Confirmation of the presence of Vanilla calyculata Schltr. (Orchidaceae) in Mexico: extension to northernmost distribution
Background: Nine Vanilla species have been reported in Mexico. Vanilla calyculata has been formally documented in Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Its presence in Mexico has been suggested based on a single sterile specimen but its identity has not been confirmed,...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Sociedad Botánica de México, A. C.
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Botanical Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.botanicalsciences.com.mx/index.php/botanicalSciences/article/view/3713 |
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| Summary: | Background: Nine Vanilla species have been reported in Mexico. Vanilla calyculata has been formally documented in Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Its presence in Mexico has been suggested based on a single sterile specimen but its identity has not been confirmed, and no further records are known.
Questions: Do the live individuals of Vanilla sp. found in Western Mexico correspond to Vanilla calyculata?
Studied species: Vanilla calyculata.
Study site and dates: Western Mexico, 2019-2025.
Methods: Specimens of Vanilla sp. were collected and determined taxonomically using specialized literature. Mexican herbaria were widely consulted. The conservation status was assessed using the IUCN Red List criteria.
Results: We confirmed the presence of Vanilla calyculata in Mexico based on wild specimens and herbarium records. This species is now known from three localities in Western Mexico, which increases its distribution up to 1,800 km northwards. The number of species of the Vanilla genus reported for Mexico increases to 10 and to three for the west of the country. The conservation status of V. calyculata in Mexico is C2a(i), “Critically Endangered - CR”, based on the IUCN criteria.
Conclusions: This work contributes to the knowledge on the geographic distribution of the genus Vanilla in the Neotropical region, Mexican orchid diversity, and emphasizes the need for immediate actions to ensure the conservation of this important component of agrobiodiversity in Mexico.
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| ISSN: | 2007-4298 2007-4476 |