Dracula (orchid)

Dracula ubangina

The genus Dracula belongs to the orchid family ( Orchidaceae). It was classified by the botanist Carlyle A. Luer as a separate genus until 1978, before it was considered the genus Masdevallia belonging ( Masdevallia Section Saccilabiatae ). It includes about 130 mostly epiphytic species that are native from southern Mexico to Peru. The name means little dragon and is a tribute to the one described by Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach kind Dracula chimaera, as well as to the three outer petals, which expire tail similar and reminiscent of flying bats ( it is said, has Luer the publicity it this genus with has given name, and later regretted ). The dark color and a matching smell apparently resulting in imitation of fungal fruiting bodies. The species of the genus are pollinated by flies, which normally live in mushrooms.

Description

The species of the genus Dracula are mostly epiphytic, rarely terrestrial herbaceous plants. They grow Horstig or with a creeping or ascending rhizome. The roots are surrounded by two or three cell layers thick velamen. The scion is enveloped by tubular Lower leaves, he wears at the end of a single, thin - leathery foliage leaf. The leaf is keeled along the midrib or provided with several longitudinal veins. The leaf shape is linear to elliptic, the blade usually ends pointed, the leaf base is narrowed stalk -like. On both sides of leaf glandular hairs are present.

The racemose inflorescence usually contains multiple, successively opening flowers, rarely it is flowered. The bracts of the flowers include the peduncle tubular. The ovary is glabrous, the flowers are 'upside. The three outer bracts ( sepals ) are oval shaped, they end pointed or blunt, and have a long, tapered extension. They are grown in varying degrees with each other. The lateral petals are small, oblong-shaped, and of cartilaginous texture. They are drawn together at the end to two warty bags. The lip is spatulate and fleshy, it is articulated to the column. The column is semicircular, winged at the sides in the cross section. It forms a "foot", to which attaches the lip. The stamen contains two laterally compressed pollinia, the scar consists of a surface. Are formed elliptical capsule fruits.

Dissemination

The species of the genus Dracula are native to Central and South America, the range extends from southern Mexico to Peru. Most species are described from the countries of the Andean belt. In Colombia, 72 species live in Ecuador 53, in Costa Rica, only four. The genus is absent, for example, in the Antilles, Venezuela, Bolivia and Brazil.

Most species are known from undisturbed tropical forests, a few also from secondary forests, they are usually rare with a small distribution area. The genus, however, are found at altitudes 300-2800 meters, the largest biodiversity, especially in forests of the cloud forest belt of about 1,500 to 2,500 meters above sea level.

Ecology

The Dracula species are epiphytes in more humid forests where they grow in a moss or humus layer.

In some species the flowers give off a smell of mushrooms. In Dracula chestertonii the fragrances were detected 1- octen-3 -ol and 3- octanone, Dracula chimaera smells similar. The smell attracts flies as pollinators that normally live in mushrooms .. In some cases it even comes here to lay their eggs by deluded flies. For the Dracula types lafleurii and Dracula felix living fruit flies ( Drosophilidae ) were identified as pollinators of mushrooms. Pollination is here by a clamping mechanism of Säulchens which clamps the flies temporarily. An exception is Dracula sodiroi which is pollinated by birds.

Threat

The genera Dracula and Masdevallia are characterized by spectacular flowers in the otherwise nondescript subtribes Pleurothallidinae from. This makes them sought after by collectors and breeders, some species are traded commercially. Through illegal Besammeln and tropical deforestation numerous species are threatened in their existence, possibly fourteen of the species described are already extinct. The species are particularly vulnerable to its rarity and its usually only small area of ​​distribution. Numerous types are known only by a single location, more than two thirds of the types of three or fewer. Trade restrictions by including in the Washington Convention ( CITES) should be considered.

Systematics and botanical history

The genus belongs to the subtribe Pleurothallidinae Dracula. After DNA analysis, it represents close a monophyletic group are related to the genera Diodonopsis, Masdevallia, Porroglossum and Trisetella; Dracula is the sister group to a clade of Masdevallia and Porroglossum. Within the Pleurothallidinae presents Dracula is one of the youngest groups, according to the individual species at the level of DNA differ only slightly from each other.

