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Orchids

Botanical Jewels of the Golfo Dulce Region, Costa Rica

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Anton Weissenhofer

Demetra Rakosy

Werner Huber

Anton Weber

Authorsfor affiliations see page 136

Franco Pupulin

Manfred Speckmaier

Christian Gegenbauer

Wolfgang Wanek

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Contents

The Tropical Research Station La Gamba

The Rainforest of the Golfo Dulce Region

Welcome to the Fascinating World of Golfo Dulce Orchids

Plant Body, Growth Patterns and Inflorescence Structure of Orchids

The Orchid Flower

Pollination Biology of Orchids

Fruit Structure and Seed Dispersal of Orchids Orchid Diversity and Classification, with a Focus on the Golfo Dulce Region, Costa Rica

Orchids and Ants

Cultivation of Orchids in the Tropics

The Spice Vanilla

Selected Orchids of the Golfo Dulce Region

Glossary and Abbreviations

References

Appendix: Checklist of the Orchid Species in the Golfo Dulce Region

Photo Credits

Authors

Acknowledgments

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The Tropical Research Station La GambaWolfgang Wanek

The La Gamba Tropical Research Station is lo-cated near the small village of La Gamba, on the edge of the Esquinas rain forest. The Esquinas rain forest exists thanks to the conservation work of Michael Schnitzler, who collected finan-cial donations in Austria and forwarded them to the Costa Rican government, which in turn purchased large tracts of forest from landown-ers in south-western Costa Rica. This rain for-est, which is also known as the Regenwald der Österreicher (“Rainforest of the Austrians”), has since become part of the Parque Nacional Piedras Blancas and is a valuable link in the im-pressive chain of national parks in Costa Rica. The La Gamba Tropical Research Station is situ-ated close to the national park and its luscious primary tropical rain forests. Being located near the village of La Gamba also means that the station allows access to a mosaic of managed land, including oil palm and tree plantations, pastures, rice fields and residential gardens. It therefore offers easy access to a wide range of natural and man-made ecosystems. The sta-tion is run by the Verein zur Förderung der Ret-tung des Esquinas-Regenwaldes in Costa Rica (“Association for the advancement of the La Gamba Tropical Research Station”), an Austrian non-profit organisation dedicated to fostering research and teaching at the station. With the

financial support of Schnitzler’s original foun-dation – the Verein Regenwald der Österreicher – and of the Verein zur Förderung der Rettung des Esquinas-Regenwaldes in Costa Rica, the Aus-trian Ministry of Science and Research and the University of Vienna, the station has been vari-ously expanded and improved during the last ten years, and now comprises several buildings (including an air-conditioned laboratory) and a botanical garden. It provides comfortable living and research facilities for over 30 visitors at a time. Thanks to this infrastructure, the station is on the threshold of becoming an internationally established research institution and educational centre, focusing on the scientific exploration and conservation of Neotropical rain forests. Since its foundation, many scientists have used it to carry out field research in the Esquinas rain forest, while visitors have enjoyed its beautiful surroundings.

Numerous scientific publications have result-ed from research performed at the La Gamba Tropical Research Station, including around 70 doctoral and master’s theses. This scientific work focused initially on the flora and vegeta-tion of the forest, but has since broadened to include a wide range of other topics, such as ani-mal–plant interactions, herpetology, ornithol-ogy, entomology, limnology, plant ecophysiol-

Main building of the Tropical Research Station La Gamba

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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 Guide to the Flowering Plants of the Golfo Dulce Rain Forests, Costa Rica, followed by a series of 11 full-colour brochures: The Am-phibians and Reptiles of the Golfo Dulce Region, Costa Rica; The Birds of the Golfo Dulce Region, Costa Rica; Das Leben hier und dort – La vida aquí y allá; Ecosystem Diversity in the Piedras Blancas National Park and Adjacent Areas (Costa Rica); Fruits in Costa Rican Markets; Corbiculate Bees of the Golfo Dulce Region, Costa Rica; Dragonflies of the Golfo Dulce Region, Costa Rica; Butterflies of the Golfo Dulce Region, Costa Rica; Stream Ecosys-tems of Costa Rica; Lichens of the Golfo Dulce Re-gion, Costa Rica; and Creating a Forest – Creando un Bosque. A scientific monograph, Natural and Cultural History of the Golfo Dulce Region, Costa Rica, was also published in 2008.

We are now pleased to add a new full-colour booklet to this series, covering the orchids of

The orchid garden of the Tropical Research Station La Gamba

the Golfo Dulce region. The booklet offers an insight into the general biology and flower mor-phology of orchids, as well as their pollination mechanisms, systematics, habitat adaptation and cultivation. Orchids are the most diverse plant family in Costa Rica and this booklet de-scribes around 70 species from the Golfo Dulce region. We hope that it will be a source of infor-mation and joy to all those who love the tropics and its orchid flora, as well as scholars, students, teachers and researchers at universities, and – of course – all the friends of the Rainforest of the Austrians and the La Gamba Tropical Re-search Station.

