| Aa achalensis | |
|---|---|
Vulnerable
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Orchidaceae |
| Subfamily: | Orchidoideae |
| Tribe: | Cranichideae |
| Genus: | Aa |
| Species: | A. achalensis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Aa achalensis Schltr., 1920
| |
Aa achalensis is a species of orchid in the genus Aa.[1] They are found at high altitude in Argentina's Sierras de Córdoba.
Distribution and habitat
[edit]Endemic to parts of the Sierras de Córdoba in northern Argentina, Aa achalensis are most common between 1,500 to 2,500 metres (0.93 to 1.55 mi) above sea level,[2] though they are found as high 3,500 metres (2.2 mi).[3] The orchids grow in mountain forests and grasslands.[3] Like many orchids, they associate with fungal orchid mycorrhiza, but also with dark septate endophytes.[4]
Description
[edit]Aa achalensis grows between 20 and 30 centimetres (7.9 and 11.8 in) tall.[5]
Aa achalensis can be differentiated by its hairless rachises, scapes, and ovaries, a trait no other Argentinian Aa species possesses. They have small white raceme flowers. They flower in the summer, between September and December, and fruit until April.[3][5]
Taxonomy
[edit]Aa achalensis was first described from near Cerro Champaquí by Rudolf Schlechter, but the type specimen, housed in the Berlin Herbarium, was destroyed during the Second World War.[3]
Conservation
[edit]A 2004 paper assessing endemic plant species in Córdoba against the IUCN 1994 Red List categories classified Aa achalensis as "Vulnerable".[2]
References
[edit]- ^ "Aa achalensis Schltr. | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 2024-08-14.
- ^ a b Vischi, N.; Natale, E.; Villamil, C. (2004-05-01). "Six endemic plant species from central Argentina: an evaluation of their conservation status" (PDF). Biodiversity & Conservation. 13 (5): 997–1008. doi:10.1023/B:BIOC.0000014465.31740.9b. ISSN 1572-9710.
- ^ a b c d Martín, Claudia M.; Zanotti, Christian A.; Scrocchi, Gustavo J. (2020-12-08). "Aa (Orchidaceae) of Southern Central Andes: Taxonomy, Nomenclature, and a New Species with Dark Flowers" (PDF). Systematic Botany. 45 (4): 760–766. doi:10.1600/036364420X16033962925178.
- ^ Fracchia, Sebastian; Aranda, Adriana; Gopar, Analia; Silvani, Vanesa; Fernandez, Laura; Godeas, Alicia (2009). "Mycorrhizal status of plant species in the Chaco Serrano Woodland from central Argentina". Mycorrhiza. 19 (3): 205–214. doi:10.1007/s00572-009-0231-8. ISSN 0940-6360.
- ^ a b Sebastián, Fracchia; Vanesa, Silvani; Eduardo, Flachsland; Graciela, Terada; Silvana, Sede (2014). "Symbiotic seed germination and protocorm development of Aa achalensis Schltr., a terrestrial orchid endemic from Argentina" (PDF). Mycorrhiza. 24 (1): 35–43. doi:10.1007/s00572-013-0510-2. ISSN 0940-6360.