The genus was erected in 1978 by Carlyle Luer August. Luer published several papers on this genus, including a division into subgenera, sections, subsections and series. This division probably does not reflect the phylogenetic relationships of the species, but it is considered to determine the purposes to be useful.

The following alphabetical list of the genus Dracula consists of 128 (129 ) species names and two natural hybrids. Scientists from Kew Gardens ', London, as are valid accepted

  • Dracula Luer adrianae
  • Dracula agnosia A. Doucette ( newly described species at 1 June 2012 from Panama)
  • Dracula alcithoe Luer & R.Escobar
  • Dracula amaliae Luer & R.Escobar
  • Dracula andreettae (Luer ) Luer
  • Dracula anthracina Luer & R.Escobar
  • Dracula Luer Antonii
  • Dracula aphrodes Luer & R.Escobar
  • Dracula astuta ( Rchb.f. ) Luer
  • Dracula Luer barrowii
  • Dracula bella ( Rchb.f. ) Luer
  • Dracula bellerophon Luer & R.Escobar
  • Dracula benedictii ( Rchb.f. ) Luer
  • Dracula berthae Luer & R.Escobar
  • Dracula Luer brangeri
  • Dracula Callithrix N.Peláez, Buit- Del. & Gary Mey.
  • Dracula carcinopsis Luer & R.Escobar
  • Dracula carlueri Hermans & P.J.Cribb
  • Dracula chestertonii ( Rchb.f. ) Luer
  • Dracula chimaera ( Rchb.f. ) Luer - type species
  • Dracula chiroptera Luer & Malo
  • Dracula Luer christineana
  • Circe Dracula Luer & R.Escobar
  • Dracula citrina Luer & R.Escobar
  • Dracula cochliops Luer & R.Escobar
  • Dracula Luer cordobae
  • Dracula cutis - Bufonis Luer & R.Escobar
  • Dracula Luer dalessandroi
  • Dracula Luer dalstroemii
  • Dracula decussata Luer & R.Escobar
  • Dracula deltoidea (Luer ) Luer
  • Dracula Luer deniseana
  • Dracula dens- canis N.Peláez
  • Dracula diabola Luer & R.Escobar
  • Diana Dracula Luer & R.Escobar
  • Dracula dodsonii (Luer ) Luer
  • Dracula erythrochaete ( Rchb.f. ) Luer
  • Dracula erythrocodon (Luer & Dalström ) O.Gruss & M.Wolff
  • Dracula exasperata Luer & R.Escobar
  • Dracula Luer fafnir
  • Dracula felix (Luer ) Luer
  • Dracula Luer fuligifera
  • Dracula fuliginosa (Luer ) Luer
  • Dracula Luer & Hirtz gastrophora
  • Dracula gigas (Luer & Andreetta ) Luer
  • Dracula gorgona ( H.J.Veitch ) Luer & R.Escobar
  • Dracula gorgonella Luer & R.Escobar
  • Dracula Luer hawleyi
  • Dracula hirsuta Luer & Andreetta
  • Dracula Luer hirtzii
  • Dracula houtteana ( Rchb.f. ) Luer
  • Dracula immunda A.Doucette
  • Dracula inaequalis ( Rchb.f. ) Luer & R.Escobar
  • Dracula incognita Luer & R.Escobar
  • Dracula inexperata Pupulin
  • Dracula insolita Luer & R.Escobar
  • Dracula iricolor ( Rchb.f. ) Luer & R.Escobar
  • Dracula janetiae (Luer ) Luer
  • Dracula kareniae Luer & Dalström
  • Dracula lafleurii Luer & Dalström
  • Dracula lehmanniana Luer & R.Escobar
  • Dracula lemurella Luer & R.Escobar
  • Dracula Luer leonum
  • Dracula Luer levii
  • Dracula ligiae Luer & R.Escobar