For further information, see:www.lagamba.atwww.regenwald.at

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Selected Orchids of the Golfo Dulce Region

Demetra Rakosy, Manfred Speckmaier, Anton Weber

Ornithocephalus bicornis - drawing by Stefan Vogel

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Acianthera pantasmi (Pleurothallis pantasmi)

Acianthera pantasmi (Rchb.f.) Pridgeon & M.W.Chase, Lindleyana 16: 245 (2001).Basionym: Pleurothallis pantasmi Rchb.f., Bonplandia (Hannover) 3: 224 (1855).E.: Mt. Pantasmo Pleurothallis. Sp.: -

Etymology: The generic name is formed from the Latinised Greek akis (= point, beak) and the Latin anthera (= anther), referring to the spe-cies’ somewhat pointed anther. The epithet is derived from Mt. Pantasmo, a volcano in the north of Nicaragua, where the first specimens of the species were collected.

Classification: Subf. Epidendroideae, Tr. Epiden-dreae, Subtr. Pleurothallidinae.

Taxonomic notes: The genus Acianthera com-prises c. 200 species formerly placed in the sub-genera Acianthera, Arthrosia, Sarracenella and Specklinia of Pleurothallis s.l.

Description: Plants epiphytic, medium-sized, creeping to caespitose, pseudobulbs lacking. Stems erect, sharply 3-winged, 10–18 cm long, gradually broadening towards the leaf blade and basally enclosed by 2–3 tubular sheaths. Leaves

fleshy, erect, coriaceous, narrowly ovate, acute, the blade gradually narrowing towards the base, uniting at the margins with the wings of the stem; blade 3.5–8 cm long, 1–1.7 cm wide, much shorter than the stem. Inflorescence very short, racemose, emerg-ing from the base of the leaf blade, consisting of a cluster of 2–4 small flowers that bloom simultaneously. Flowers fleshy, dark red to brownish, minutely pubes-cent outside. Dorsal sepal free, narrowly obovate, obtuse, 3-veined, 0.5 cm long, 0.2 cm wide. Lateral sepals connate into a slight-ly bifid, elliptical, obtuse, 6-veined synsepal, 0.45 cm long, 0.4 cm wide. Pet-als ovate, acute, 3-veined, 0.2 cm long, 0.1 cm wide. Lip tongue-shaped, trilobed, apex oblong, acute, lateral lobes erect and rounded, emerging below the middle of the lip. Column slender, with a pair of conspicuous, descending, obtuse wings, 0.2 cm long.

Acianthera pantasmi

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Distribution: Nicaragua to Costa Rica.

Ecology: Very wet forests, between 50 m and 600 m. Can often be found growing in exposed places, e.g. on trees bordering paths or roads.

Flowering: Throughout the year.

Pollination biology: Nothing is known about the pollination biology of this species. Acian-thera species have myiophilous flowers and are pollinated by flies of the families Phoridae and Chloropidae. Those pollinated by Phoridae flies provide rewards (droplets of nectar on the lip), whereas those pollinated by Chloropidae are re-wardless. The pollinators are so small that they have to enter the flower almost completely in the search for rewards, the lip acting as a lever, pushing the fly against the rostellum and thus ensuring the attachment of the pollinarium. The plant-pollinator relationship appears to be spe-cies-specific in some species, while others show a more generalised relationship.

References: Luer in Hammel et al. (2003: 433), de Melo et al. (2010), de Melo et al. (2011). Acianthera pantasmi

Acianthera pantasmi

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Arundina graminifolia

Arundina graminifolia (D.Don) Hochr., Bull. New York Bot. Gard. 6: 270 (1910).Basionym: Bletia graminifolia D.Don, Prodr. Fl. Nepal. 29 (1825).E.: Bamboo orchid, bird orchid. Sp.: Orquídea bambú.

Etymology: The generic name is derived from the Latin arundo (= reed). The epithet is formed from the Latin gramen, gen. graminis (= grass) and folium (= leaf), alluding to the grass-like leaves of the plant.

Classification: Subf. Epidendroideae, Tr. Arethu-seae, Subtr. Arethusinae.

Description: Plants terrestrial. Stems erect, rig-id, cane-like, up to 2.5 m tall, growing in clumps. Leaves many, alternate, leathery, grass-like, with overlapping sheaths; blades 8–30 cm long, 0.5–2 cm wide. Inflorescence terminal, with up to 15 flowers, with only one or two open at a time. Flowers large, similar to those of Catt-leya or Sobralia, resupinate, white to pink, with

a purple lip. Sepals lanceo-late to narrowly ovate, the lateral sepals converging and hidden behind the lip; c. 3 cm long, 1 cm wide. Pet-als broadly ovate, 3 cm long or longer, 2.5 cm wide. Lip tri-lobed, crenate, lateral lobes forming a 4–5 cm long tube that encompasses the col-umn and broadens apically, middle lobe crenate, apically cleft, with a basal yellow spot and 3 longitudinal, pubes-cent crests. Column straight, winged, white to pink.

Distribution: Natural distri-bution in Asia, ranging from northern and southern India through Malaysia and Indo-nesia to Tahiti. It has been introduced as an ornamental in Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama, Jamaica and Guadeloupe, where it has become partly naturalised.

