A group of scientists has discovered a type of orchid that could help to gain a deeper understanding of the rich Andean biodiversity. This is the species Lepanthes inesmanzanoae, found in the Toisán mountain range, some subtropical mountains northwest of Quito (Ecuador).
The new species of orchid, presented this Thursday in the Ecuadorian capital, is distinguished by its velvety petals, with the shorter, triangular and attenuated lower lobe; the appendage acute and triangular, and the stigma bilobed (with two lobes).
This plant was discovered after two years of research in the Manduriacu River Reserve, a mountainous region at the transition from the Andes to the Ecuadorian coast. The orchid was named in honor of Inés Manzano, a renowned activist and lawyer who has contributed decisively to the field of environmental laws and actions around climate change awareness.
During the presentation, Manzano defended the need to protect natural spaces: “Biodiversity is in critical danger, there is a massive wave of species extinction and we do not recognize its importance and use. After seeing all this, finding people dedicated to studying and researching that biodiversity is a light of hope.”
In the process of research and discovery of the new species of orchid are the EcoMinga and EcoTonos foundations, the National Institute of Biodiversity (Inabio), the University of Las Américas (Ecuador) and the University of Caldas (Colombia).
The director of Ecominga, Marco Monteros, stated that the joint work of the institutions has made it possible to study and protect biodiversity in places with a high number of endemic and even unique species, as is the case of the Toisán mountain range.
Diego Inclán, executive director of Inabio, explained that discovering a new species is not an easy task, because it requires a lot of research time in the territory, in the library and in the laboratories.
“This year we have discovered more than thirty species of animals and plants, it is something minuscule compared to what exists in our territory,” explained the director of Inabio, a state institute dedicated to knowing and protecting biodiversity in Ecuador.
The study of the new orchid has also made it possible to find new localities of species already described in the country such as Lepanthes acrogenia, Lepanthes elata, Lepanthes quadricornis and Lepanthes ricaurtensis, said Inabio.
The Toisán Mountain Range is located in a transition zone between the strategic enclaves of the Andean Choco and the Tropical Andes, considered among the points of greatest concentration of biodiversity in the world.