  • Dracula lindstroemii Luer & Dalström
  • Dracula lotax (Luer ) Luer
  • Dracula Luer maduroi
  • Dracula mantissa Luer & R.Escobar
  • Dracula Luer & Hirtz marsupialis
  • Dracula mendozae Luer & V.N.M.Rao
  • Dracula minax Luer & R.Escobar
  • Dracula Mopsus ( F.Lehm. & Kraenzl. ) Luer
  • Dracula morleyi Luer & Dalström
  • Dracula Luer & Hirtz navarrorum
  • Dracula Luer Nigritella
  • Nosferatu Dracula Luer & R.Escobar
  • Dracula nycterina ( Rchb.f. ) Luer
  • Dracula octavioi Luer & R.Escobar
  • Dracula olmosii Luer & Maduro
  • Dracula ophioceps Luer & R.Escobar
  • Dracula orientalis Luer & R.Escobar
  • Dracula ortiziana Luer & R.Escobar
  • Papillosa Dracula Luer & Dodson
  • Dracula pholeodytes Luer & R.Escobar
  • Pileus Dracula Luer & R.Escobar
  • Dracula platycrater ( Rchb.f. ) Luer
  • Dracula polyphemus (Luer ) Luer
  • Dracula portillae Luer & Andreetta
  • Dracula posadarum Luer & R.Escobar
  • Dracula presbys Luer & R.Escobar
  • Dracula psittacina ( Rchb.f. ) Luer & R.Escobar
  • Dracula psyche (Luer & Andreetta ) Luer
  • Pubescens Dracula Luer & Dalström
  • Dracula pusilla ( Rolfe ) Luer
  • Dracula radiosa ( Rchb.f. ) Luer
  • Dracula rezekiana Luer & R.Hawley
  • Dracula Luer ripleyana
  • Dracula robledorum ( P.Ortiz ) Luer & R.Escobar
  • Dracula roezlii ( Rchb.f. ) Luer
  • Dracula rojasii N.Peláez, Buit- Del. & Gary Mey.
  • Dracula saulii Luer & Sijm
  • Dracula Luer & Hirtz schudelii
  • Dracula senex - furens N.Peláez, Buit- Del. & Gary Mey.
  • Dracula sergioi Luer & R.Escobar
  • Dracula severa ( Rchb.f. ) Luer
  • Dracula sibundoyensis Luer & R.Escobar
  • Dracula Luer sijmii
  • Dracula simia (Luer ) Luer
  • Dracula sodiroi ( Schltr. ) Luer
  • Dracula Luer syndactyla
  • Dracula Luer & Hirtz terborchii
  • Dracula Luer trinympharum
  • Dracula Luer tsubotae
  • Dracula tubeana ( Rchb.f. ) Luer
  • Dracula ubangina Luer & Andreetta
  • Dracula vampira (Luer ) Luer
  • Dracula veleziana Luer & V.N.M.Rao
  • Dracula velutina ( Rchb.f. ) Luer
  • Dracula venefica Luer & R.Escobar
  • Dracula venosa ( Rolfe ) Luer
  • Dracula verticulosa Luer & R.Escobar
  • Dracula vespertilio ( Rchb.f. ) Luer
  • Dracula villegasii Koniger
  • Dracula vinacea Luer & R.Escobar
  • Dracula vlad - tepes Luer & R.Escobar
  • Dracula wallisii ( Rchb.f. ) Luer
  • Dracula woolwardiae ( F.Lehm. & Kraenzl. ) Luer
  • Dracula xenos Luer & R.Escobar - possibly a cross between Masdevallia picturata and a Dracula - type
  • Dracula × anicula Luer & R.Escobar = ( Dracula cutis - Bufonis × Dracula wallisii )
  • Dracula Luer radiosyndactyla × = ( × Dracula Dracula radiosa syndactyla )
Epidendroideae Homage Ovary (botany) Resupination Labellum (botany) Pollinium Stigma (botany) Middle America (region) 1-Octen-3-ol Digital Object Identifier Integrated Authority File
293584
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