Canteiro de obras do UHE São Salvador (área do bota-fora) ; 12°36’55”S, 47°52’59”W; 260 m; 19 Jun. 2006; G. Pereira-Silva 10786; CEN • Paranã; 12°52’34”S, 48°10’41”W; E. R. Santos et al. 1094; HUTO .

GUYANA – Essequibo • South Rupununi Savanna, Kidekperdana Creek , 8 km SE of Aishalton, Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo; 02°25’11”N, 59°10’12”W; 26 Nov. 1993; T. W. Henkel 3510; NY .

PERU – Madre de Dios • Cusco Amazónico Lodge, Río Madre de Dios, Lago Sandobal , 10 km NE of Puerto Maldonado, Tambopata ; 12°34’59”S, 69°02’59”W; 200 m; Jun. 1990; P. Núñez & V. Núñez Vargas 12287; MO .

VENEZUELA – Bolivar • Bolivar ; 12 Jan. 1961; J. A. Steyermark 88386; UB .

Notes.

Vanilla lindmaniana was described based on a specimen collected by Carl A. M. Lindman (Lindman 2481 (S )) in the municipality of Palmeiras, in the current state of Mato Grosso do Sul. The region is located in the Pantanal Biome. For a long time, this species has been considered as an obscure taxon endemic to Brazil ( BFG 2018). However, several characteristics such as the epiphytic habit, the colour of the flowers, and the absence of a penicillate callus have been used to consider this taxon as conspecific with V. palmarum (e. g. Soto Arenas and Cribb 2010). Here, V. lindmaniana is presented as a taxon clearly distinct from V. palmarum , being recognized by several vegetative and floral characteristics. According to the infrageneric classification of Soto Arenas and Cribb (2010), V. lindmaniana is a member of the V. palmarum group.

Morphological affinities.

Vanilla lindmaniana is easily recognized from other Neotropical species by its epiphytic habit on palms, by its terminal and pendant inflorescences, by its yellow flowers much smaller than those of V. pompona , by the absence of a penicillate callus on the labellum, and by its dehiscent and scentless fruits. The species is closely related to V. palmarum , however, V. lindmaniana is clearly distinguishable by its distribution across the Pantanal, Cerrado, and Amazonia Biomes, by its larger flowers and leaves, the presence of a nectar guide with a channel-like depression just below the anther and stigma, and the larger fruits, which are rounded in transversal section (Table 1 ).

Figures

Figure 1. Vanilla lindmaniana Kraenzl. A. Detail of a flowering plant. B. Flower in diagonal view. C. Flower in lateral view. D. Flower in front view. E. Dissected perianth. Note the nectar chamber (arrow). F. Detail of the adaxial surface of a petal showing the longitudinal keel. G. Detail of the labellum in upper view. H. Detail of the apex of the labellum of a flower showing the longitudinal cavity. I. Detail of the labellum showing the central labellar crest. J. Pedicel, ovary, labellum, and column in lateral view. K. Pedicel, ovary, labellum, and column in dorsal view. L. Pedicel, ovary, and column in lateral view. M. Pedicel, ovary, and column in ventral view. N. Apex of the column: in lateral view with an articulated anther (above), and in ventral view with an articulated and disarticulated anther (below). Note the lateral wings (arrowheads). O. Mature fruit in lateral view. P. Transversal section of a mature fruit. Based on VAN 034 (LBMBP).

Figure 3. Occurrence map of Vanilla lindmaniana Kraenzl. and Vanilla palmarum (Salzm. ex Lindl.) Lindl.