Ecology: Open, sunny, wet or boggy places. In its native range, Arundina often occurs in natural or anthropogenic forest clearings, on steep, rocky hillsides, and on road-sides. In Costa Rica, it is often grown in gardens or in pots as an ornamental.Arundina graminifolia

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Authors

Christian GegenbauerUniversity of ViennaDept of Structural and Functional BotanyRennweg 14, 1030 Vienna, AustriaChristian.Gegenbauer@gmx.at

Werner HuberUniversity of ViennaDept. of Tropical Ecology and Animal Biodiversity Rennweg 14, 1030 Vienna, Austriawerner.huber@univie.ac.at

Franco PupulinUniversity of Costa RicaJardín Botánico LankesterApartado 1031-7050 Cartago, Costa Ricafranco.pupulin@gmail.com

Demetra RakosyUniversity of ViennaDept. of Integrative ZoologyAlthanstraße 14, 1090 Vienna, Austriademetra.rakosy@univie.ac.at

Manfred SpeckmaierUniversity of ViennaBotanical GardenRennweg 14, 1030 Vienna, Austriamanfred.speckmaier@univie.ac.at

Wolfgang WanekUniversity of ViennaDept. of Chemical Ecology and Ecosystem ResearchAlthanstraße 14, 1090 Vienna, Austriawolfgang.wanek@univie.ac.at

Anton WeberUniversity of ViennaDept of Structural and Functional BotanyRennweg 14, 1030 Vienna, Austriaanton.weber@univie.ac.at

Anton WeissenhoferUniversity of ViennaDept. of Tropical Ecology and Animal Biodiversity Rennweg 14, 1030 Vienna, Austriaanton.weissenhofer@univie.ac.at

AcknowledgmentsThe book could not have been realised without the kind support and help of many people and or-ganisations, and we would like to extend our sincere thanks to all of them. In particular, we thank Susanne Pamperl and Susanne Sontag for technical assistance; Kerry Dressler, Traude Duziak, Tho-mas Eltz, Florian Etl, Günter Gerlach, Rudolf Hromniak, Thorsten Renebarth, Michael Schnitzler, Anton Sieder, Martina Weber and Peter Weish for providing photos; Margareta Pertl, Friedrich G. Barth and Stefan Vogel for providing drawings; and Peter Stütz for pre-reviewing parts of the manu-script. Last but not least, we gratefully acknowledge the generous support of the Wiener Orchideen Gesellschaft and the Botanical Garden of the University of Vienna.

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This booklet about the birds of the Golfo Dulce region,Costa Rica contains descriptions of well over a hundredof the characteristic birds of the region. Speciesdescriptions and colour photographs enable the reader toidentify birds. The booklet also provides an introductionto the natural history, behaviour and ecology of theavifauna of the region around Golfo Dulce (PiedrasBlancas and Corcovado national parks).

The Birds of theGolfo Dulce Region

Costa RicaCorcovado National Park

Piedras Blancas National Park“Regenwald der Österreicher”

umschlag-final.qxp 05.06.2007 15:37 Seite 2

Fruits in Costa RicanMarkets

This booklet, covering the fruits on offer in Costa Rican markets, is apublication within the ‘Sparkling Science’ research programme, promot-ed and supported by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Science andResearch. It is the result of a collaborative project between the FederalGrammar School GRg 21 in Vienna and the Centre of Biodiversity at theUniversity of Vienna. The local fruit markets were an important focus ofexploration during a school field trip to Costa Rica. More than eightytropical and subtropical fruits sold in roadside fruit stalls and in urbanmarkets are described in this booklet. Some scientific background on thefascinating fields of fruit ecology, fruit classification, and seed dispersalis also provided.

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lagamba-cover.qxp:La Gamba 14.04.09 09:03 Seite 1

Stream Ecosystems of

Costa Rica

Corcovado National ParkPiedras Blancas National Park„Regenwald der Österreicher“

Stream Ecosystem

s of Costa Rica

Creando un bosqueÁrboles para corredores biológicos

en la región de Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica

Creating a forestTrees for biological corridors

in the Golfo Dulce region, Costa Rica

Mi propio bosque - Creation of a forest

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Corbiculate Beesof the

Golfo Dulce Region, Costa Rica

Piedras Blancas National Park

“Regenwald der Österreicher”

Dragonfliesof the

Golfo Dulce Region, Costa Rica

Piedras Blancas National Park “Regenwald der Österreicher”

Butterflies of the

Golfo Dulce Region Costa Rica

Corcovado National ParkPiedras Blancas National Park„Regenwald der Österreicher“

Das Leben hier und dortLa vida aquí y allá

ein Dorf in Österreichun pueblo en Austria

Weibernein Dorf in Costa Ricaun pueblo en Costa Rica

La Gamba

All books available at:

Verein zur Förderung der Tropenstation La GambaUniversity of Vienna

Rennweg 14, A-1030 Vienna, Austria

www.lagamba.attropenstation.botanik@univie.ac.at